60 Best colleges for Paleontology in Massachusetts

Updated: March 15, 2026

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in Massachusetts ranked based on their research performance in Paleontology. A graph of 11.1M citations received by 191K academic papers made by 60 universities in Massachusetts was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. Harvard University

Cambridge

For Paleontology

#1 in the United States

#1 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 4%
Average SAT: 1545
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $17,525

2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge

For Paleontology

#10 in the United States

#11 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 5%
Average SAT: 1550
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $20,996

3. Boston University

Boston

For Paleontology

#52 in the United States

#59 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 11%
Average SAT: 1475
Average ACT: 33
Net Price: $24,420

4. University of Massachusetts - Amherst

Amherst

For Paleontology

#54 in the United States

#61 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Average SAT: 1405
Average ACT: 32
Receiving Aid: 89%

5. Tufts University

Medford

For Paleontology

#75 in the United States

#89 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 11%
Average SAT: 1515
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $32,367

6. Northeastern University

Boston

For Paleontology

#124 in the United States

#144 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 5%
Average SAT: 1490
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $34,207

7. University of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester

Worcester

For Paleontology

#138 in the United States

#160 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 12%
Enrollment: 1,489
Male:Female: 31:69
Founded: 1962

8. Boston College

Boston

For Paleontology

#164 in the United States

#189 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 16%
Average SAT: 1490
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $32,519

9. Brandeis University

Waltham

For Paleontology

#182 in the United States

#210 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 40%
Average SAT: 1455
Average ACT: 33
Net Price: $43,550

10. University of Massachusetts - Boston

Boston

For Paleontology

#201 in the United States

#230 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 84%
Average SAT: 1180
Average ACT: 26
Receiving Aid: 92%

11. Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester

For Paleontology

#237 in the United States

#272 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Net Price: $47,372
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $31,545

12. University of Massachusetts - Lowell

Lowell

For Paleontology

#243 in the United States

#278 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Average SAT: 1275
Average ACT: 29
Receiving Aid: 92%

13. Clark University

Worcester

For Paleontology

#266 in the United States

#302 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 40%
Average SAT: 1374
Average ACT: 32
Net Price: $33,865

14. Smith College

Northampton

For Paleontology

#285 in the United States

#326 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 21%
Average SAT: 1480
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $27,305

15. Wellesley College

Wellesley

For Paleontology

#291 in the United States

#333 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 14%
Average SAT: 1510
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $22,174

16. Williams College

Williamstown

For Paleontology

#292 in the United States

#335 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 8%
Average SAT: 1530
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $15,894

17. University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth

Dartmouth

For Paleontology

#295 in the United States

#338 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Average SAT: 1160
Average ACT: 28
Receiving Aid: 99%

18. Amherst College

Amherst

For Paleontology

#301 in the United States

#344 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 9%
Average SAT: 1535
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $19,049

19. Mount Holyoke College

South Hadley

For Paleontology

#342 in the United States

#390 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 36%
Average SAT: 1455
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $32,526

20. Suffolk University

Boston

For Paleontology

#409 in the United States

#460 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 82%
Average SAT: 1195
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $33,832

21. Newbury College

Brookline

For Paleontology

#420 in the United States

#471 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $23,613
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $26,393

22. College of the Holy Cross

Worcester

For Paleontology

#434 in the United States

#485 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 18%
Average SAT: 1325
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $36,014

23. Bentley University

Waltham

For Paleontology

#438 in the United States

#489 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Average SAT: 1355
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $45,802

24. Fisher College

Boston

For Paleontology

#495 in the United States

#546 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Net Price: $28,596
Receiving Aid: 94%
Average Aid: $25,379

25. Simmons University

Boston

For Paleontology

#555 in the United States

#608 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Average SAT: 1305
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $28,691

26. Babson College

Wellesley

For Paleontology

#567 in the United States

#621 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 17%
Average SAT: 1460
Average ACT: 33
Net Price: $32,019

27. Western New England University

Springfield

For Paleontology

#603 in the United States

#658 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Average SAT: 1195
Average ACT: 25
Net Price: $27,056

28. Dean College

Franklin

For Paleontology

#623 in the United States

#680 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 74%
Net Price: $32,085
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $32,958

29. Hampshire College

Amherst

For Paleontology

#630 in the United States

#688 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Net Price: $27,895
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $46,145

30. Hebrew College

Newton Centre

For Paleontology

#635 in the United States

#693 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 80%
Enrollment: 163
Male:Female: 41:59
Founded: 1921

31. Salem State University

Salem

For Paleontology

#688 in the United States

#748 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 96%
Receiving Aid: 98%
Average Aid: $10,319
Enrollment: 6,230

32. MCPHS University

Boston

For Paleontology

#735 in the United States

#797 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 85%
Average SAT: 1288
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $41,506

33. Bridgewater State University

Bridgewater

For Paleontology

#741 in the United States

#803 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 88%
Average SAT: 1162
Average ACT: 28
Receiving Aid: 96%

34. MGH Institute of Health Professions

Boston

For Paleontology

#745 in the United States

#808 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 32%
Enrollment: 1,672
Male:Female: 14:86
Founded: 1977

35. Bay State College

Boston

For Paleontology

#749 in the United States

#812 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 78%
Net Price: $43,020
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $10,243

