50 Best colleges for Optical Engineering 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 Optical Engineering. A graph of 10.9M citations received by 202K academic papers made by 50 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. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge

For Optical Engineering

#2 in the United States

#2 in North America

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

2. Harvard University

Cambridge

For Optical Engineering

#3 in the United States

#3 in North America

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

3. Boston University

Boston

For Optical Engineering

#42 in the United States

#45 in North America

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

4. University of Massachusetts - Amherst

Amherst

For Optical Engineering

#69 in the United States

#78 in North America

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

5. Tufts University

Medford

For Optical Engineering

#78 in the United States

#90 in North America

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

6. Northeastern University

Boston

For Optical Engineering

#89 in the United States

#101 in North America

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

7. University of Massachusetts - Lowell

Lowell

For Optical Engineering

#151 in the United States

#174 in North America

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

8. Boston College

Boston

For Optical Engineering

#152 in the United States

#175 in North America

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

9. Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester

For Optical Engineering

#161 in the United States

#186 in North America

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

10. University of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester

Worcester

For Optical Engineering

#162 in the United States

#187 in North America

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

11. Brandeis University

Waltham

For Optical Engineering

#174 in the United States

#201 in North America

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

12. University of Massachusetts - Boston

Boston

For Optical Engineering

#227 in the United States

#257 in North America

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

13. New England College of Optometry

Boston

For Optical Engineering

#273 in the United States

#308 in North America

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

14. University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth

Dartmouth

For Optical Engineering

#288 in the United States

#326 in North America

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

15. Clark University

Worcester

For Optical Engineering

#291 in the United States

#329 in North America

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

16. Amherst College

Amherst

For Optical Engineering

#317 in the United States

#358 in North America

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

17. Williams College

Williamstown

For Optical Engineering

#320 in the United States

#361 in North America

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

18. Wellesley College

Wellesley

For Optical Engineering

#345 in the United States

#390 in North America

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

19. Smith College

Northampton

For Optical Engineering

#382 in the United States

#429 in North America

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

20. Suffolk University

Boston

For Optical Engineering

#418 in the United States

#466 in North America

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

21. Mount Holyoke College

South Hadley

For Optical Engineering

#425 in the United States

#473 in North America

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

22. College of the Holy Cross

Worcester

For Optical Engineering

#427 in the United States

#476 in North America

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

23. Hebrew College

Newton Centre

For Optical Engineering

#436 in the United States

#486 in North America

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

24. Endicott College

Beverly

For Optical Engineering

#482 in the United States

#535 in North America

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

25. Bentley University

Waltham

For Optical Engineering

#503 in the United States

#557 in North America

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

26. Simmons University

Boston

For Optical Engineering

#522 in the United States

#576 in North America

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

27. Stonehill College

Easton

For Optical Engineering

#551 in the United States

#605 in North America

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

28. Newbury College

Brookline

For Optical Engineering

#564 in the United States

#618 in North America

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

29. Babson College

Wellesley

For Optical Engineering

#592 in the United States

#647 in North America

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

30. Dean College

Franklin

For Optical Engineering

#593 in the United States

#648 in North America

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

31. Fisher College

Boston

For Optical Engineering

#604 in the United States

#660 in North America

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

32. Hampshire College

Amherst

For Optical Engineering

#608 in the United States

#664 in North America

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

33. Western New England University

Springfield

For Optical Engineering

#612 in the United States

#668 in North America

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

34. MCPHS University

Boston

For Optical Engineering

#623 in the United States

#679 in North America

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

35. Framingham State University

Framingham

For Optical Engineering

#647 in the United States

#704 in North America

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

36. Franklin W Olin College of Engineering

Needham

For Optical Engineering

#729 in the United States

#791 in North America

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

37. Wheaton College - Massachusetts

Norton

For Optical Engineering

#755 in the United States

#817 in North America

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

38. Merrimack College

North Andover

For Optical Engineering

#758 in the United States

#820 in North America

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

39. Emmanuel College

Boston

For Optical Engineering

#763 in the United States

#825 in North America

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

40. Bridgewater State University

Bridgewater

For Optical Engineering

#769 in the United States

#832 in North America

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

41. MGH Institute of Health Professions

Boston

For Optical Engineering

#796 in the United States

#859 in North America

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

42. Springfield College

Springfield

For Optical Engineering

#800 in the United States

#863 in North America

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

43. Gordon College

Wenham

For Optical Engineering

#819 in the United States

#882 in North America

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

44. Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

North Adams

For Optical Engineering

#830 in the United States

#894 in North America

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

45. Wentworth Institute of Technology

Boston

For Optical Engineering

#845 in the United States

#910 in North America

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

46. Worcester State University

Worcester

For Optical Engineering

#885 in the United States

#950 in North America

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

47. Bard College at Simon's Rock

Great Barrington

For Optical Engineering

#892 in the United States

#957 in North America

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

48. Salem State University

Salem

For Optical Engineering

#907 in the United States

#972 in North America

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

49. Emerson College

Boston

For Optical Engineering

#927 in the United States

#993 in North America

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

50. Assumption College

Worcester

For Optical Engineering

#935 in the United States

#1001 in North America

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

Closest to Massachusetts states to learn Optical Engineering

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Rhode Island	6	59
Connecticut	18	29
New Hampshire	8	95
Vermont	4	148
New York	92	9
New Jersey	18	15
Maine	7	183
Pennsylvania	68	18
Maryland	21	11
District of Columbia	8	94
Virginia	30	52
West Virginia	7	119
Ohio	40	27
North Carolina	24	32
Michigan	26	5
South Carolina	15	81
Indiana	23	23
Kentucky	12	85
Tennessee	26	64
Wisconsin	23	16
Georgia	26	14
Illinois	41	8
Alabama	19	88
Iowa	11	46
Missouri	18	48
Florida	31	30
Minnesota	19	25
Mississippi	10	137
Arkansas	11	114
Louisiana	19	79
Kansas	9	99
South Dakota	7	246
North Dakota	3	193
Nebraska	7	83
Oklahoma	11	97
Puerto Rico	9	264
Texas	55	13
Colorado	16	33
Montana	3	147
New Mexico	6	70
Utah	7	36
Idaho	4	166
Arizona	5	20
Nevada	3	126
Washington	17	10
Oregon	15	84
California	80	1
Alaska	3	201
Hawaii	4	124