Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
North Adams, Massachusetts · Public · 89.7% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 36/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) is the public liberal arts college in North Adams, Massachusetts, scoring 36 out of 100 on CampusROI and sitting in the Below Benchmark tier. In-state tuition is $12,436 and out-of-state is $21,381, with an average net price of $16,068 and total four-year cost of about $64,272. Median debt of $23,750 produces a 0.789 debt-to-earnings ratio and a 15.6-year payback. Repayment progress is mediocre at 69-72% across timepoints. MCLA's identity is the liberal arts and humanities, and program-level outcomes reflect that: psychology, sociology, English, and interdisciplinary studies dominate enrollment, all with weak early earnings. The computer science program is a striking exception with B+ ROI grade.
How Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score36/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period15.6 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $12,436/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $21,381/yr |
| Average net price | $16,068/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $64,272 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $48,102 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $30,100 |
| Median debt at graduation | $23,750 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $252 |
| Estimated payback period | 15.6 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 55.6% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 713 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $12,436/year ($21,381/year out-of-state), which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $16,068/year, or roughly $64,272 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $9,845/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $22,698/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $23,750, which works out to about $252 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($30,100) and comes to 0.79, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $9,845 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $10,762 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $13,250 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $15,958 |
| $110,001+ | $22,698 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 face a net price of $9,845 per year, the lowest bracket and a meaningful discount once Pell, MASSGrant, and other state aid are stacked. Four years totals about $39,400 against $48,102 in ten-year median earnings. The math is reasonable for Pell-eligible Massachusetts students who target CS or education with PSLF eligibility.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income brackets escalate cleanly: $10,762 ($30,001-$48,000), $13,250 ($48,001-$75,000), and $15,958 ($75,001-$110,000). The progression is consistent with genuine state-aid layering for need-eligible families.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households above $110,000 pay $22,698 a year, or roughly $90,800 over four years. That jump from the $75,001-$110,000 bracket ($15,958) is the steepest single-bracket step. For full-pay families, the math only works if a student is committed to MCLA's liberal arts mission and is in CS, education, or a strong graduate-school pathway.
Earnings by Major
Top 9 most popular majors at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $53,753 | C |
| Psychology | $49,826 | D |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $47,162 | D |
| Sociology | $44,136 | C |
| English Language and Literature | $39,955 | D |
| Education, General | $39,375 | C |
| Biology | $52,808 | - |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $87,671 | B+ |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | $42,983 | F |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Computer and Information Sciences
Computer Science is the standout program by a wide margin, graduating just 7 students per year but with $80,332 in first-year earnings climbing to $87,671 by year four against $22,500 in median debt. The 0.28 debt-to-earnings ratio earns a B+ ROI grade. The small cohort size means the figures are sensitive to individual placements, but Boston's tech market reaches into the Berkshires and absorbs MCLA CS graduates strongly. This is the highest-ROI major at MCLA by a wide margin.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration graduates 31 students with $39,369 in first-year earnings rising to $53,753 by year four against $25,750 in median debt. The 0.654 debt-to-earnings ratio earns a C ROI grade.
Education, General
Education graduates 11 students with $39,375 in first-year earnings against $25,000 in median debt, producing a 0.635 debt-to-earnings ratio and a C ROI grade. PSLF eligibility for public school teachers further improves outcomes.
Psychology
Psychology is among the largest programs with 26 graduates and $32,855 in first-year earnings rising to $49,826 by year four against $25,824 in median debt. The 0.786 debt-to-earnings ratio earns a D ROI grade. As at most schools, bachelor's psychology requires graduate work in counseling, social work, or applied psychology to pay back. Prospective majors should plan that next step before enrolling.
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
Interdisciplinary Studies graduates 24 students with $35,293 in first-year earnings and $47,162 by year four against $26,000 in median debt. The 0.737 debt-to-earnings ratio earns a D ROI grade. This is the typical liberal arts general-studies pathway and pays back at the school median rather than well above it. Students should pair it with a specific career plan or graduate-school commitment to make the spend defensible.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 65.8% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 68.8% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 69.3% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 71.7% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 89.7% |
| Enrollment | 713 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 41.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $10,457 |
MCLA admits 89.7% of applicants. SAT and ACT mid-ranges are not reported in current Scorecard data.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (this school) | 36 | $16,068 | $48,102 |
| Bridgewater State University | 59 | $16,383 | $57,466 |
| Fitchburg State University | 58 | $14,262 | $53,874 |
| Mayville State University | 52 | $11,456 | $47,828 |
| Wright State University-Lake Campus | 48 | $11,081 | $49,500 |
| Peru State College | 41 | $11,632 | $47,071 |
Who Thrives Here
With 713 students and a Pell Grant rate of 41.3%, MCLA serves a small, mostly Massachusetts public liberal arts population in the rural Berkshires. The right fit is a Massachusetts student drawn to the small-class liberal arts model and the regional arts scene (MASS MoCA is across town), who qualifies for substantial state and federal aid and is targeting teaching, education, or the school's surprisingly strong computer science pipeline.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts scores 36/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $16,068 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $48,102 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 15.6 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.79 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 68.8% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $23,750 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $30,100 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.79. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts: Common Questions
Is Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts scores 36/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $16,068 a year after aid against $48,102 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 15.6 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $16,068 a year, or roughly $64,272 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $48,102 ten years after enrolling, roughly $6,302 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 15.6 years for Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $23,750, against average earnings of $30,100 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.79. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts?
The six-year graduation rate is 55.6%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.