36. Springfield College

Springfield

For Paleontology

#754 in the United States

#817 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Average SAT: 1205
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $30,039

37. New England College of Optometry

Boston

For Paleontology

#773 in the United States

#837 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 23%
Enrollment: 515
Male:Female: 25:75
Founded: 1894

38. Emerson College

Boston

For Paleontology

#790 in the United States

#856 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Average SAT: 1345
Average ACT: 31
Net Price: $53,432

39. Wheaton College - Massachusetts

Norton

For Paleontology

#797 in the United States

#863 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 68%
Average SAT: 1305
Average ACT: 31
Net Price: $30,701

40. Gordon College

Wenham

For Paleontology

#828 in the United States

#895 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Average SAT: 1243
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $25,299

41. Endicott College

Beverly

For Paleontology

#841 in the United States

#908 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Average SAT: 1267
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $41,394

42. Framingham State University

Framingham

For Paleontology

#857 in the United States

#924 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 84%
Average SAT: 1190
Receiving Aid: 92%
Average Aid: $11,338

43. Merrimack College

North Andover

For Paleontology

#858 in the United States

#925 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Net Price: $38,504
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $31,550

44. William James College

Newton

For Paleontology

#900 in the United States

#967 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Enrollment: 967
Male:Female: 19:81
Founded: 1974

45. Emmanuel College

Boston

For Paleontology

#928 in the United States

#995 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 76%
Average SAT: 1255
Net Price: $31,121
Receiving Aid: 100%

46. Worcester State University

Worcester

For Paleontology

#934 in the United States

#1001 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 88%
Average SAT: 1155
Receiving Aid: 90%
Average Aid: $9,464

47. Nichols College

Dudley

For Paleontology

#939 in the United States

#1007 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 81%
Average SAT: 1132
Net Price: $32,337
Receiving Aid: 99%

48. Fitchburg State University

Fitchburg

For Paleontology

#954 in the United States

#1022 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Average SAT: 1145
Receiving Aid: 97%
Average Aid: $11,539

49. Westfield State University

Westfield

For Paleontology

#964 in the United States

#1032 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 81%
Receiving Aid: 91%
Average Aid: $9,054
Enrollment: 4,588

50. Stonehill College

Easton

For Paleontology

#981 in the United States

#1050 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 66%
Net Price: $33,385
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $39,344

51. Lesley University

Cambridge

For Paleontology

#1019 in the United States

#1091 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 97%
Net Price: $32,587
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $19,167

52. Franklin W Olin College of Engineering

Needham

For Paleontology

#1029 in the United States

#1101 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 25%
Average SAT: 1526
Net Price: $43,184
Receiving Aid: 100%

53. Assumption College

Worcester

For Paleontology

#1044 in the United States

#1117 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Net Price: $29,748
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $35,905

54. Massachusetts Maritime Academy

Buzzards Bay

For Paleontology

#1090 in the United States

#1163 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 95%
Receiving Aid: 95%
Average Aid: $16,502
Enrollment: 1,488

55. Curry College

Milton

For Paleontology

#1095 in the United States

#1168 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 88%
Average SAT: 1140
Net Price: $29,917
Receiving Aid: 100%

56. Bay Path University

Longmeadow

For Paleontology

#1096 in the United States

#1169 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 85%
Average SAT: 1110
Net Price: $15,463
Receiving Aid: 92%

57. Bard College at Simon's Rock

Great Barrington

For Paleontology

#1103 in the United States

#1177 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 96%
Net Price: $41,013
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $42,635

58. Wentworth Institute of Technology

Boston

For Paleontology

#1156 in the United States

#1231 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Average SAT: 1215
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $35,604

59. Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

North Adams

For Paleontology

#1164 in the United States

#1239 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $9,045
Enrollment: 896

60. Regis College

Weston

For Paleontology

#1177 in the United States

#1253 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Net Price: $28,575
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $37,193

Closest to Massachusetts states to learn Paleontology

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Rhode Island	9	57
Connecticut	20	13
New Hampshire	11	88
Vermont	6	114
New York	113	5
New Jersey	21	28
Maine	12	140
Pennsylvania	85	17
Maryland	24	14
District of Columbia	8	109
Virginia	37	47
West Virginia	15	115
Ohio	49	20
North Carolina	32	25
Michigan	28	6
South Carolina	23	95
Indiana	27	41
Kentucky	20	63
Tennessee	27	55
Wisconsin	27	7
Georgia	33	30
Illinois	57	12
Alabama	22	80
Iowa	18	42
Missouri	28	24
Florida	40	15
Minnesota	24	11
Mississippi	10	133
Arkansas	15	121
Louisiana	20	60
Kansas	11	78
South Dakota	8	214
North Dakota	5	186
Nebraska	12	84
Oklahoma	15	82
Puerto Rico	13	302
Texas	63	18
Colorado	18	39
Montana	6	85
New Mexico	6	79
Utah	9	34
Idaho	6	130
Arizona	7	22
Nevada	7	108
Washington	24	3
Oregon	16	45
California	104	2
Alaska	4	110
Hawaii	6	96

Closest to Massachusetts states to learn Paleontology

Biology subfields in Massachusetts