New England is home to some of the oldest colleges and universities in the United States. So, it’s no surprise that it’s home to some of the best schools in the country, too. From its rich history to its amazing scenery, New England offers a unique experience to its students.
The states we include in the top 25 best colleges in New England list include Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Top 25 Best New England Colleges
Harvard University has turned out some amazing alumni. In fact, the school has more alumni, researchers, and faculty that have won Nobel Prizes and Field Medals than any other school in the world. Alumni also include eight U.S. presidents, 188 living billionaires, and 110 Olympic medalists. The most common majors include Econometrics and Quantitative Economics, Social Sciences, and Computer Science.
Location
Cambridge, MA
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
31,345
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT, offers up to a doctorate degree with many undergraduate students focusing on Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering. Mathematics and Physics are also common majors. Alumni have gone on to found companies like Intel, Koch Industries, Dropbox, and Campbell Soup.
Location
Cambridge, MA
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
11,934
Yale University got its start in 1701 under the name Collegiate School, getting its current name in 1718. Their motto, “lux et veritas,” means “light and truth” in Latin. The university is made up of fourteen schools including the undergraduate college, twelve professional schools, and the Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Yale’s acceptance rate is just 5.4%.
Location
New Haven, CT
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
14,567
Popular majors at Brown University include Computer Science, Biology, Applied Mathematics, Economics, and Quantitative Economics. Founded in 1764, it was the first school in North America that accepted students regardless of their religion. Their women’s institution, Pembroke College, was merged into Brown in 1971. Alumni have gone on to create famous companies including ZipRecruiter, Cards Against Humanity, and CNN.
Location
Providence, RI
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
10,696
Although it was originally founded as a men’s college in 1793, the school is composed of 48% and 52% women. It was created out of the funds of Ephraim Williams, who died in the French and Indian War. The college gets just under 12,500 applications each year and accepts 9% of students.
Location
Williamstown, MA
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
2,224
A private Ivy League research university, Dartmouth was founded before the Declaration of Independence was signed. Three famous alumni were Daniel Webster, Robert Frost, and Thaddeus Stevens. The school also graduated several members of the Senate and House of Representatives in the United States, Nobel Prize laureates, and more.
Location
Hanover, NH
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
6,761
With an acceptance rate of 9%, Amherst College is a fairly selective school. A majority of their first-year students come from Massachusetts, New York, and California. The third oldest institution of higher education in the state, it was originally a men’s college. It became coeducational in 1975. Amherst College’s motto is “terras Irradient,” which means “let them enlighten the lands.”
Location
Amherst, MA
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
1,971
Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering was established fairly recently in 1997. Half of a student’s tuition is actually covered by the Olin Scholarship. The three majors offered are General Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. With a 100% first year retention rate, the college also has a 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio.
Location
Needham, MA
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
382
Bowdoin College is a very selective school with an acceptance rate of 9%. 89% of students will graduate within four years, and 94% within six. With a 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio, the college also has a 97% first year retention rate. Bowdoin College offers 34 different majors, including joint Engineering programs with Columbia, Dartmouth, Caltech, and the University of Maine.
Location
Brunswick, ME
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
1,951
Tufts University receives over 31,100 applications a year and accepts 11.4% of students. It got its start as Tufts College and was a small liberal arts college. In the 1970s, it became a research university. The university offers over 70 undergraduate programs; Econometrics and Quantitative Economics and Computer Science are the most popular.
Location
Medford, MA
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
13,293
Wellesley College is a private women’s liberal arts college going back to 1870. It is the largest out of all women’s colleges and has seen famous alumni including Hillary Clinton, Madeleine Albright, and Katharine Lee Bates. Economics is the most commonly chosen major, but other popular choices include Biology, Computer and Information Sciences, and Research and Experimental Psychology.
Location
Wellesley, MA
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
2,461
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university. Αἰὲν ἀριστεύειν, or “Ever to Excel,” is the school’s motto. Their athletic teams are known as the Eagles, with a mascot known as Baldwin the Eagle, and they wear maroon and gold. Past students have included John F. Kerry, Leonard Nimoy, Chris O’Donnell, and Amy Poehler.
Location
Chestnut Hill, MA
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
15,577
The first operating college or university in Vermont was Middlebury College, founded in 1800. It was also the first American institution of higher education that gave a bachelor’s degree to an African-American in 1823. Although it was originally all-male, the school would begin to admit women in 1883. It has an acceptance rate of 13.3%.
Location
Middlebury, CT
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
2,937
A smaller school, Colby College is very selective with only a 9% acceptance rate, boasts a strong student-to-faculty ratio of 9:1, and has a 95% first year retention rate. 81% of students will go on to graduate within 4 years, and 87% within six. Political Science and Government and Econometrics and Quantitative Economics are the two most popular majors.
Location
Waterville, ME
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
2,262
Wesleyan University’s top majors include Econometrics and Quantitative Economics, Psychology, English, and Political Science and Government. The school was founded as a men’s college and became fully co-educational in 1970. The campus is located on the bends of the Connecticut River. Cardinal and black are the official school colors of Wesleyan’s sports teams.
