Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

North Adams, Massachusetts · Public · 4-year · Town

At a glance

Average net price: $16,068What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
Acceptance rate: 90%
Graduation rate: 52%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
Undergraduates: 713
In-state tuition: $12,436Published price before aid.
Out-of-state tuition: $21,381
SAT midpoint: Not reported
Median earnings, 10 yrs: $48,102Median earnings of former students ten years after they first enrolled.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Data year: 2022-23 academic year. Updated September 2026. Figures are averages across all students and will differ from what any individual pays.

How it compares to similar colleges

Each rating covers one measure against public 4-year colleges nationally. Five stars means the top fifth on that measure. There is no overall score, because which of these matters is your call.

Affordability

$16,068

2/5

Better than 37% of public 4-year colleges (565 compared).

Completion

52%

3/5

Better than 50% of public 4-year colleges (566 compared).

Earnings

$48,102

2/5

Better than 28% of public 4-year colleges (590 compared).

Debt at graduation

$23,750

2/5

Better than 22% of public 4-year colleges (588 compared).

What these ratings are based on

Affordability: Based on average net price: what students receiving federal aid actually paid, after grants and scholarships. Your own cost depends on your family's finances.
Completion: Based on the share of first-time, full-time students who graduate within 150% of normal time. It excludes transfer and part-time students, which understates colleges serving many of them.
Earnings: Based on median earnings ten years after students first enrolled. It reflects the subjects a college teaches and the region it sits in as much as its teaching.
Debt at graduation: Based on median federal loan debt among students who completed. Private and parent loans are not included, so real totals are often higher.
Why there is no rating for selectivity: A lower acceptance rate is selectivity, not quality. Awarding stars for it would be us inventing a value judgement and hiding it behind a number.

What it actually costs

Published cost

$26,026

The sticker price: tuition, fees, housing, food and books for one academic year, before any aid.

Average net price

$16,068

What students receiving federal aid actually paid on average, after grants and scholarships. This is the more useful number, though your own figure depends on your family’s finances.

What would this cost me?

Use this college’s official net price calculator

Outcomes

Graduation, retention, debt and earnings for Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time	52%
Retention rateFirst-year students who return	76%
Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed	$23,750
Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled	$48,102

What graduates of each major earn

Median earnings one year after finishing, for people who took that subject here. This is the figure a college-wide median hides: the spread between subjects at one college is usually far wider than the spread between colleges.

Bachelor’s programs at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts by graduate earnings
Major	Earnings, 1 yr	Degrees awarded
Computer and Information Sciences, General	$80,332	7
Education, General	$39,375	11
Business Administration, Management and Operations	$39,369	31
Sociology	$38,631	19
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other	$35,293	24
Psychology, General	$32,855	26
English Language and Literature, General	$29,677	17
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management	$18,675	7
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General	Not reported	17
Visual and Performing Arts, General	Not reported	15
Communication and Media Studies	Not reported	10
Natural Resources Conservation and Research	Not reported	8
Biology, General	Not reported	8
History	Not reported	8
Political Science and Government	Not reported	7
Fine and Studio Arts	Not reported	5
Mathematics	Not reported	4
Physics	Not reported	2
Chemistry	Not reported	2
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions	Not reported	2
Public Health	Not reported	1
Philosophy	Not reported	Not reported

All 22 bachelor’s programs this college reported.

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