School Insights

Amherst offers 39 majors under a fully open curriculum — no distribution requirements beyond the major itself. The college was a national pioneer in several interdisciplinary fields: it founded one of the first undergraduate departments in American Studies, Law Jurisprudence & Social Thought, and Neuroscience anywhere in the country. Theater & Dance is a combined major, and the college has separate majors in Greek, Latin, Classical Civilization, and Classics under one classics umbrella.

Babson awards a single undergraduate degree: a B.S. in Business Administration. Every student graduates with the same degree, customized through 24 concentrations (think: majors within a major). This is an intentional model, not a limitation — the school has been ranked #1 in the country for entrepreneurship education by U.S. News for multiple consecutive decades.

Bates offers 37 majors, all culminating in a required senior thesis or capstone seminar — one of the few colleges in the country where a thesis is mandatory across all majors, not just honors tracks. Notable programs include Dance, Rhetoric Film and Screen Studies, and a newly approved Digital and Computational Studies major (2025). Bates also offers an Engineering major as a dual-degree pathway with five partner universities including Dartmouth and Columbia.

Bennington has no traditional majors. Students design their own "Plan" — an individualized course of study developed with a faculty committee. The 28 entries in the spreadsheet represent Bennington's official Areas of Study, which serve as building blocks rather than fixed programs. Every student also completes a seven-week off-campus Field Work Term each January. Bennington has deep roots in dance, writing, and the visual arts.

Bentley offers 18 business majors and 14 arts and sciences majors, with all students earning either a B.S. or B.A. — not a generic "business" degree. The school sits just outside Boston and is ranked #1 among regional universities in the Northeast by U.S. News. Bentley has been unusually forward-looking in creating new programs.

BC's Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences offers 39 majors alongside the Carroll School of Management (business), Lynch School of Education, and Connell School of Nursing. The Jesuit core curriculum is required of all students, meaning every BC undergraduate takes courses in theology, philosophy, history, literature, and natural sciences regardless of major. Islamic Civilization and Societies is one of the more distinctive liberal arts programs.

BU has 10 undergraduate schools and colleges, so its 44 majors span a wide range of professional and liberal arts programs. The College of Fine Arts has three divisions (Music, Theatre, Visual Arts). COM (School of Communication) is nationally recognized for journalism, PR, film/TV, and media science. BU also has an unusually strong health sciences track through Sargent College.

Bowdoin is consistently ranked among the top 5 liberal arts colleges nationally. It has no core curriculum requirements — students are free to design their own path within their major. The college has a strong tradition in environmental science given its coastal Maine location, and several interdisciplinary programs (Africana Studies, Gender and Women's Studies, Neuroscience) that are long-established.

Brandeis is a research university with the feel of a liberal arts college. It has 44 majors and a strong tradition in social justice, Jewish studies, and international affairs. The Heller School for Social Policy has shaped many of Brandeis's social science offerings. Several interdisciplinary programs reflect the university's founding mission.

Brown's Open Curriculum means there are no required courses outside of the concentration (major). With 68 concentrations in the file, Brown has the largest major count of any school we've catalogued. Many are highly specialized: Egyptology and Assyriology, Contemplative Studies, Medieval Cultures, and Judaic Studies alongside the standard disciplines. Brown also has a joint program with RISD.

Bryant's model requires students to complete both a major and a minor, with one from the College of Business and one from the College of Arts and Sciences (or vice versa). This interdisciplinary requirement is built into every degree. Sports Industries, Media and Promotion is a standout professional program reflecting Bryant's proximity to the New England sports market.

Clark is a small research university with unusually strong programs in geography (a field that has largely disappeared from many colleges), environmental science, and psychology. The university has a distinct focus on "challenge convention, change our world" as a guiding philosophy and is known for its LEEP (Liberal Education and Effective Practice) curriculum that integrates real-world experience.

Colby offers 43 majors, unusually large for a NESCAC school, and has invested heavily in new interdisciplinary programs in recent years. The college is known for a strong January term (Jan Plan), a month of intensive independent or course-based study. Colby opened a new arts and museum complex, Colby College Museum of Art, that influences some of its visual arts and art history offerings.

Connecticut College (Conn) uses a "Connections" curriculum that integrates coursework, internships, study abroad, and community partnerships. The college has 37 majors and allows students to design their own. Botany and Zoology are offered as distinct majors — unusual at liberal arts colleges where these typically fold into a single Biology department.

Dean is a small college historically known for its two-year associate programs, though it now grants bachelor's degrees in a focused set of areas. The college has particular strengths in the performing arts and business, with a tight-knit campus community.

