50 Best colleges for Optical Engineering in Massachusetts

Updated: March 02, 2025

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 10.5M citations received by 200K 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: 1545
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $21,519

2. Harvard University

Cambridge

For Optical Engineering

#3 in the United States

#3 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 3%
Average SAT: 1540
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $17,900

3. Boston University

Boston

For Optical Engineering

#42 in the United States

#45 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 11%
Average SAT: 1460
Average ACT: 33
Net Price: $27,551

4. University of Massachusetts - Amherst

Amherst

For Optical Engineering

#69 in the United States

#78 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 58%
Average SAT: 1390
Average ACT: 31
Receiving Aid: 87%

5. Tufts University

Medford

For Optical Engineering

#79 in the United States

#91 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Average SAT: 1505
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $33,333

6. Northeastern University

Boston

For Optical Engineering

#91 in the United States

#103 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 6%
Average SAT: 1505
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $34,770

7. University of Massachusetts - Lowell

Lowell

For Optical Engineering

#149 in the United States

#172 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 85%
Average SAT: 1265
Average ACT: 28
Receiving Aid: 91%

8. Boston College

Boston

For Optical Engineering

#152 in the United States

#175 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 16%
Average SAT: 1485
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $32,590

9. Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester

For Optical Engineering

#161 in the United States

#186 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 58%
Net Price: $47,799
Receiving Aid: 96%
Average Aid: $28,005

10. University of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester

Worcester

For Optical Engineering

#163 in the United States

#188 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 12%
Enrollment: 1,394
Male:Female: 33:67
Founded: 1962

11. Brandeis University

Waltham

For Optical Engineering

#173 in the United States

#199 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 35%
Average SAT: 1460
Average ACT: 33
Net Price: $44,668

12. University of Massachusetts - Boston

Boston

For Optical Engineering

#227 in the United States

#256 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Average SAT: 1185
Average ACT: 27
Receiving Aid: 92%

13. New England College of Optometry

Boston

For Optical Engineering

#276 in the United States

#311 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 23%
Enrollment: 529
Male:Female: 24:76
Founded: 1894

14. University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth

Dartmouth

For Optical Engineering

#290 in the United States

#328 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 92%
Average SAT: 1150
Average ACT: 25
Receiving Aid: 99%

15. Clark University

Worcester

For Optical Engineering

#292 in the United States

#330 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 42%
Average SAT: 1320
Average ACT: 32
Net Price: $32,767

16. Williams College

Williamstown

For Optical Engineering

#317 in the United States

#358 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Average SAT: 1515
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $16,988

17. Amherst College

Amherst

For Optical Engineering

#318 in the United States

#359 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Average SAT: 1455
Average ACT: 33
Net Price: $17,965

18. Wellesley College

Wellesley

For Optical Engineering

#343 in the United States

#388 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 14%
Average SAT: 1495
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $21,501

19. Smith College

Northampton

For Optical Engineering

#380 in the United States

#427 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 20%
Average SAT: 1474
Average ACT: 33
Net Price: $27,823

20. Suffolk University

Boston

For Optical Engineering

#412 in the United States

#460 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 85%
Average SAT: 1185
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $33,089

21. Mount Holyoke College

South Hadley

For Optical Engineering

#423 in the United States

#471 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 38%
Average SAT: 1425
Average ACT: 32
Net Price: $35,782

22. College of the Holy Cross

Worcester

For Optical Engineering

#427 in the United States

#476 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 21%
Average SAT: 1335
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $35,455

23. Hebrew College

Newton Centre

For Optical Engineering

#436 in the United States

#486 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 80%
Enrollment: 177
Male:Female: 45:55
Founded: 1921

24. Endicott College

Beverly

For Optical Engineering

#476 in the United States

#529 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Average SAT: 1250
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $39,988

25. Bentley University

Waltham

For Optical Engineering

#507 in the United States

#561 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 48%
Average SAT: 1330
Average ACT: 31
Net Price: $43,858

26. Simmons University

Boston

For Optical Engineering

#526 in the United States

#580 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 66%
Average SAT: 1310
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $29,575

27. Stonehill College

Easton

For Optical Engineering

#552 in the United States

#606 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Net Price: $31,134
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $37,353

28. Newbury College

Brookline

For Optical Engineering

#557 in the United States

#611 in North America

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

29. Dean College

Franklin

For Optical Engineering

#589 in the United States

#643 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 74%
Net Price: $31,472
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $31,467

