Best Online Colleges in Massachusetts

Benefits of Studying Online in Massachusetts

For prospective students looking to study in New England, they’d be hard pressed to find a better option than the Bay State of Massachusetts. With just over 7 million people (making Massachusetts the 15th most populous state in the nation) it has the greatest concentration of citizens in all of New England. However, it surprisingly ranks 44 in terms of land area with just 10,400 square miles. The state capital, Boston, is home to numerous universities, making Massachusetts an excellent destination for higher learning as well as a great basecamp for exploring other historical sites in the northeastern part of the United States.

Employment Stats

From the labor market standpoint, Massachusettes is one of the most well established states in the nation. The state counts nearly 4 million employed residents, accounting for just over 2.4% of the entire nations employed population. This ranks the state at the 13th most in the entire nation. Over the last year, the number of employed grew by nearly 3.96% as the state added 141,000 jobs on top of the 2021 total of 3,569 thousand. This makes Massachusetts the 11th fastest growing state from the standpoint of jobs added year over year. The state has about 1.73 million more people employed than the median state (an advantage of 88% over the national average).

Massachusetts also managed to beat out the 14th percentile (Washington), which tallied 3.543 million employed persons in 2021. That being said, it fell short to Virginia, which ranks 12th with just over 4.1 million persons employed (a disadvantage of -390,000 and -9.5%). This, however, should not come as a surprise given that Massachusetts has just 2.1% of the nation's population. It’s also 82% behind the nation’s leader (California) ,which should not come as a surprise given the already mentioned population discrepancy.

Job Opportunities

On the job types side of things, Massachusetts has 742 unique occupations, and although that puts it a bit below the median of 722 held by Louisiana, the difference is only 2.8%. So although the state just slightly misses the median, it still offers a very diverse set of job opportunities across agriculture, education, hospitality, technology and much more.

The state of Massachusetts boasts some of the highest ranked universities in the nation, including Harvard, Boston College, MIT, and Tufts. These have some of the most competitive admissions in the US, however competition is always good when it comes to getting the best job opportunities for the future. For example, Harvard alone is home to over 20,000 students and graduates, so competition for the best positions is quite fierce.

The state is also home to a number of Fortune 500 companies, including Liberty Mutual, Eversource, and Biogen (the largest of the three). That being said, there’s a great deal of diversity in terms of job opportunities, and the state has a long history of producing top talent. With Massachusetts having more than 3 million employed people and 742 unique occupations, the state is a great place to study and work upon graduation.

Overall, the data points to Massachusetts as an excellent place to consider for studying, particularly for those looking to stay in the northeastern part of the U.S. The combination of a long-standing and robust economy, strong job market, and numerous academic opportunities make Massachusetts an ideal place to both learn and to find a job. For those who elect to stay after their academic career, the state's plentiful shorelines, heritage sites, and cultural attractions will provide many opportunities for post-school fun.

*All data sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2023)