The Best MBA Programs in Massachusetts for 2026
The best MBA programs in Massachusetts span a huge range in what you'll pay to get the degree. Hakia Business analyzed 10 MBA programs in the state on graduation rate, selectivity, cost, and outcomes data, and the sticker price alone will surprise you: in-state tuition among these ranked programs runs from $17,006 to $69,400. That's not a typo. The cheapest strong-value option, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, charges $17,006 in-state, while the state's priciest private programs top $69,000.
\nGraduation rates across the ranked set average 88%, so most students who start an MBA program in Massachusetts finish it. But averaging the tuition numbers would be misleading here: this list mixes a public flagship with some of the most expensive private business schools in the country, so there's no single \"typical\" price tag. What you get for that money, and how the Hakia Score weighs cost against outcomes, is what this ranking is built to show you.
"Key Takeaways on the Best MBA Programs in Massachusetts
- Ten master's programs in Massachusetts made this ranking, with in-state tuition running from $17,006 a year at University of Massachusetts-Amherst to $69,400 a year at Boston College.
- Tufts University tops the ranking with a 96.7 Hakia Score and a 94% graduation rate.
- Harvard University posts the highest graduation rate in the group at 98%, even though its $56,550 in-state tuition isn't the lowest.
- The average graduation rate across all 10 ranked programs is 88%.
- Nationally, the BLS reports a $105,770 median annual salary for management occupations, the field most MBA graduates enter.
- University of Massachusetts-Amherst is the only public school in the ranking, and its $17,006 in-state tuition costs roughly a quarter of what Boston College charges.
The Hakia Score ranks each of these MBA programs in Massachusetts on four factors: graduation rate, admissions selectivity, in-state tuition cost, and outcomes, using data from the U.S. Dept. of Education's IPEDS database and national occupation data from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. No school pays to appear here, and no reputation survey factors into the score.
The 10 Best MBA Programs in Massachusetts, Ranked for 2026
| # | Program | Type | In-state tuition | Grad rate | Admit rate | Hakia Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tufts UniversityMedford, MA · online option | Nonprofit | $69,146 | 94% | 11% | 96.7 |
| 2 | Boston UniversityBoston, MA | Nonprofit | $66,670 | 89% | 11% | 95.4 |
| 3 | Boston CollegeChestnut Hill, MA | Nonprofit | $69,400 | 91% | 16% | 94.9 |
| 4 | Babson CollegeWellesley, MA · online option | Nonprofit | $57,152 | 93% | 17% | 94.8 |
| 5 | Harvard UniversityCambridge, MA · online option | Nonprofit | $56,550 | 98% | 4% | 94.4 |
| 6 | University of Massachusetts-AmherstAmherst, MA · online option | Public | $17,006 | 83% | 60% | 94.3 |
| 7 | Worcester Polytechnic InstituteWorcester, MA · online option | Nonprofit | $59,700 | 90% | 60% | 90.3 |
| 8 | Northeastern UniversityBoston, MA | Nonprofit | $64,990 | 91% | 5% | 89.4 |
| 9 | Clark UniversityWorcester, MA · online option | Nonprofit | $57,440 | 77% | 40% | 86.4 |
| 10 | Endicott CollegeBeverly, MA | Nonprofit | $39,750 | 76% | 71% | 84.0 |
The Top MBA Programs in Massachusetts at a Glance
Each program scores 0 to 100 on the Hakia Score, a composite of graduation rate, cost, selectivity, and outcomes. Longer bars rank higher.
Inside the Top MBA Programs in Massachusetts
Tufts University
Medford, MA · Nonprofit · online option
- Grad rate
- 94%
- Admit rate
- 11%
- In-state
- $69,146
- Out-of-state
- $69,146
Fletcher's Executive Master of International Business posts a 96.7 Hakia Score, a 94% graduation rate second only to Harvard's 98%, and an 11% admit rate, all while running fully online for working professionals with eight or more years on the job.