Emerson is one of the few colleges in the country devoted entirely to communication, the arts, and liberal arts. Every major connects to those three areas. The college has a Los Angeles campus, a castle in the Netherlands, and a Global BFA in Film Art based in Paris. Sports Communication and Comedic Arts are among the most unusual programs at any school in this list.

Endicott requires all students to complete at least one semester-long internship as a graduation requirement — a distinctive academic model. The college has strong programs in hospitality, nursing, education, and the visual arts, with a scenic campus on the Beverly shore.

Fairfield is a Jesuit university with 53 undergraduate majors across five schools including a full engineering school (Biomedical Engineering, Software Engineering, and Electrical Engineering), Dolan School of Business (AACSB accredited), and Egan School of Nursing. The university is situated an hour from New York City, which strongly shapes its career programming.

Fordham has two undergraduate campuses — Rose Hill in the Bronx and Lincoln Center in Manhattan — and programs are shaped by proximity to New York City. The Gabelli School of Business and Fordham College offer strong interdisciplinary programs. International Political Economy is a distinctive offering that reflects Fordham's urban and global orientation.

Framingham State is a mid-sized public university in the Massachusetts state system with historic strength in food and nutrition, teacher preparation, and liberal arts. The Food and Nutrition program is one of the strongest at any public institution in the state and has a long tradition going back to the school's home economics roots.

Harvard calls its majors "concentrations" and offers 50 across all fields. There is no business, accounting, hospitality, or heavily pre-professional major — all undergraduate study is liberal arts and sciences. Three concentrations require an application from within Harvard to enter: Comparative Literature, Environmental Science and Public Policy, and History and Literature. The Open Curriculum requires only that students complete a concentration, a language, writing, and general education courses.

Holy Cross is a highly selective Jesuit liberal arts college that grants only the B.A. degree — there are no professional schools or business programs. The curriculum is anchored in the Jesuit tradition of educating the whole person. The college recently added new interdisciplinary programs including Data Science.

Husson is a small private university in Bangor with a focus on professional programs including nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy, criminal justice, and business. The university has a practical, career-oriented model and is the only independent university in Maine with a pharmacy school.

JWU is primarily known for its hospitality and culinary programs, which are nationally ranked. The university structures all programs around an experiential, career-first model. Culinary Arts and Baking & Pastry Arts are major programs here that don't exist as undergraduate majors at most institutions.

Keene State is New Hampshire's public liberal arts college. With 37 majors, it offers a broad range of programs. The Safety & Occupational Health Applied Sciences program is the second-largest major on campus. Precision Optics is unique in the region. And Holocaust & Genocide Studies holds a historic distinction.

Lasell requires every undergraduate student to complete at least one internship — it's built into the academic model ("Connected Learning"). The university has particular strength in fashion, communication, sport management, and health fields, with programs tailored for professional entry. Lasell sits near Harvard Square in Newton with a shuttle to the Green Line.

Lesley has two undergraduate colleges: the College of Art and Design (formerly the Art Institute of Boston) and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The art and design programs are BFAs — professionally oriented studio degrees. All students participate in the Scholar Partner Program, which guarantees internships. Lesley also has graduate programs in expressive arts therapies, counseling, and education.

Maine Maritime is a small public academy with approximately 950 undergraduate students. Programs are almost entirely maritime, engineering, and logistics-focused. Many students join the Regiment of Midshipmen and complete sea terms aboard the Training Ship State of Maine or the historic Schooner Bowdoin. The school has a 90% job placement rate within 90 days of graduation. Starting salaries range from $60,000 to $120,000 depending on program.

MassArt is the only publicly funded independent art school in the United States, founded in 1873. All 18 undergraduate programs lead to a BFA, with a shared Foundation Year before students select a major. The breadth of studio disciplines is remarkable for a single-institution art school.

MCLA is ranked #6 nationally among public liberal arts colleges by U.S. News and offers the lowest tuition of any four-year public college in Massachusetts. The Berkshire location means students have access to Mass MoCA and other Berkshire arts institutions. Graduates carry the lowest debt levels of any Massachusetts college. MCLA has 22 majors with multiple concentrations within each.

MIT calls its majors "Courses" (Course 6 = EECS, Course 8 = Physics, etc.) and all lead to a B.S. degree. With 58 official courses of study, we captured 26 that are most distinct. The university has no business school at the undergraduate level, no pre-professional accounting or nursing, and no pre-law track. Every program is oriented around science, engineering, architecture, management, or the humanities/arts/social sciences.

