Massachusetts
Student Access & Success
Massachusetts’ four-year institutions receive average grades in this area, with a middling retention rate, completion rate, and credentials produced per 100 full-time equivalent undergraduates. The commonwealth’s two-year institutions receive a poor grade, with a below average completion rate and percentage of students receiving Pell Grants.
Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness
Massachusetts receives an average grade in this area for four-year institutions, with a cost per completion ($65,047) and state and local funding per completion ($35,801) both below the national medians of $68,140 and $41,198, respectively. The commonwealth’s two-year institutions have a cost per completion ($56,519) and state and local funding per completion ($29,448) in the middle third of all states nationally.
Meeting Labor Market Demand
The median wage of a Massachusetts bachelor’s degree holder is approximately $21,000 (or 54%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate for a bachelor’s degree holder is about 5 points lower. The median wage of an associate’s holder is approximately $8,600 (or 22%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate is about 3.5 points lower.
Transparency & Accountability
Massachusetts performs poorly overall in this area. While the commonwealth receives an average score for its consumer information and public accountability resources, Massachusetts does not measure student learning outcomes or link labor market outcomes to postsecondary programs.
Policy Environment
Massachusetts gets an average mark for its policy environment. The commonwealth’s 2010 “Vision Project” plan has five key outcomes, including college completion and student learning. The Vision Project also includes a small $7.5 million Performance Incentive Fund that allows each institution to compete based on its pursuit of Vision Project goals, though this is a one-time “add-on” to an institution’s base funding. Massachusetts’ articulation plan allows a student to transfer an associate’s degree in full, but individual courses will transfer only if they are comparable in scope.
Innovation
The Massachusetts Colleges Online portal serves as a central clearinghouse for information about online programs and courses available at 15 community colleges and nine state colleges. The commonwealth does not have a clear goal for online learning. Regarding new providers, Massachusetts’ regulatory environment is highly restrictive across the board, creating barriers to new providers and the students who would like to enroll with them.
Report Card
Compare with
Four-Year Institutions
MA Nat'l| Student Access & Success | C |
|---|
| Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients | 26.8 | 30.8 |
|---|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 79.7 | 77.9 |
| Completion Rate | 55.4 | 54.5 |
| Completions per 100 FTE Students | 19.8 | 19.7 |
| Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) | 3 | |
| Complete College America | * |
| Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness | C |
|---|
| Cost Per Completion | $65,047 | $68,140 |
|---|---|---|
| State and Local Funding Per Completion | $35,801 | $41,198 |
| State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion | $69,012 | $76,932 |
| Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined Measure (5-point scale) | 3 |
| Meeting Labor Market Demand | C |
|---|
| BA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) | $21,000 | $17,881 |
|---|---|---|
| BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) | 153.8 | 156.0 |
| BA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) | $18,403 | $12,703 |
| BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) | 160.6 | 149.9 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) | 4.8 | 4.0 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) | 2.0 | 2.1 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) | 7.6 | 7.1 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) | 2.7 | 2.9 |
| Transparency & Accountability | D |
|---|
| Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) | 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) | 1 | |
| Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? | false | |
| Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? | false | |
| Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) | 0 |
Two-Year Institutions
MA Nat'l| Student Access & Success | D |
|---|
| Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients | 45.5 | 46.9 |
|---|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 58.5 | 58.6 |
| Completion Rate | 16.2 | 20.5 |
| Completions Per 100 FTE Undergraduates | 16.6 | 16.8 |
| Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) | 2 |
| Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness | C |
|---|
| Cost Per Completion | $56,519 | $57,210 |
|---|---|---|
| State and Local Funding Per Completion | $29,448 | $35,476 |
| State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion | $47,025 | $52,512 |
| Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined MeasureCombined Measure (5-point Scale) | 3 |
| Meeting Labor Market Demand | C |
|---|
| AA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) | $8,568 | $8,545 |
|---|---|---|
| AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) | 122.0 | 126.1 |
| AA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) | $7,616 | $6,595 |
| AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) | 125.1 | 125.0 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) | 3.6 | 2.7 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) | 1.6 | 1.5 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) | 5.6 | 4.9 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) | 1.85 | 1.84 |
| Transparency & Accountability | D |
|---|
| Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) | 3.5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) | 1 | |
| Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? | false | |
| Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? | false | |
| Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) | 0 |
State
MA Nat'l| Policy Environment | C |
|---|
| State Goals (6-point Scale) | 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Does the State Have Outcomes-Based Funding? | true | |
| Four-Year Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) | 1 | |
| Two-Years Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) | 1 | |
| Does the State Have a Credit Transfer Policy? | true | |
| Credit Transfer Policy (5-point Scale) | 3 |
| Innovation: Openness to Providers | F |
|---|
| Numerical Openness to New Providers Grade | 43% | |
|---|---|---|
| Regulatory Jurisdiction | 40% | |
| Financial Burden | 40% | |
| Approval Process Burden | 50% |
| Innovation: Online Learning | C |
|---|
| Numerical Online Learning Grade | 42.9 | |
|---|---|---|
| Online Learning Score (7-point Scale) | 3 |
Commonwealth Facts at a Glance
- Number of Public Four-Year Institutions 13
- Number of Public Two-Year Institutions 16
- Number of Students Served by Public Four-Year Institutions 82574
- Number of Students Served by Public Two-Year Institutions 67336