- 96.7 Hakia Score
- 94% graduation rate
- 11% admit rate
- Fully online executive format
Tufts delivers this program through the Fletcher School as the Executive Master of International Business Online, previously branded the Global Business Administration (GBA) degree. It targets professionals with eight or more years of work experience and runs fully online, with two required in-person immersions, one in Boston and one in an international city. The page describes it as blending the rigor of an MBA with the contextual knowledge of international affairs, built for people who want to pivot or accelerate a global-facing career without leaving their job.
The numbers back up the #1 spot on this list. Tufts posts a 96.7 Hakia Score, the highest of any Massachusetts program here, alongside a 94% graduation rate and an 11% admit rate that ties Boston University, though Harvard's 4% and Northeastern's 5% admit rates are still tougher to crack in this ranking. Tuition runs $69,146 a year, the same for in-state and out-of-state students since it's a private program. This format fits mid-career professionals who already have the years of experience Fletcher requires and want a global business credential they can complete around a full-time job, not a first-time MBA candidate straight out of a bachelor's degree.
Boston University
Boston, MA · Nonprofit
- Grad rate
- 89%
- Admit rate
- 11%
- In-state
- $66,670
- Out-of-state
- $66,670
Questrom's MBA runs three parallel tracks, full-time, part-time and online, and backs an 11% admit rate with an 89% graduation rate across a 64-unit core.
- 95.4 Hakia Score
- 89% graduation rate
- 11% admit rate
- Full-time, part-time, and online tracks
Boston University's Questrom School of Business builds its MBA around three formats: Full-Time, Part-Time, and Online. Most students major in Business Administration, though the Full-Time and Part-Time tracks also offer majors in Health Sector Management, Management Science, or Social Impact, and Full-Time students can add a dual degree in the MS in Digital Technology. The Full-Time MBA runs 64 units and is typically finished in two years; the Part-Time MBA runs 55 units, usually takes three years, and must be completed within six years of matriculation.
Questrom earns a 95.4 Hakia Score, the second-highest on this list, with an 89% graduation rate and an 11% admit rate that matches Tufts, though Harvard's 4% and Northeastern's 5% admit rates are tougher to crack in this ranking. Tuition is $66,670 a year regardless of residency. Run the math on the standard two-year Full-Time track and the core program alone costs roughly $133,340 before aid or fellowships. Three formats under one degree, plus a dual-degree option, make this a fit for candidates who want flexibility to switch pacing without switching schools.
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA · Nonprofit
- Grad rate
- 91%
- Admit rate
- 16%
- In-state
- $69,400
- Out-of-state
- $69,400
Boston College's Carroll School combines a 94.9 Hakia Score with two paths to the same degree, a two-year full-time MBA and a three-year part-time track that lets you keep working.
- 94.9 Hakia Score
- 91% graduation rate
- 16% admit rate
- Full-time or part-time, same degree
Boston College's Carroll School of Management offers one MBA through two paths. The Full-Time MBA is a two-year, on-campus program with small class sizes and a full elective slate. The Part-Time MBA covers the same degree with evening and online class options, averages two courses per semester and about three years to finish, and lets eligible students claim advanced standing credit or waive certain core courses. The school highlights a Data Analytics sequence built to get every MBA student comfortable pulling insight from data regardless of job function, and notes its undergraduate business program was ranked third in the country by Bloomberg Businessweek.
Carroll posts a 94.9 Hakia Score, a 91% graduation rate, and a 16% admit rate, the most accessible admit rate among the top three programs on this list. Tuition is $69,400 a year, the highest in this ranking, which puts the two-year Full-Time track at roughly $138,800 before aid. That price and the dual full-time or part-time path make this a fit for professionals who want a name-brand Boston MBA but need the option to keep working while they finish it.
Babson College
Wellesley, MA · Nonprofit · online option
- Grad rate
- 93%
- Admit rate
- 17%
- In-state
- $57,152
- Out-of-state
- $57,152
Babson's Full-Time MBA is the cheapest and most accessible top-4 option in Massachusetts, $57,152 a year with a 17% admit rate, wrapped in a STEM-designated, entrepreneurship-first curriculum.
