Last Updated on July 28, 2023
Notable alumni
- Daniel E. Bosley – member of the Mass. House of Representatives (served 1986 – 2011)
- Thomas Calter- member of the Mass. House of Representatives (served 2007 – present)
- Mary Grant – former president of MCLA and the first alumna to serve as president.[17]
- Ken Hill – retired MLB player.[18]
- Anton Strout – urban fantasy novelist.[19]
- John Barrett III – state legislator, mayor of North Adams for 26 years[20]
About us
At MCLA, we’re here for all — and focused on each — of our students. Classes are taught by educators who care deeply about teaching, and about seeing their students thrive on every level of their lives. Nearly 93% of our graduates land competitive jobs or are accepted by some of the best grad schools in the country. Our graduates excel in their careers after attending MCLA, many earning competitive salaries in exciting fields, stemming in part from the professional opportunities available to them, such as internships in major cities, leadership programs that span the globe, and undergraduate research projects that create new knowledge. We engage in the most nationally relevant conversations by hosting some of the most celebrated thinkers and speakers on our campus in the Berkshires of Massachusetts, an area is known for its mountain ranges, hiking trails, and panoramic views. Our home town of North Adams is brimming with young, creative energy and the regional economy is booming as a result. In nearly every way possible, the experience at MCLA is designed to elevate you as an individual, a leader, and a communicator, fully empowered to make your impression on the world.Websitehttp://mcla.eduIndustriesHigher EducationCompany size201-500 employeesHeadquartersNorth Adams, maTypeEducational InstitutionFounded1894
Locations
- Primary375 Church StNorth Adams, ma 01247-4100, USGet directions
- 66 Allen StPittsfield, Massachusetts 01201, USGet directions
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Data & Information Overview
67 awardsRANKING BADGESFair PriceVALUE FOR YOUR MONEY77%ACCEPTANCE RATEFind out more about how Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts ranks, how diverse it is, what majors it offers, and other essential facts below. If you’re interested in learning more about a particular stat, just click on its tile to go to a new page that covers the topic more in-depth. Also, you can jump to any section of this page by clicking one of the links below.
How Well Is Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Ranked?
#1,267BEST COLLEGES IN NATION#59BEST COLLEGES IN MAComputer Information SystemsHIGHEST RANKED MAJOR
2022 Rankings
College Factual recognizes the best colleges and universities in its annual rankings. These rankings include categories for best overall colleges, best colleges for each major, best value schools, and much more.
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts was awarded 67 badges in the 2022 rankings. The highest ranked major at the school is computer information systems.
Overall Quality
MCLA is ranked #1,267 out of 2,576 schools in the nation for overall quality on College Factual’s 2022 Best Colleges list.
MCLA also holds the #59 spot on the Best Colleges in Massachusetts ranking.
See all of the rankings for Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.
Is It Hard to Get Into MCLA?
77%ACCEPTANCE RATE67%OF ACCEPTED ARE WOMEN91%SUBMIT SAT SCORES
Acceptance Rate
The acceptance rate at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts is 77%. That’s higher than the rate at many schools, but still low enough to be considered somewhat selective. If you want to get in, you’ll need good grades and to be able to show that MCLA is a good fit for you.
Average Test Scores
About 91% of students accepted to MCLA submitted their SAT scores. When looking at the 25th through the 75th percentile, SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing scores ranged between 480 and 580. Math scores were between 490 and 610.SAT Reading and Writing Scores for Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts ( 480 to 580 )200800SAT Math Scores for Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts ( 490 to 610 )200800MCLA received ACT scores from 8% of accepted students. When looking at the 25th through the 75th percentile, ACT Composite scores ranged between 19 and 27.ACT Composite Scores for Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts ( 19 to 27 )136
Learn more about Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts admissions.
Is MCLA a Good Match for You?
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Faculty
11 to 1STUDENT TO FACULTY52%FULL TIME TEACHERS
Student to Faculty Ratio
At MCLA, the student to faculty ratio is an excellent 11 to 1. That’s much better than the national average of 15 to 1. This indicates that many classes will probably be small, and students will have ample opportunites to work closely with their professors and classmates.
Percent of Full-Time Faculty
In addition to the student to faculty ratio, some people look at what percentage of faculty members are full-time as a sign of how much time professors will be able to spend with their students. This is because part-time teachers may not be be on campus as much as their full-time counterparts.
