Computer Science · Massachusetts

Massachusetts colleges that awarded Computer Science credentials

45 colleges in Massachusetts reported conferring Computer Science credentials to the federal IPEDS collection in 2023-24, and every one of them also awarded in the year before. 44 awarded a degree, and 1 awarded only a certificate. That is a record of credentials already awarded, not confirmation that a program is currently admitting.

Colleges and what they awarded

Largest first by credentials conferred in 2023-24. That order measures the size of the graduating class and nothing else: it is not a ranking, and the largest entry is often a certificate provider rather than the strongest degree program. The credential is labelled on every row for exactly that reason.

Colleges in Massachusetts that conferred Computer Science credentials in 2023-24, with the number awarded and whether any was a degree.
CollegeCredentials awardedHighest level
University of Massachusetts-Amherst806Degree
Massachusetts Institute of Technology688Degree
Boston University646Degree
Worcester Polytechnic Institute351Degree
University of Massachusetts-Lowell323Degree
Tufts University313Degree
Harvard University290Degree
University of Massachusetts-Boston209Degree
Fitchburg State University198Degree
Boston College135Degree
Wentworth Institute of Technology128Degree
Clark University101Degree
Brandeis University96Degree
Williams College63Degree
Bridgewater State University60Degree
Merrimack College53Degree
Amherst College52Degree
Bunker Hill Community College44Degree
Mount Holyoke College42Degree
Smith College41Degree
Quincy College26Degree
Massasoit Community College24Degree
Suffolk University21Degree
Bristol Community College20Degree
College of the Holy Cross19Degree
Western New England University18Degree
College of Our Lady of the Elms16Degree
Massachusetts Bay Community College16Degree
Stonehill College16Degree
Springfield Technical Community College14Degree
Gordon College13Degree
Assumption University12Degree
Quinsigamond Community College10Degree
Endicott College9Degree
Westfield State University8Degree
Wheaton College (Massachusetts)8Degree
North Shore Community College7Degree
University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth6Certificate only
Eastern Nazarene College5Degree
Sattler College4Degree
Cape Cod Community College3Degree
Curry College2Degree
Hampshire College2Degree
Bard College at Simon's Rock1Degree
Mount Wachusett Community College1Degree

How much of this field is in Massachusetts

Credentials awarded
4,920
Share of U.S. total
6.2%
Colleges awarding it
45
Awarding a degree
44

Massachusetts colleges conferred 4,920 Computer Science credentials in 2023-24, which is 6.2% of the 79,450 conferred across the 51 U.S. jurisdictions reporting any. Of the 45 colleges here, 44 awarded a degree and 1 awarded only a certificate. These counts measure the size of graduating classes, not program quality, and not how many students are currently enrolled.

What level those credentials were

  • Certificates<1%5
  • Associate3%160
  • Bachelor's59%2,901
  • Graduate38%1,854

Most Computer Science credentials awarded in Massachusetts were bachelor's degrees. The mix here is close to the national pattern for this field. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and the level a program awards is set by the program rather than by the student.

We measured how much this varies nationwide, and for most fields the credential level is set by the field rather than the state: is your major a certificate or a degree?

How concentrated it is. The single college with the largest reported graduating class in this field accounted for 16% of Massachusetts’s Computer Science credentials. Activity is spread across several institutions rather than sitting with one.

What these Massachusetts colleges cost

Median net price across the 38 of these 45 colleges that report it, by family income. Net price is what students receiving federal aid actually paid for the WHOLE college after grants and scholarships, so it is not the price of a Computer Science program specifically, and not a quote for any family.

0-30k
$13,178
30-48k
$14,286
48-75k
$18,175
75-110k
$24,926
110k+
$34,229

By the kind of college

The figure above averages very different institutions together. Split by federal sector, for a family earning under $30,000:

Median net price for a family earning under $30,000, by kind of college, among Massachusetts colleges that reported awarding Computer Sciencecredentials.
Kind of collegeCollegesMedian net price
Public two-year8$5,933
Public four-year5$11,267
Private25$17,388

Sector is the federal classification (IPEDS ICLEVEL and CONTROL). Private covers both nonprofit and for-profit colleges, which CampusPin does not split here because the for-profit sample in a single state is usually too small to publish a median. Each row needs at least five colleges reporting net price, so a sector with fewer is left out rather than estimated.

A family earning under $30,000 paid a median of $13,178 at these colleges, against $34,229 for a family earning over $110,000. Individual colleges vary widely around these medians. See every Massachusetts college by income band.

What this evidence does and does not prove

This lists colleges that reported conferring credentials in this field to the federal IPEDS completions collection, in both 2022-23 and 2023-24. It does not confirm that any of them is currently admitting students to the program, and a college can appear here after deciding to close it. Confirm with the institution before it affects where you apply.

How this list was built

From the U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions collection, matched to each college on its exact federal program classification. A college appears only if it conferred credentials in both 2022-23 and 2023-24, which is what separates a running program from one that has already closed.

This page exists because its list of colleges is materially different from that of every closely related field in Massachusetts — the fields a reader could otherwise mistake it for, such as two engineering disciplines, or nursing and practical nursing. Where a related field resolves to the same colleges, the second page would be the first one with its title changed, and CampusPin does not publish it. Sharing colleges with an unrelated field is different, and not a reason to withhold the page: in most states the same colleges award business, psychology and biology alike, which says something about the colleges rather than about the fields. We measured exactly how often that happens, and published the result: does choosing a major narrow your college list?

What Computer Science graduates go on to do

Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Computer Science, ordered by projected annual openings. National figures: openings and pay do not vary by where you studied, and the crosswalk describes related fields rather than a required or guaranteed path.

Occupations associated with Computer Science, with median annual wage, projected annual openings, and the education most entrants hold.
OccupationMedian payOpenings / yrMost entrants hold
Software Developers$133,080115,200Bachelor's degree
Computer and Information Systems Managers$171,20055,600Bachelor's degree
Computer Occupations, All Other$108,97031,300Bachelor's degree
Data Scientists$112,59023,400Bachelor's degree
Information Security Analysts$124,91016,000Bachelor's degree
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers$102,61014,000Bachelor's degree
Computer Network Support Specialists$73,3409,600Associate's degree
Web and Digital Interface Designers$98,0909,100Bachelor's degree
Computer Programmers$98,6705,500Bachelor's degree
Web Developers$90,9305,400Bachelor's degree

Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). “Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already in the occupation, not a legal requirement, an admission rule, or a guarantee of entry. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.

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