30. Babson College

Wellesley

For Optical Engineering

#590 in the United States

#644 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 20%
Average SAT: 1440
Average ACT: 32
Net Price: $30,220

31. Fisher College

Boston

For Optical Engineering

#603 in the United States

#658 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Net Price: $27,827
Receiving Aid: 98%
Average Aid: $24,917

32. Hampshire College

Amherst

For Optical Engineering

#608 in the United States

#664 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Net Price: $27,556
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $43,944

33. Western New England University

Springfield

For Optical Engineering

#623 in the United States

#679 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Average SAT: 1220
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $31,548

34. MCPHS University

Boston

For Optical Engineering

#630 in the United States

#686 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 85%
Average SAT: 1210
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $37,182

35. Framingham State University

Framingham

For Optical Engineering

#636 in the United States

#693 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 85%
Average SAT: 1163
Receiving Aid: 92%
Average Aid: $9,184

36. Franklin W Olin College of Engineering

Needham

For Optical Engineering

#726 in the United States

#788 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Average SAT: 1520
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $40,370

37. Emmanuel College

Boston

For Optical Engineering

#754 in the United States

#816 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 81%
Average SAT: 1250
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $33,214

38. Wheaton College - Massachusetts

Norton

For Optical Engineering

#755 in the United States

#817 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Average SAT: 1315
Average ACT: 31
Net Price: $31,638

39. Merrimack College

North Andover

For Optical Engineering

#759 in the United States

#821 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 74%
Net Price: $38,849
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $29,235

40. Bridgewater State University

Bridgewater

For Optical Engineering

#775 in the United States

#837 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Average SAT: 1135
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 94%

41. Springfield College

Springfield

For Optical Engineering

#796 in the United States

#859 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Average SAT: 1165
Net Price: $29,198
Receiving Aid: 100%

42. MGH Institute of Health Professions

Boston

For Optical Engineering

#805 in the United States

#868 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 32%
Enrollment: 1,484
Male:Female: 16:84
Founded: 1977

43. Gordon College

Wenham

For Optical Engineering

#816 in the United States

#879 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 59%
Average SAT: 1269
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $25,250

44. Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

North Adams

For Optical Engineering

#822 in the United States

#885 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 92%
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $9,606
Enrollment: 933

45. Wentworth Institute of Technology

Boston

For Optical Engineering

#854 in the United States

#919 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 85%
Average SAT: 1230
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $35,585

46. Bard College at Simon's Rock

Great Barrington

For Optical Engineering

#885 in the United States

#950 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 97%
Net Price: $45,395
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $37,292

47. Worcester State University

Worcester

For Optical Engineering

#893 in the United States

#958 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Average SAT: 1144
Receiving Aid: 88%
Average Aid: $7,332

48. Salem State University

Salem

For Optical Engineering

#910 in the United States

#975 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 96%
Average SAT: 1075
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $8,241

49. Emerson College

Boston

For Optical Engineering

#926 in the United States

#992 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 47%
Average SAT: 1330
Average ACT: 32
Net Price: $50,703

50. Assumption College

Worcester

For Optical Engineering

#932 in the United States

#998 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Net Price: $29,072
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $32,759

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	7	95
Vermont	4	147
New York	92	9
New Jersey	18	14
Maine	7	184
Pennsylvania	68	18
Maryland	21	11
District of Columbia	8	94
Virginia	30	51
West Virginia	7	118
Ohio	40	27
North Carolina	24	33
Michigan	26	5
South Carolina	15	81
Indiana	22	23
Kentucky	12	83
Tennessee	25	65
Wisconsin	23	16
Georgia	26	15
Illinois	40	8
Alabama	19	88
Iowa	11	45
Missouri	18	48
Florida	31	30
Minnesota	19	25
Mississippi	9	137
Arkansas	11	114
Louisiana	19	78
Kansas	9	98
South Dakota	7	246
North Dakota	3	195
Nebraska	7	86
Oklahoma	11	96
Puerto Rico	9	264
Texas	55	13
Colorado	16	32
Montana	3	146
New Mexico	6	70
Utah	7	36
Idaho	4	167
Arizona	5	20
Washington	17	10
Oregon	15	85
California	79	1
Alaska	3	201
Hawaii	4	125