2026 Best Best Schools in the New England Region

Best is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. The schools below stand out for the quality of their best programs.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 2 schools to find the best for best students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Best Schools in the New England Region

Best Schools for Best in the New England Region

If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the best degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top Schools in Best

1

Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Buzzards Bay, MA

Associate's Degree Highest Degree Type

32 Best Degrees Awarded

$77,139 Median Starting Salary

Leading the list is Massachusetts Maritime Academy, our #1 school for best. Set in the suburb of Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts Maritime Academy is a small public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 74%. Massachusetts Maritime Academy awarded about 32 best degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their best degree from Massachusetts Maritime Academy earn around $77,139 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $25,884. Read more about the best program at Massachusetts Maritime Academy

2

University Of Massachusetts Dartmouth
North Dartmouth, MA

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

14 Best Degrees Awarded

$54,669 Median Starting Salary

A rank of #2 makes University Of Massachusetts Dartmouth one of the top schools for best. University Of Massachusetts Dartmouth is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of North Dartmouth. About 52% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 14 best students who graduated with this degree at University Of Massachusetts Dartmouth in the most recent data year. Best graduates of University Of Massachusetts Dartmouth earn a median of $54,669 early in their careers. University Of Massachusetts Dartmouth graduates carry a median of $27,106 in student loans. Read more about the best program at University Of Massachusetts Dartmouth

Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 2 schools evaluated.

• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.