List of colleges and universities in Massachusetts
There are one hundred and fourteen colleges and universities in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that are listed under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. These institutions include nine research universities, twenty-one master's universities, and thirty-four special-focus institutions. This number excludes the newly reopened Atlantic Union College, which has yet to receive accreditation. Eighty-five of Massachusetts' post-secondary institutions are private, of which five are for-profit. Thirty of the state's post-secondary institutions are public, a number which excludes the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which was founded by the Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act, but later became a private institution.
University of Massachusetts Lowell
U.S. News & World Report ranks UMass Lowell No. 152 on its top-tier National Universities list in the Best Colleges of 2016. UMass Lowell is one of only six institutions to advance in the standings every year since 2010 and the university's five-year, 27-spot gain in the ranking for that timeframe is the second-fastest in the nation. U.S. News & World Report also named UMass Lowell No. 78 in the top public universities and second among public universities in Massachusetts. "Washington Monthly" ranked UMass Lowell No. 170 nationally for 2014, representing a 24-spot jump from 2013. Forbes ranked UMass Lowell No. 176 among research universities and No. 465 overall. University Ranking by Academic Performance for 2016-2017 ranks university as No. 197 in the country.