18 Best colleges for Liberal Arts & Social Sciences in Boston, MA

Updated: March 02, 2025

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in Boston ranked based on their research performance in Liberal Arts & Social Sciences. A graph of 6.37M citations received by 176K academic papers made by 18 universities in Boston 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. Boston University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#3 in Massachusetts

#38 in the United States

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

2. Boston College

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#6 in Massachusetts

#90 in the United States

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

3. Northeastern University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#7 in Massachusetts

#114 in the United States

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

4. University of Massachusetts - Boston

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#9 in Massachusetts

#142 in the United States

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

5. Suffolk University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#18 in Massachusetts

#314 in the United States

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

6. Simmons University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#23 in Massachusetts

#372 in the United States

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

7. Fisher College

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#25 in Massachusetts

#406 in the United States

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

8. Emerson College

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#27 in Massachusetts

#514 in the United States

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

9. Emmanuel College

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#31 in Massachusetts

#590 in the United States

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

10. MGH Institute of Health Professions

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#32 in Massachusetts

#599 in the United States

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

11. Bay State College

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#35 in Massachusetts

#626 in the United States

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

12. MCPHS University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#37 in Massachusetts

#692 in the United States

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

13. New England Law - Boston

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#56 in Massachusetts

#1048 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Enrollment: 1,083
Male:Female: 34:66
Founded: 1908

14. Berklee College of Music

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#58 in Massachusetts

#1213 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Net Price: $48,608
Receiving Aid: 78%
Average Aid: $21,587

15. Wentworth Institute of Technology

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#59 in Massachusetts

#1248 in the United States

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

16. New England College of Optometry

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#60 in Massachusetts

#1282 in the United States

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

17. New England Conservatory of Music

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#61 in Massachusetts

#1320 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 43%
Net Price: $49,544
Receiving Aid: 88%
Average Aid: $28,326

18. Massachusetts College of Art and Design

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#73 in Massachusetts

#1608 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Receiving Aid: 88%
Average Aid: $11,065
Enrollment: 1,986

Universities for Liberal Arts & Social Sciences near Boston

Distance, km 📏 km	University	Country rank 🏆	City
3	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	13	Cambridge, Massachusetts
5	Harvard University	1	Cambridge, Massachusetts
5	Lesley University	717	Cambridge, Massachusetts
7	Tufts University	78	Medford, Massachusetts
14	Bentley University	328	Waltham, Massachusetts
15	Hebrew College	470	Newton Centre, Massachusetts
16	Brandeis University	131	Waltham, Massachusetts
18	Babson College	358	Wellesley, Massachusetts
21	Wellesley College	229	Wellesley, Massachusetts
21	Salem State University	620	Salem, Massachusetts

Liberal Arts & Social Sciences subfields in Boston

Broadcast Journalism5

Classics and Ancient History9

Communications and Public Relations11

Criminology and Criminal Justice7

Early Childhood Education4

Education Majors13

Forensic Science3

Gender Studies9

Human Rights Law6

Intellectual Property and Patent Law7

International Law6

International Relations and Diplomacy5

Journalism and Digital Media7

Law Enforcement6

Library and Information science11

Military science6

Negotiation and Conflict Resolution6

Occupational Safety and Health4

Political Economy6

Political Science17

Public Policy / Administration6

Radio and Television broadcasting5

Special Education5

Theology / Divinity / Religious studies13