Best Community Colleges in Massachusetts

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there were a total of 16 public two-year colleges in Massachusetts offering associate degrees and certificates in 2020. The 15 schools in the Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges (MACC) serve about 136,200 students every year, representing 49% of the whole undergraduate population in the state’s public higher education system.

Community colleges in Massachusetts offer students a relatively affordable pathway to enter the workforce quickly or transfer to a four-year institution. Massachusetts’s community colleges have also partnered up with more than 3,600 organizations and businesses across the state to provide students with workforce development courses and skills improvement programs.

Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.

The community colleges in Massachusetts offer two-year associate degree programs as well as alternative educational pathways. The Commonwealth Commitment Program provides students with the opportunity to enroll at a community college then transfer to a four-year university at a reduced cost.

Furthermore, MACC partnered up with the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership (MACP) to create the “Be Mass Competitive” workforce training initiative, whereby students receive customized training and career-placement education.

In the 2020 edition of the U.S. News and World Report’s list of best states in the country, Massachusetts ranked fifth in the economic outlook category. It ranked first for business environment and third for employment.

According to the state’s Department of Unemployment Assistance, jobs across all industries are projected to grow nearly 3% between 2018 and 2028. Massachusetts is also a hub for tech and biotech jobs, attracting more potential entrepreneurs to establish their businesses in the state.

Massachusetts is one of the most expensive places to live in the United States. CNBC lists Massachusetts as the fifth most expensive state in the country, just behind Hawaii, New York, California, and Oregon. Almost all living expenses are more costly in Massachusetts, including housing, groceries, utilities, and transportation.

However, wages are faster growing in Massachusetts than in other states. CNBC reports that the average salary in Massachusetts grew almost 45% between 2010 and 2020. Massachusetts ranked fourth among states where salaries have grown most over the past decade.

In addition to Boston’s St. Patrick’s Day parade and the Boston Marathon, there are tons of cultural and community offerings in the Bay State. Tourists and residents alike regularly visit the state’s world-renowned cultural centers such as the Museum of African American History, the Isabella Gardner Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art.

Visitors to the state can walk Boston’s heritage trails, including the Freedom Trail, the Black Heritage Trail. There are also plenty of guided tours, like the Second Saturday Walking Tour of Florence Abolition Era Sites.

There are four distinct seasons in Massachusetts. July is generally the hottest month of the year, and January, the coldest. Massachusetts also receives an average of 47 inches of snow per year, making it one of the snowiest states in the country.

Winters can get very cold and snowy in the state of Massachusetts, while summers are increasingly hot. The best times of the year to participate in outdoor recreational activities like hiking and kayaking are late spring, summer, and early fall.

According to the state’s Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, Massachusetts had an unemployment rate of about 5% in September 2021. In 2020, the U.S. News and World Report ranked Massachusetts third overall in terms of employment.

Following the first surge of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the unemployment rate in Massachusetts skyrocketed to over 16%, according to WBUR, but the Bay State is steadily recovering. Layoffs have been slowing down in 2021. The state has gained nearly 160,000 new jobs since December 2020 according to the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development.

The steady increase in new buildings, roads, and additional infrastructure should provide more jobs in the construction and extraction industry. This field offers entry-level roles in constructing, repairing, inspecting, and installing building frameworks, and operating construction equipment.

Earning an associate degree and other postsecondary certificates can help graduates secure support roles in the community and social service industry. This field covers the areas of drug abuse and rehabilitation counseling, mental health treatment, school and career counseling, marriage and family therapy, and community health.

Almost every community college in Massachusetts offers associate degrees and specialized training programs in the field of healthcare. Students aiming for a career in healthcare support can assume a variety of occupations such as personal care aides, nursing assistants, occupational therapy assistants, dental assistants, and psychiatric aides.

Students who want to work in schools and libraries can do so by enrolling in a two-year associate degree program in education or a similar field. Many graduates with associate degrees in these areas can apply for roles as teaching assistants and English as a Second Language instructors or tutors. Others go on to become library assistants and technicians.

Technology is prevalent in every business sector. As such, computer and mathematical occupations have also increased. Completing an associate degree or a specialized training program in mathematics or information technology can help graduates land roles in computer user and network support, network and computer systems, and software development.