MMA offers exactly seven undergraduate majors — all maritime or engineering-focused. All students are members of the Regiment of Cadets, living under a structured, regimental daily schedule. Annual sea terms are part of several degree programs. The academy is situated at the edge of the Cape Cod Canal.

Middlebury offers 45 majors and is one of the most respected liberal arts colleges in the country, particularly renowned for language education. The 4-1-4 calendar (fall semester, January term, spring semester) gives students a month each year for independent research, intensive study, or internships. The Language Schools on campus attract students from around the world each summer for immersive instruction in more than a dozen languages. Middlebury's count in this file is 21 because many standard liberal arts majors were already in the spreadsheet from other schools and simply added Middlebury as an additional school.

Mitchell is a small private college with an unusually strong commitment to supporting neurodiverse learners. The Thames Academy Learning Center provides extensive support services. Program offerings are focused and career-oriented.

Mount Holyoke is the oldest of the Seven Sisters (founded 1837) and describes itself as a women's college that is gender diverse, meaning transgender and nonbinary students are explicitly welcome. With 48 majors, it has one of the broadest catalogs among the Seven Sisters. Students have access to over 6,000 courses through the Five College Consortium with Amherst, Smith, Hampshire, and UMass Amherst. The college has a particular strength in the sciences — it has long graduated more women who go on to earn science PhDs than most institutions.

Nichols is an AACSB-accredited business college offering the BSBA (with 17 concentrations) and the BA (with 5 liberal arts majors). The school ranks 9th nationally among undergraduate business schools for salary potential (Payscale) and claims that 4 in 10 graduates become a president, CEO, or business owner. Every student has access to Bloomberg Terminals and the college's Center for Intelligent Processing Automation.

Northeastern is defined by its co-op model: most undergraduates complete one to three six-month paid work experiences embedded in the degree program. This produces graduates with significant real-world experience before they finish their bachelor's degree. With 56 majors in the file, Northeastern's breadth spans business, engineering, health sciences, social sciences, and the arts.

Providence College is the only college or university in North America administered by the Dominican Order of Friars. With 39 majors across four schools (Arts & Sciences, Business, Education and Social Work, and Nursing and Health Sciences), PC combines a strong liberal arts core with professional programs. All undergraduates are required to complete the Development of Western Civilization program — a two-year, team-taught sequence covering philosophy, theology, literature, and history from ancient to modern times. PC is ranked #1 in U.S. News's Regional Universities North category.

Quinnipiac has grown rapidly and now offers 50 majors across colleges of arts and sciences, business, education, health sciences, and communications. The School of Communications has strong journalism, public relations, and media production programs. The health sciences programs are extensive.

Regis was founded in 1927 by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston and sits on a 131-acre campus 12 miles west of Boston. The school has four undergraduate schools: Arts and Sciences, Business and Communication, Nursing, and Health Sciences. Nursing is by far the largest program and is designated a Center of Excellence by the National League of Nursing. The count of 7 majors here reflects programs that were genuinely new to the spreadsheet — the school offers 27 undergraduate programs total, with heavy overlap against programs already catalogued from other schools. Regis operates its own clinical dental center in Waltham and has cross-registration privileges with Babson, Bentley, Brandeis, and Boston College.

RISD was founded in 1877 and consistently ranks among the top art and design schools in the world. All 18+ undergraduate BFA programs share a required Foundation Year before students declare a major sophomore year. RISD's campus sits immediately adjacent to Brown University's on College Hill in Providence, and the two schools have cross-registered since 1900 and offer a dual-degree program. RISD alumni include Talking Heads founders David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, and Chris Frantz; Airbnb co-founders Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia; Seth MacFarlane; and Shepard Fairey. The RISD Museum is one of the largest college art museums in the U.S. The count of 9 reflects new entries not already in the file from MassArt; the full BFA list is 18+ programs.

Roger Williams has a strong architecture school, a law school, and professional programs oriented around careers in building, justice, and business. The campus overlooks Mount Hope Bay in Bristol.

Saint Joseph's sits on a 474-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, 15 miles from Portland and 2 hours from Boston. Founded in 1912 by the Sisters of Mercy, it is Maine's only Catholic college. The campus hosts the first Certified Bee-Friendly Campus in Maine. The count of 6 reflects new programs added to the spreadsheet; the school offers 40+ majors overall, with considerable overlap against programs already catalogued. Enrollment was severely disrupted when the college briefly suspended operations in 2018–2019 due to financial difficulties but reopened under new ownership. The nursing and health sciences programs are among its strongest and most accredited.

