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

Updated: March 15, 2026

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 6.71M citations received by 181K 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: 1475
Average ACT: 33
Net Price: $24,420

2. Boston College

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#6 in Massachusetts

#91 in the United States

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

3. Northeastern University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#7 in Massachusetts

#114 in the United States

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

4. University of Massachusetts - Boston

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#9 in Massachusetts

#142 in the United States

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

5. Suffolk University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#18 in Massachusetts

#314 in the United States

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

6. Simmons University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#23 in Massachusetts

#373 in the United States

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

7. Fisher College

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#25 in Massachusetts

#408 in the United States

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

8. Emerson College

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#27 in Massachusetts

#503 in the United States

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

9. MGH Institute of Health Professions

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#31 in Massachusetts

#589 in the United States

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

10. Emmanuel College

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#32 in Massachusetts

#593 in the United States

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

11. Bay State College

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#35 in Massachusetts

#627 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

#689 in the United States

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

13. New England Law - Boston

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#56 in Massachusetts

#1056 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Enrollment: 1,131
Male:Female: 36:64
Founded: 1908

14. Berklee College of Music

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#58 in Massachusetts

#1190 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 44%
Net Price: $49,797
Receiving Aid: 81%
Average Aid: $23,346

15. Wentworth Institute of Technology

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#59 in Massachusetts

#1238 in the United States

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

16. New England College of Optometry

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#60 in Massachusetts

#1277 in the United States

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

17. New England Conservatory of Music

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#62 in Massachusetts

#1332 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 41%
Net Price: $50,367
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $30,707

18. Massachusetts College of Art and Design

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#73 in Massachusetts

#1604 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 76%
Receiving Aid: 89%
Average Aid: $10,421
Enrollment: 1,989

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	718	Cambridge, Massachusetts
7	Tufts University	77	Medford, Massachusetts
14	Bentley University	327	Waltham, Massachusetts
15	Hebrew College	476	Newton Centre, Massachusetts
16	Brandeis University	132	Waltham, Massachusetts
18	Babson College	357	Wellesley, Massachusetts
21	Wellesley College	228	Wellesley, Massachusetts
21	Salem State University	618	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