The full-time faculty percentage at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts is 52%. This is higher than the national average of 47%.Full-Time Faculty Percent 52 out of 1000100
Retention and Graduation Rates at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
72%FRESHMEN RETENTION34%ON-TIME GRADUATION RATE
Freshmen Retention Rate
The freshmen retention rate tells us what percentage of first-year, full-time students choose to continue on to their sophomore year at a particular school. The rate at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts is 72%, which is about average when compared to the national rate of 68%.Freshmen Retention Rate 72 out of 1000100
Graduation Rate
The on-time graduation rate is the percent of first-time, full-time students who get their bachelor’s degree with four years. At MCLA this rate is 34%, which is about average when compared to the national rate of 33.3%.On-Time Graduation Rate 34 out of 1000100
Find out more about the retention and graduation rates at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Undergraduate Student Diversity
1,145FULL-TIME UNDERGRADUATES26.6%RACIAL-ETHNIC MINORITIES*60.8%PERCENT WOMEN
During the 2017-2018 academic year, there were 1,345 undergraduates at MCLA with 1,145 being full-time and 200 being part-time.
How Much Does Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Cost?
$16,861NET PRICE98%TAKE OUT LOANS$22,588TOTAL STUDENT LOANSThe overall average net price of MCLA is $16,861. The affordability of the school largely depends on your financial need since net price varies by income group. See the table below for the net price for different income groups.
Net Price by Income Group for MCLA
| $0-30 K | $30K-48K | $48-75 | $75-110K | $110K + |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $12,587 | $13,325 | $16,846 | $19,280 | $21,705 |
The net price is calculated by adding tuition, room, board and other costs and subtracting financial aid.Note that the net price is typically less than the published for a school. For more information on the sticker price of MCLA, see our tuition and fees and room and board pages.
Student Loan Debt
Almost 66% of college students who graduated with the class of 2018 took out student loans, but that percentage varies from school to school. At MCLA, approximately 98% of students took out student loans averaging $5,647 a year. That adds up to $22,588 over four years for those students.
The student loan default rate at MCLA is 6.4%. Although this is lower than the national default rate of 10.1%, you’ll still want to keep this in mind when taking out student loans.
Get more details about paying for Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.https://2bd205f16442981cfd6a3b6564010a3b.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html
How Much Money Do MCLA Graduates Make?
$35,800AVG SALARY OF GRADSHighEARNINGS BOOSTThe pay for some majors is higher than others, but on average, students who graduate with a bachelor’s degree from MCLA make about $35,800 a year during their first few years of employment after graduation. Unfortunately, this is 10% less that the average college graduate’s salary of $39,802 per year. However, graduates in your major field may make more.
See which majors at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts make the most money.
Location of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
MassachusettsSTATE1,145FULL-TIME UNDERGRADUATESTownCAMPUS SETTINGMassachusetts College of Liberal Arts is a public institution situated in North Adams, Massachusetts. North Adams is a great place for students who enjoy small town life.
Get more details about the location of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.
Contact details for MCLA are given below.
| Contact Details | |
|---|---|
| Address: | 375 Church Street, North Adams, MA 01247-4100 |
| Phone: | 413-662-5000 |
| Website: | https://www.mcla.edu/ |
| Facebook: | https://www.facebook.com/pages/MCLA/82654875561 |
| Twitter: | https://twitter.com/MCLA_EDU |
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Majors
20MAJORS WITH COMPLETIONS368UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES37GRADUATE DEGREESDuring the most recent year for which we have data, students from 20 majors graduated from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. Of these students, 368 received undergraduate degrees and 37 graduated with a master’s or doctor’s degree. The following table lists the most popular undergraduate majors along with the average salary graduates from those majors make.
| Most Popular Majors | Bachelor’s Degrees | Average Salary of Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| General English Literature | 55 | $27,500 |
| Other Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies | 52 | $26,700 |
| Business Administration & Management | 49 | $31,400 |
| General Psychology | 38 | $28,600 |
| Sociology | 27 | $31,100 |
| Computer Information Systems | 19 | $59,300 |
| Health Sciences & Services | 16 | NA |
| General Education | 16 | $27,600 |
| General Visual & Performing Arts | 14 | NA |
| Allied Health Professions | 13 | NA |
Learn more about the majors offered at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts along with which ones have the highest average starting salaries.
Online Learning at MCLA
23%TAKE AT LEAST ONE CLASS ONLINE7%TAKE ALL CLASSES ONLINE
Online learning options are becoming more and more popular at American colleges and universities. Online classes are great for students who have busy schedules or for those who just want to study on their own time.
In 2018-2019, 349 students took at least one online class at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. This is an increase from the 344 students who took online classes the previous year.
| Year | Took at Least One Online Class | Took All Classes Online |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-2019 | 349 | 103 |
| 2017-2018 | 344 | 100 |
| 2016-2017 | 483 | 123 |
| 2015-2016 | 116 | 2 |
| 2013-2014 | 209 | 6 |