Salem State is the oldest and largest institution of higher education on Massachusetts's North Shore, founded in 1854 as the Salem Normal School under Horace Mann. It is the only member of the Massachusetts public higher education system with a graduate program in social work. The university sits in Salem itself, with several campuses spread across the city including a facility adjacent to Salem Harbor. With 57 undergraduate majors across 20 broad fields, it is a comprehensive regional institution serving the North Shore community.

Salve Regina's 80-acre campus borders the Newport Cliff Walk and consists of seven contiguous Gilded Age estates with 21 structures of historic significance. Architectural Digest and Condé Nast Traveler have both ranked it among the most beautiful college campuses in America. The university was founded in 1934 by the Sisters of Mercy and became coeducational in 1973. It offers 48 undergraduate majors and is home to the Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy. The count of 5 reflects new programs added to the spreadsheet; most Salve majors were already catalogued from other institutions.

Simmons is the only women's undergraduate program in Boston and was founded in 1899 as the first college in the U.S. to offer women a liberal arts education integrated with career preparation. All undergraduate students complete at least one internship, clinical, fieldwork, or research project. Simmons was one of the first colleges to explicitly accept transgender women undergraduates (2015). The School of Business was the first in the world to receive gender equity certification. The campus sits in the Fenway neighborhood adjacent to the Museum of Fine Arts, Fenway Park, and the Longwood Medical Area, giving health science students exceptional clinical placement access.

Smith is one of the Seven Sisters and the largest women's liberal arts college in the country. It has 48 majors and one of the most expansive engineering programs (Picker Engineering Program) at any women's college. Smith students can cross-register with Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, and UMass Amherst through the Five College Consortium.

Stonehill was founded in 1948 by the Congregation of Holy Cross on a 387-acre estate in Easton, 22 miles south of Boston. It offers 52 majors and 55 minors. The school has a 75% four-year graduation rate, among the best in the country for a college of its size. Stonehill's Meehan School of Business is AACSB accredited, and the college has produced a strong record of sending graduates into major accounting firms. More than 80% of students complete at least one internship before graduation. U.S. News ranked it #82 among National Liberal Arts Colleges.

Suffolk is positioned in the heart of downtown Boston, literally steps from the Massachusetts State House, the Financial District, the courthouse, and City Hall. This location drives the curriculum: Legal Studies is one of the most popular undergraduate majors, and the university has its own law school. The Sawyer Business School uses Boston's professional market — including the Celtics and Bruins — as teaching tools. Nearly 40 percent of Suffolk undergraduates study abroad at some point.

Thomas was founded in 1894 along the Kennebec River in central Maine. The college operates one of the most distinctive degree models in the region: a Guaranteed Job Program that secures employment for qualifying graduates within six months or reimburses tuition and provides free graduate courses until placement. Students also have access to a 3+1 accelerated degree (three years for a bachelor's, one year for a master's). The 99% placement rate the college reports reflects this model's effectiveness. Thomas has approximately 880 undergraduate students and 47% participate in NCAA Division III athletics.

Tufts was founded in 1852 by Christian Universalists on Walnut Hill straddling Medford and Somerville, about five miles from Boston. It carries Carnegie R1 status — very high research activity — while remaining unusually undergraduate-focused for that classification. The School of Arts and Sciences, School of Engineering, and SMFA at Tufts (on the Fenway campus adjacent to the Museum of Fine Arts) all award undergraduate degrees. Tufts has the country's oldest graduate school of international relations, the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, which shapes the undergraduate International Relations program through shared faculty and research proximity. The Experimental College (ExCollege) is a distinctive student-led initiative that has offered peer-taught courses since 1964. The count of 22 reflects programs genuinely new to the spreadsheet; the full major list exceeds 70.

UConn is Connecticut's flagship public university and has 82 majors in the file — the most of any school we've catalogued. Programs span business (School of Business is AACSB accredited), engineering, nursing, education, liberal arts, and fine arts. UConn is also a Division I athletics institution.

UMass Amherst is the flagship of the Massachusetts state university system and has 80 majors in the file. It's a full research university with a Five College Consortium affiliation, meaning students can take courses at Amherst, Smith, Hampshire, and Mount Holyoke colleges. The Isenberg School of Management is one of the most respected public business schools in New England.