- 94.8 Hakia Score
- 93% graduation rate
- $57,152 tuition, lowest of the top four programs here
- STEM-designated, entrepreneurship-first curriculum
Babson runs its MBA out of the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business in Wellesley. The Full-Time MBA offers 1- and 2-year options, is visa-eligible, and layers STEM-designated concentrations onto what the school calls an entrepreneurial-mindset foundation. For working professionals, Babson also lists a Flex MBA built around the same part-time model the school uses across its graduate programs: classes offered online, in the evenings, and on weekends so students can keep their job while they finish the degree.
Babson's 94.8 Hakia Score sits just behind Boston College's, but it wins on access and price among the top four programs in this ranking. The 17% admit rate is the highest of that top four, the 93% graduation rate is the second-highest of the top four behind Tufts, and at $57,152 a year, tuition runs about $12,248 below Boston College and roughly $9,518 below Boston University. Pick the 1-year track and total tuition is $57,152; stretch to two years and it's about $114,304. Smaller cohorts (Babson enrolls 3,932 students total, compared to BU's 37,737) and that entrepreneurship focus make this a fit for candidates who want to launch or scale their own venture rather than climb a corporate ladder.
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA · Nonprofit · online option
- Grad rate
- 98%
- Admit rate
- 4%
- In-state
- $56,550
- Out-of-state
- $56,550
Harvard pairs a 4% admit rate with a 98% graduation rate and a flat $56,550 tuition that doesn't discount for in-state residency.
- 98% graduation rate
- 4% admit rate
- $56,550 flat tuition, no in-state discount
- Part-time, on-campus or online via Continuing Education
Harvard University's business administration and management listing points to the school's Division of Continuing Education, which runs a Bachelor of Liberal Arts (A.L.B.) built for working adults: the typical student is over 30, has already completed a year or two of college, and finishes the degree part time, on campus or online, without leaving a full-time job. It's a different entry point than a fixed-cohort graduate program, aimed at professionals who need flexibility over a set residency schedule.
Harvard's Hakia Score of 94.4 ranks the program #5 in Massachusetts, built on a 98% graduation rate and a 4% admit rate. Tuition is a flat $56,550, since Harvard doesn't discount for in-state residency. Once admitted, students finish at a near-universal rate; getting in is the hard part. That profile fits an applicant who already has a strong record and is prioritizing the Harvard name and completion odds over program flexibility.
University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Amherst, MA · Public · online option
- Grad rate
- 83%
- Admit rate
- 60%
- In-state
- $17,006
- Out-of-state
- $39,683
UMass Amherst's AACSB-accredited Isenberg MBA charges $17,006 in-state, and the school reports its Online MBA ranked #12 nationally by U.S. News in 2024.
- 83% graduation rate
- $17,006 in-state tuition ($39,683 out-of-state)
- AACSB-accredited
- Online MBA ranked #12 by U.S. News (2024)
The Isenberg School of Management runs its MBA across four formats built around the same AACSB-accredited curriculum: a two-year On-Campus MBA kept intentionally small for hands-on instruction, an Online MBA for professionals who need full flexibility, a Hybrid MBA that mixes in-person classes at Isenberg's Boston location with online coursework, and an MBA/MS Dual Degree track with six combinations across three programs for students who want a specialized focus.
Isenberg's Hakia Score of 94.3 ranks #6 in Massachusetts, built on an 83% graduation rate and a 60% admit rate. Tuition is $17,006 for Massachusetts residents and $39,683 out of state, and total enrollment across the university runs 31,726. The school reports its Online MBA ranked #12 overall by U.S. News & World Report in 2024, with the On-Campus MBA at #72 and the Part-time MBA at #45. That combination of public-school pricing and a nationally ranked online track fits a working professional who wants AACSB accreditation without private-school tuition.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, MA · Nonprofit · online option
- Grad rate
- 90%
- Admit rate
- 60%
- In-state
- $59,700
- Out-of-state
- $59,700
WPI's fully online MBA needs no GRE or GMAT and cites a $119,061 median graduate salary (WSJ/Education Department, 2021) across 18 specializations.
