Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
North Adams, MA · Public · Town (fringe) · MCLA
Public institution in North Adams, MA · 748 undergraduates · 92% acceptance rate · $48,102 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 10%Student-faculty ratio
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- $18,707964th cheapest of 1,969 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $11,884748th cheapest of 2,024 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $20,559886th cheapest of 2,024 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $27,705848th cheapest of 1,969 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $23,7501,107th lowest of 1,865 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $48,1021,180th highest of 1,954 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $36,8031,429th highest of 1,950 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 49.1%1,189th highest of 2,014 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 68.9%1,291st highest of 1,837 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 92.3%1,308th most selective of 1,596 reporting
- Average SAT
- —
- Median ACT
- —
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 7481,535th largest of 2,144 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 8.0:1212th smallest of 2,141 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 40.5%679th highest of 2,122 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 109 mi (BOS)
On 1 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Applying
- EADec 1
- RDMar 1
- Common App member
- Yes
- Application fee
- Free
- Personal essay
- Required
- Writing supplement
- No
Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 20 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralComputer Science | bachelors | $64,493 | $63,005 |
| Biology, GeneralBiological Sciences | bachelors | $37,208 | $27,181 |
| SociologySocial Sciences | bachelors | $36,668 | $31,828 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusiness | bachelors | $33,993 | $34,467 |
| Education, GeneralEducation | bachelors | $32,925 | $32,284 |
| English Language and Literature, GeneralEnglish Language & Literature | bachelors | $31,495 | $32,569 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, OtherMultidisciplinary Studies | bachelors | $29,322 | $29,374 |
| Arts, Entertainment,and Media ManagementVisual & Performing Arts | bachelors | $28,960 | $25,194 |
| History | bachelors | $25,194 | $30,409 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, GeneralVisual & Performing Arts | bachelors | $23,579 | $25,194 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsHealth Professions | bachelors | — | — |
| ChemistryPhysical Sciences | bachelors | — | — |
Campus facts
- Founded in 1894source
- Competes in NCAA Division IIIsource
- School colors: Navy and Goldsource
- Athletic nickname: "Trailblazers"source
- Mascot: Murdock the Mountain Lionsource
- Campus size: about 105 acressource
- Formerly known as "North Adams State College" (1960–1997)source
- Formerly known as "State Teachers College of North Adams" (1932–1960)source
- Formerly known as "North Adams Normal School" (1894–1932)source
- Athletic conference: Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conferencesource
Athletics — 10 sports
NCAA Division III without football · NCAA Division III
Athletic scholarships not allowed · Athletic aid $0 (M $0 · W $0)
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport. Athletic scholarships are not allowed by association rule; non-athletic merit or need-based aid may still be available.
Similar-size colleges
Nearest undergraduate enrollment to Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts’s 748 (College Scorecard UGDS, compiled 2026-10-24). Size only — not a judgment of similarity or quality.
In MA
- Laboure College of HealthcareMilton, MA · 717 undergrads
- Hampshire CollegeAmherst, MA · 716 undergrads
- Hult International Business SchoolCambridge, MA · 694 undergrads
- Cambridge CollegeBoston, MA · 591 undergrads
- Anna Maria CollegePaxton, MA · 948 undergrads
- College of Our Lady of the ElmsChicopee, MA · 951 undergrads
Key links
- Official websitemcla.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 167288)
- Compare colleges in MARe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in MassachusettsEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Compare with Laboure College of HealthcareSide by side on every Scorecard measure — closest in-state school by enrollment
- Showdown: Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts vs Laboure College of HealthcareHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 10 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.