UMass Boston is the only public university in Boston proper, sitting on Columbia Point peninsula extending into Boston Harbor. It is the most diverse campus in New England and the third most diverse in the United States, with students from over 130 countries. Founded in 1964, the university has six academic colleges and embeds the McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies within the College of Liberal Arts, giving undergraduates proximity to active policy researchers. The harbor location shapes environmental science and marine coursework directly — students conduct fieldwork on Boston Harbor, one of the most documented estuary restoration stories in the country. The 16 entries represent genuinely distinct programs not already catalogued from peer institutions.

UMass Dartmouth has strong programs in engineering, business, nursing, and the arts. The College of Visual and Performing Arts is notably strong for a mid-sized public university, and the school has an active research presence in marine science and coastal engineering given its South Coast location.

UMass Lowell grew from a merger of Lowell State College and Lowell Technological Institute, which explains its unusual combination of strong liberal arts and engineering programs under one roof. It has 120+ undergraduate majors across five colleges: Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; Engineering; Sciences; Business; and Health Sciences. Lowell itself is historically significant as the first planned industrial city in America, and the university's engineering and manufacturing programs carry that heritage forward. The university sits adjacent to a growing biotech and medical device corridor in the Merrimack Valley. UMass Lowell was ranked #1 in "What Matters Most" by U.S. News, reflecting strong outcomes relative to cost.

The University of Maine is the flagship of the UMaine System and a land-grant and sea-grant university, giving it particular strength in agriculture, forestry, engineering, and marine sciences. With 55 majors in the file, it covers the full range expected of a flagship.

UMF is Maine's public liberal arts college and a founding member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC). Established in 1864 as a Normal School — Maine's first publicly funded institution of higher education — it has maintained a teacher education focus while expanding into arts, sciences, and professional programs. The campus sits in downtown Farmington in western Maine, surrounded by mountains, lakes, and rivers that directly shape programs in environmental science, outdoor recreation, and field-based biology. Enrollment is around 1,600, placing it in the same size range as many selective private colleges. UMF is one of only three CAEP-nationally accredited teacher education programs in Maine and ranked in the top 10 Best Value schools in the Regional Colleges North category in 2025.

UNE has a strong health sciences focus with one of the few osteopathic medical schools in New England. The undergraduate programs are oriented heavily toward pre-health, nursing, social work, and environmental science. The Biddeford campus sits on the Saco River and the Atlantic coast.

UNH is the flagship of the University System of New Hampshire, founded in 1866 as the New Hampshire College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts. Its Land, Sea and Space Grant designations reflect research strengths in agriculture, marine science, and aerospace. The 1,100-acre Durham campus includes 300 acres of working farmland used in animal science and agriculture programs. The Shoals Marine Laboratory on Appledore Island, co-operated with Cornell University, gives marine biology students access to an offshore research station in the Gulf of Maine. The Carsey School of Public Policy conducts active research on rural communities and vulnerable families, influencing social work and public policy programs.

URI is Rhode Island's flagship public university with 56 majors. It has a nationally recognized College of Pharmacy, an oceanography program with its own research vessel, and a well-regarded business school. URI is also known for its cooperative education program.

USM serves the Greater Portland region and has a mix of professional, liberal arts, and health sciences programs. The Lewiston-Auburn campus and downtown Portland location give students access to Maine's most economically active metro area. Strong programs in social work, nursing, and computer science.

UVM is a public research university with a strong environmental mission, a medical school, and one of the few dedicated Environmental Studies colleges at any public university. Agriculture, natural resources, and sustainability are woven into many programs. Burlington's setting on Lake Champlain shapes much of UVM's character.

Vassar is one of the original Seven Sisters (now coed) and offers 49 majors, large for a liberal arts college. The college has no core requirements beyond the first-year writing seminar, giving students unusual freedom. Science and Technology Studies, Cognitive Science, and Media Studies are among the more contemporary interdisciplinary programs.

Wellesley was founded in 1870 with the explicit mission of preparing women for "great conflicts" and "vast reforms in social life." It is a member of the Seven Sisters and consistently ranks among the top liberal arts colleges in the country. The 500-acre campus was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and includes the Davis Museum and a botanic garden. Wellesley was the second college in the United States to introduce laboratory science instruction for undergraduates. It has cross-registration with MIT and dual-degree programs with MIT, Olin College of Engineering, and a joint BA/MA program with Brandeis's International Business School. In 2015 Wellesley updated its admissions policy to welcome transgender and non-binary students assigned female at birth. The count of 18 reflects programs genuinely new to the spreadsheet; many Wellesley majors were already catalogued from peer liberal arts institutions. Alumnae include Hillary Clinton, Madeleine Albright, Cokie Roberts, and Nora Ephron.