- 90% graduation rate
- $59,700 flat tuition
- 18 specializations across 7 focus areas
- No GRE/GMAT required
WPI's MBA is built for engineers and scientists moving into leadership: a fully online, two-year program with 7 focus areas and 18 specializations spanning analytics, operations, IT and UX, innovation, and product management and marketing. The curriculum runs core business foundation courses in financial management, leadership, marketing strategy, and operations management, followed by an integrative strategic management course, a three-course specialization, two electives, and a capstone project. No GRE or GMAT is required to apply.
WPI's Hakia Score of 90.3 places it #7 in Massachusetts, backed by a 90% graduation rate and a 60% admit rate. Tuition is a flat $59,700 with no in-state break. The school's page cites a $119,061 median salary among WPI MBA graduates (WSJ and the Education Department, 2021), a #9 Best MBA for Management ranking from the Princeton Review (2020), and a #24 Online MBA ranking from Poets&Quants (2025). The no-test-required policy and STEM-heavy specialization list suit an engineer or analyst layering an MBA onto a technical background rather than pursuing a general management degree.
Northeastern University
Boston, MA · Nonprofit
- Grad rate
- 91%
- Admit rate
- 5%
- In-state
- $64,990
- Out-of-state
- $64,990
Northeastern's D'Amore-McKim graduate management program admits just 5% of applicants yet graduates 91% of them, across 15 customizable concentrations.
- 91% graduation rate
- 5% admit rate
- $64,990 flat tuition
- 15 concentrations, AACSB-accredited
Northeastern's D'Amore-McKim School of Business runs this graduate management program as the MS in Management, or "MS x": a personalizable core curriculum in accounting and finance, data presentation and analysis, and customer strategy, paired with specialized expertise in one of 15 concentrations. The program is delivered on ground in Boston, runs one to two years part time or full time, starts each fall, meets F1 visa requirements, and is accredited by AACSB International.
The program's Hakia Score of 89.4 ranks #8 in Massachusetts, with a 91% graduation rate against a 5% admit rate. Tuition is a flat $64,990 with no in-state discount, and Northeastern's overall enrollment runs 32,553. The project-based, concentration-driven format fits a candidate who wants a customizable management credential in a major job market like Boston rather than a fixed-track residential MBA.
Clark University
Worcester, MA · Nonprofit · online option
- Grad rate
- 77%
- Admit rate
- 40%
- In-state
- $57,440
- Out-of-state
- $57,440
Clark's MBA is STEM-designated, giving international graduates up to 36 months of OPT work authorization, and its 86.4 Hakia Score ranks it 9th among Massachusetts MBA programs with a 40% admit rate.
- 86.4 Hakia Score
- 77% graduation rate
- 40% admit rate
- STEM-designated MBA, 36-month OPT
Clark University markets its MBA as "the socially-conscious business degree," building core competencies in accounting, management, marketing, finance and analytics around an explicit emphasis on ethics, corporate responsibility and social innovation. The program is STEM-designated, with concentrations in Finance, Healthcare Analytics, and Information Management and Business Analytics, which qualifies international graduates for up to 36 months of Optional Practical Training instead of the standard 12. Clark also runs a 4+1 B.S./MBA STEM pathway, an online Mini MBA, and a Post-MBA Certificate for students who want a different length of credential.
Clark's 86.4 Hakia Score places it 9th among Massachusetts MBA programs in this ranking. The school admits 40% of applicants, a looser bar than most private MBA programs in the state though still tighter than WPI's 60% or Endicott's 71%, and graduates 77% of its students. Tuition is flat at $57,440 regardless of residency, since Clark is a private nonprofit; with online delivery available, that fits a candidate who wants a STEM-designated MBA and values the OPT extension over the lowest sticker price.
Endicott College
Beverly, MA · Nonprofit
- Grad rate
- 76%
- Admit rate
- 71%
- In-state
- $39,750
- Out-of-state
- $39,750
Endicott's evening MBA fits 36 credits and a choice of eight concentrations into as little as 18 months, at a flat $39,750 tuition that undercuts Clark's by $17,690.