Location
Middletown, CT
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
3,581
An all-female school, Smith College is the largest of the Seven Sisters colleges. The school has an open curriculum, which means it doesn’t have scheduled finals or course requirements. Smith College accepts almost 30% of students who apply. Margaret Mitchell, Nancy Reagan, Sylvia Plath, and Barbara Bush all attended the college.
Location
Northampton, MA
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
2,924
Babson College began as an all-male school in 1919, originally known as Babson Institute. It would become coeducational in 1969. The school has an astounding 94% first year retention rate and 90% four year graduation rate. The only major available is Business Administration and Management. Athletes compete in the NCAA Division III and are known as the Beavers.
Location
Wellesley, MA
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
3,684
Bates College was founded in 1855 and was the first coeducational college in New England. It also began admitting minority students before the Emancipation Proclamation. Highly selective, Bates College only accepts 17.5% of applicants. The school has a 92% first year retention rate, 88% four year graduation rate, and a 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio.
Location
Lewiston, ME
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
1,821
Boston University got its start in 1839 in Vermont as the Newbury Biblical Institute. It would move to Boston in 1867. Today, it is one of the largest employers in the city. Famous individuals who have been associated with the school include Elie Wiesel, Martin Luther King Jr., President William Howard Taft, and Howard Stern. The university accepts only 19% of applicants.
Location
Boston, MA
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
36,104
The College of the Holy Cross has a 43.1% acceptance rate, 96% first year retention rate, and an impressive 90% four year graduation rate. It is the oldest Catholic college in New England. Today, it’s a part of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. Athletes are known as the Crusaders (who are also their mascot) and they wear Royal purple and white.
Location
Worcester, MA
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
3,029
The University of Connecticut campus is 4,400 acres and just 90 minutes from Boston. It was founded in 1881 and originally known as the Storrs Agricultural School. They accept 56% of applicants. UConn is considered a “Public Ivy” and has produced famous scholars, actors, authors, inventors, and entrepreneurs.
Location
Storrs, CT
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
26,876
The motto of Brandeis University is אמת which is Hebrew for “Truth even unto its innermost parts.” Students attending the university can cross-register at Boston College, Tufts University, and Boston University. Brandeis only accepts 39% of students. Economics is the most popular major, but Biology/Biological Sciences and Health Policy Analysis are also top choices.
Location
Waltham, MA
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
5,558
“Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem”, or “By the sword we seek peace by peace only under liberty” is the motto of the University of Massachusetts – Amherst. Also known as UMass Amherst, it is the largest of the school system and got its start as an agricultural college in 1863. Sam the Minuteman is the school mascot.
Location
Amherst, MA
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
32,045
Often abbreviated to RISD, this school was founded to expand access to design education to women. Nowadays, 67% of the undergraduate class consist of female students. The 123 acre main campus is located on the Providence River, but a number of buildings and facilities, including the library, can now be found in Downtown Providence.
Location
Providence, RI
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
2,576
Bentley University, founded in 1917, is a leader in business education. Bentley University awards 257 degrees per year to graduating Finance students. They receive a little over 9,300 applications every admission cycle and have a 61% acceptance rate. An impressive 83% of students will graduate within 4 years.
Location
Waltham, MA
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
5,158
Why is New England a Great Place to Go to School?
Every state in New England has something unique to offer students who attend school in the country! The area is known for its history, rich natural beauty, and culture. In its cities, including Boston, Hartford, and Providence, students can visit countless museums that highlight art and history, tour historical locations, and find plenty to do in their free time.
Outside the cities, New England has plenty to offer, too. Home to the start (or end, depending on how you look at it) of the Appalachian Trail in Maine, you can pick up the trail throughout other states. You can also plan a trip to the 19th Century covered bridges in Vermont or the White Mountains in New Hampshire.
The biggest downside of the region for some, though, may be the cold and the snow. If you’re not a fan, you might struggle to be comfortable in New England. However, the area offers some of the best places in the world to view changing leaves in autumn and ski. The cooler temperatures can be exactly what others are looking for in a locale – it’s perfect for walking around town or hiking.
Whether you love the outdoors or city life, New England has something for everyone, making it a fantastic location to go to school as long as you like the cold.
State Grant Aid in New England
New England can be an expensive place to live, but thanks to state grants, it is not necessarily an expensive place to go to school. Many colleges and universities in the region offer in-state tuition, of course, but the states themselves also offer financial opportunities to make school more affordable for its students. To see a full list of how you can find state grants in your location, use our handy State Grants Guide.
Interested in any of these schools? Check out College Raptor’s free match tool to see if they’re a good fit for you!
Methodology
Colleges are ranked based on a combination of factors, including graduation rates, campus diversity, endowment per student, and other data as reported via the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) for the most recently-available enrollment year. Some colleges may have been excluded from rankings based on certain criteria, including specialization and classification. Learn about our full methodology.
