Most Selective Colleges in Massachusetts

12 colleges in Massachusetts admit 35% of applicants or fewer, which puts them in the competitive tier where grades and scores are the entry ticket rather than the deciding factor. The list starts with Harvard University (4%), Northeastern University (5%), and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (5%). 0 are public and 12 are private, and the median admitted-student SAT (75th percentile) across the group is 1525. Every one belongs in the Reach or Target column for most applicants, so pair them with likelier Massachusetts options from the full state ranking.

Schools

Median acceptance

11%

Most selective

Harvard University

4% acceptance

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Estimated chance of admission for three typical students, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA; 2, 4 and 7 AP courses respectively; Regular Decision; no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook.

Which of the Most Selective Colleges in Massachusetts can I get into with a 3.7 GPA and a 1300 SAT?

By CollegeCalcAI's model, a student with a 3.7 unweighted GPA and a 1300 SAT has no Likely or Safety estimate among the 12 colleges here. 1 more is a Target (25 to 44%), such as Smith College. The other 11 are Reach. Estimates assume Regular Decision and no hook; courses, activities and essays move them.

Estimated admission chance for three student profiles at each college: 3.3 GPA, 1150 SAT; 3.7 GPA, 1300 SAT; 4.0 GPA, 1500 SAT
College	3.3 GPA1150 SAT	3.7 GPA1300 SAT	4.0 GPA1500 SAT
Harvard Universityadmits 4%	4%Reach	6%Reach	8%Reach
Northeastern Universityadmits 5%	5%Reach	7%Reach	11%Reach
Massachusetts Institute of Technologyadmits 5%	5%Reach	7%Reach	10%Reach
Williams Collegeadmits 8%	7%Reach	10%Reach	16%Reach
Amherst Collegeadmits 9%	8%Reach	11%Reach	18%Reach
Boston Universityadmits 11%	9%Reach	13%Reach	23%Reach
Tufts Universityadmits 11%	9%Reach	13%Reach	22%Reach
Wellesley Collegeadmits 14%	11%Reach	16%Reach	28%Target
Boston Collegeadmits 16%	12%Reach	17%Reach	32%Target
Babson Collegeadmits 17%	12%Reach	22%Reach	39%Target
College of the Holy Crossadmits 18%	13%Reach	24%Reach	42%Target
Smith Collegeadmits 21%	14%Reach	26%Target	47%Likely

Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities or compare your own list with the free admissions API.

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CollegeCalcAI. "Most Selective Colleges in Massachusetts." 2026. https://collegecalcai.com/data/most-selective-colleges-in-massachusetts

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11%median acceptance rate, most selective colleges in massachusetts (12 schools)Source: CollegeCalcAI

<a href="https://collegecalcai.com/data/most-selective-colleges-in-massachusetts?utm_source=embed&utm_medium=statcard" style="display:inline-block;padding:16px 20px;border:1px solid #E5E9F0;border-radius:14px;text-decoration:none;font-family:system-ui,sans-serif;background:#fff">11%median acceptance rate, most selective colleges in massachusetts (12 schools)Source: CollegeCalcAI</a>

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Acceptance rates and admitted test ranges reflect publicly reported data (U.S. Department of Education / NCES IPEDS / Common Data Sets) and are rounded. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.