- 84 Hakia Score
- 76% graduation rate
- 71% admit rate
- 8 concentrations, 18-month evening format
Endicott College's MBA is built for working professionals: a part-time, evening program delivered through flexible online, hybrid and in-person courses in Beverly, with fall, spring and summer start dates and a finish time as short as 18 months. The 36-credit curriculum pairs 18 credits of core coursework, including financial management, operations management, business intelligence and data mining, and business policy and strategy, with a 12-credit concentration chosen from eight options: Entrepreneurship, Events Management, General Management, Healthcare, Human Resources, Non-Profit Management, Public Administration, and Sustainability and Environmental Social Governance. Students who want two concentrations can complete 24 credits across both. The school reports a number 8 ranking for Most Innovative Schools from U.S. News and World Report.
Endicott's 84 Hakia Score ranks it 10th among Massachusetts MBA programs, just behind Clark. It is markedly easier to get into, admitting 71% of applicants versus Clark's 40%, while still graduating 76% of students, close to Clark's 77%. Tuition runs a flat $39,750, $17,690 less than Clark's $57,440, making it the cheaper of the two for a working adult who needs evening or hybrid scheduling and a specific concentration rather than a STEM designation.
What Do MBA Programs in Massachusetts Cost?
What do these programs cost in Massachusetts? The 10 programs in this ranking show one of the widest in-state tuition spreads you'll find within a single state: $17,006 a year at University of Massachusetts-Amherst versus $69,400 a year at Boston College, a $52,394 gap in the annual sticker price alone. Multiply each by a typical two-year full-time MBA and total cost runs from roughly $34,012 at UMass Amherst to about $138,800 at Boston College, a difference of more than $104,000 over the life of the degree.
That gap matters because the payoff on the other side doesn't scale with tuition. The BLS reports a $105,770 median annual salary for management occupations nationally, the field where most MBA graduates land, and that figure doesn't change based on which business school issued the diploma. If two graduates both step into management roles paying near that national median, the one who paid $34,012 at UMass Amherst recovers the cost of the MBA degree in well under a year of that salary. The one who paid $138,800 needs more than a full year's salary just to break even on tuition alone, before counting two years of lost income while pursuing the degree. Cost is not the only factor in choosing among MBA programs in Massachusetts, but it's the one you can calculate before you apply.
Is There a Licensing Exam for MBA Programs?
Unlike the CPA exam for accountants or the bar exam for lawyers, there's no licensing exam standing between you and a management job after you finish an MBA. MBA programs don't lead to a professional license. What gets you in the door is the degree itself, plus the admissions test you took to get into the program, usually the GMAT or GRE, plus whatever work experience you bring.
That's actually part of what makes the tuition gap in the cost section worth studying closely. Since no state board is going to test you and issue a license once you graduate, the value of an MBA rests on the school's outcomes data, its accreditation, and the network you build there. Some graduates go on to earn a separate credential, like the CFA charter for investment roles or the PMP for project management, but those sit outside the MBA itself and aren't required to work in general management.
Why AACSB Accreditation Matters for MBA Programs in Massachusetts
The accreditation that matters most for MBA programs is AACSB accreditation. The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business sets the standard that employers and other business schools use to evaluate where an MBA came from. A program without it isn't automatically weak, but an AACSB accredited MBA has gone through a peer review of its faculty credentials, curriculum, and student outcomes that non-accredited programs skip entirely.
Before you apply to any of the options here covered in this ranking, check the school's accreditation status directly on the AACSB site. It affects whether employers and tuition reimbursement programs recognize the Master of Business Administration you earn, and it's one of the quality signals behind the graduation rate and outcomes data that feed the Hakia Score.
MBA vs Other Business Master's Degrees: Why This Ranking Focuses on the MBA
Business schools offer more than the MBA: specialized master's degrees in finance, accounting, or business analytics, executive MBA formats for senior professionals, and dual-degree programs that pair an MBA with law or public health. This ranking focuses on the MBA specifically because it's the degree most working professionals mean when they search for the best MBA programs in Massachusetts, and it's the credential with the broadest, most comparable outcomes data across all 10 schools.
