2025 Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in Massachusetts

If you pursue a associate degree in general studies, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #2 most popular program in the country. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

College Factual looked at 8 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in Massachusetts ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 524 associate degrees in general studies during the 2022-2023 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

• Best Associate Degree Schools List

Choosing a Great General Studies School for Your Associate Degree

The general studies associate degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality general studies program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

The overall quality of a associate degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

• Major Focus - How many resources a school devotes to general studies students as compared to other majors.
• Major Demand - The number of general studies students who choose to seek a associate degree at the school.
• Educational Resources - The amount of money and other resources allocated to students while they are pursuing their degree. These resources include such things as number of students per instructor and education expenditures per student.
• Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized general studies related body.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for general studies students working on their associate degree.

More Ways to Rank General Studies Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in Massachusetts list, to help you choose the best school for you.

Best Schools for Associate Students to Study General Studies in Massachusetts

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing an associate degree in general studies.

Top Massachusetts Schools for an Associate in General Studies

1

Bristol Community College
Fall River, MA

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

179 Annual Graduates

It's difficult to beat Bristol Community College if you wish to pursue an associate degree in general studies. Located in the large suburb of Fall River, Bristol is a public college with a medium-sized student population.More information about a associate in general studies from Bristol Community College

2

Middlesex Community College
Bedford, MA

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

87 Annual Graduates

It is hard to beat Middlesex Community College if you wish to pursue an associate degree in general studies. Middlesex Community College is a moderately-sized public college located in the suburb of Bedford.More information about a associate in general studies from Middlesex Community College

3

Massachusetts Bay Community College
Wellesley Hills, MA

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

55 Annual Graduates

Massachusetts Bay Community College is one of the best schools in the United States for getting an associate degree in general studies. MassBay Community College is a small public college located in the large suburb of Wellesley Hills.More information about a associate in general studies from Massachusetts Bay Community College

4

Quinsigamond Community College
Worcester, MA

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

66 Annual Graduates

Quinsigamond Community College is one of the best schools in the United States for getting an associate degree in general studies. Located in the city of Worcester, Quinsigamond Community College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a associate in general studies from Quinsigamond Community College

5

Northern Essex Community College
Haverhill, MA

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

24 Annual Graduates

NECC is a small public college located in the suburb of Haverhill.More information about a associate in general studies from Northern Essex Community College

6

Quincy College
Quincy, MA

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

15 Annual Graduates

Located in the suburb of Quincy, Quincy College is a public college with a small student population.More information about a associate in general studies from Quincy College

7

Mount Wachusett Community College
Gardner, MA

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

26 Annual Graduates

Located in the midsize suburb of Gardner, MWCC is a public college with a small student population.More information about a associate in general studies from Mount Wachusett Community College

8

Cape Cod Community College
West Barnstable, MA

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

59 Annual Graduates

Cape Cod Community College is a small public college located in the small city of West Barnstable.More information about a associate in general studies from Cape Cod Community College

Best General Studies Colleges in the New England Region

Explore all the Best General Studies Schools in the New England Area or other specific states within that region.

State	Colleges	Degrees Awarded
Connecticut	156	835
New Hampshire	114	721
Rhode Island	101	1,233
Maine	94	107
Vermont	69	19

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General Studies Related Rankings by Major

General Studies is one of 3 different types of Liberal Arts General Studies programs to choose from.

Majors Similar to General Studies

Related Major	Annual Graduates
Liberal Arts	1,271
Individualized Studies	87

Notes and References

• The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
• 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 the rest 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.