If you already have deep expertise in one function, say you're an accountant who wants the CPA and nothing else, a specialized master's might serve you better than a general MBA. But if you're looking to move into management, switch industries, or round out a technical background with strategy, finance, and leadership training, the Master of Business Administration is built for exactly that. Most of the schools on this list also offer other business master's degrees; this ranking just isn't the place to compare those directly.
Online and Accelerated MBA Programs in Massachusetts
Several of the MBA programs in Massachusetts on this list offer online or hybrid formats alongside the traditional two-year, full-time track, and a growing share of applicants choose them. An online MBA makes the most sense if you're working full time and can't relocate near campus or step away from a paycheck for two years. An accelerated or part-time track fits professionals who want to keep earning while they study, even if it stretches the timeline to three or four years.
The tradeoff isn't really about respect anymore; employers generally evaluate the school and the accreditation, not the delivery format, especially for an AACSB accredited program. The real tradeoff is the on-campus network and recruiting pipeline you give up. If your goal is a career switch into a new industry or city, the in-person case-study cohort at a school like the ones ranked here still carries real weight for the internships and job offers that come out of it. If you're advancing inside your current company, an online format can get you the same Master of Business Administration credential for a fraction of the disruption.
MBA Salary and Job Outlook: What the National Data Shows
The BLS Occupational Outlook for management occupations reports a $105,770 median annual salary nationally, the broad category most MBA graduates enter after finishing a business school program. That figure is national, not specific to any single school on this list, so treat it as context for the field rather than a promise tied to Tufts, Harvard, or any other program here.
Many MBA graduates specifically target executive and senior leadership tracks. The BLS Occupational Outlook for top executives covers that higher tier separately, and it's a useful benchmark if your MBA program in Massachusetts is aimed at getting you into a C-suite or VP track rather than a first management job. Either way, the degree is a credential, not a guarantee. What moves the needle on actual salary is the industry you enter, the city you work in, and whether you have relevant experience going into the MBA, not just which of these 10 schools issued the diploma.
How to Choose Among the Best MBA Programs in Massachusetts
Picking among the programs here comes down to three numbers you can compare directly: the Hakia Score, the graduation rate, and the in-state tuition. Tufts University leads this ranking with a 96.7 Hakia Score and a 94% graduation rate, but Harvard University posts the highest graduation rate in the group at 98%. Neither is automatically the right choice for you; the fit depends on whether you're weighing cost, selectivity, or program format more heavily.
Control matters too. Nine of the 10 MBA programs in Massachusetts in this ranking are private nonprofit schools, and University of Massachusetts-Amherst is the lone public option, which is exactly why its $17,006 in-state tuition stands so far apart from the rest of the field. If you're comparing these programs strictly on value, start with the graduation rate and tuition side by side, not the sticker price alone. A program with a lower graduation rate can end up costing more per completed degree once you factor in students who don't finish.
MBA Programs in Massachusetts: Your Questions, Answered
How long does it take to complete an MBA in Massachusetts?
Is an online MBA respected by employers?
How much do MBA programs cost in Massachusetts?
What is the cheapest strong MBA program in Massachusetts?
Do you need a license to work with an MBA?
What accreditation should I look for in an MBA program?
What can I expect to earn with an MBA?
What graduation rate is good for an MBA program?
How the MBA Programs in Massachusetts Are Scored
Every program earns a Hakia Score from 0 to 100, built only from federal data (IPEDS, the U.S. Department of Education, and BLS) and scored against its true peers: programs in the same field at the same degree level. No reputation surveys, no pay-to-play. Here is how the score is weighted:
- Outcomes44%
Graduation rate (26%) and real per-school graduate earnings (18%). Does the program get students to the finish line, and where do they land?
- Selectivity & academics38%
Admissions selectivity (24%) and the academic profile of admitted students (14%).
- Scale & value18%
Enrollment (7%), cost-to-earnings value (6%), and the number of graduates a program produces (5%).
Weights renormalize over the data each program actually reports, so a school missing a metric (many open-access colleges do not publish entrance scores or earnings) is never penalized for it. Scores are percentiles within the peer group, curved to a 0-to-100 scale. What the score does not measure: individual instructor quality, specific course content, or campus culture. Verify those directly with the program.