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Colleges in and near Carlisle

Middlesex Community College is 4.5 miles from Carlisle

No college sits inside Carlisle’s boundary, but Middlesex Community College’s campus in Bedford, with 6,225 students on campus, is 4.5 miles from the center of town. About 4% of Carlisle’s residents are enrolled in college, below Massachusetts (8%).

Middlesex Community College

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Carlisle. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
9
33,259 students on campus
Nearest college
4.5 mi
Middlesex
Residents in college
4%
Below MA (8%)
Nearest community college
4.5 mi
Middlesex · $6,048 tuition
Nearest public university
8.2 mi
University of Massachusetts-Lowell · $16,966 in-state
Median household income
$250K
prices below start here

What stands out about college from Carlisle

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A community college 4.5 miles awayMiddlesex Community College has 6,225 students on campus in Bedford, 23% of whom graduate within three years.In-state price at University of Massachusetts-LowellLiving in Massachusetts, the University of Massachusetts-Lowell charges $16,966 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $36,264. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.Students are 4% of residentsBelow Massachusetts (8%). The Census counts anyone enrolled, including part-time and online students.
Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Carlisle

Seven private colleges within 14.9 miles, one public college within 8.2 miles, and two community colleges.

5 mi10 mi15 miUniversity of Massachusetts-LowellMiddlesexBentley UniversityCarlisle
University or collegeCommunity college
Middlesex Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 6,225 on campus · 4.5 mi · Bedford$3knet price23%graduate$51kearningsTuition and fees: $6,048 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.University of Massachusetts-LowellUniversity or college · Public · 11,742 on campus · 8.2 mi · Lowell83%admitted$17knet price65%graduate$65kearningsBentley UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 5,168 on campus · 12.6 mi · Waltham45%admitted$38knet price87%graduate$121kearningsBrandeis UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 4,978 on campus · 12.9 mi · Waltham40%admitted$36knet price86%graduate$77kearningsMassachusetts School of LawUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 284 on campus · 13 mi · AndoverGraduate students only; the Scorecard reports no undergraduate figures.Regis CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,166 on campus · 13.1 mi · Weston · mostly online70%admitted$27knet price72%graduate$53kearnings59% of its students study only online; price, graduation and earnings count them too.Lasell UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,271 on campus · 14.7 mi · Newton81%admitted$28knet price59%graduate$50kearningsRivier UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 2,230 on campus · 14.8 mi · Nashua, NH83%admitted$28knet price52%graduate$52kearningsLawrence Memorial Hospital School of NursingCommunity college · Private nonprofit · 195 on campus · 14.9 mi · Medford$101kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at Over $110k, where Carlisle’s median household income ($250,001) falls.

Middlesex Community College4.5 mi · Bedford · sticker $10,342 · tuition $6,048$8,426a year
University of Massachusetts-Lowell8.2 mi · Lowell · sticker $30,786$26,139a year
Rivier University14.8 mi · Nashua, NH · sticker $53,499$31,359a year
Lasell University14.7 mi · Newton · sticker $42,434$32,947a year
Regis College13.1 mi · Weston · mostly online · sticker $65,546$33,106a year
Bentley University12.6 mi · Waltham · sticker $79,548$49,190a year
Brandeis University12.9 mi · Waltham · sticker $86,448$54,885a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Carlisle: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k$100k$120k$140k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →MiddlesexUniversity of Massachusetts-LowellBentley UniversityBrandeis UniversityLasell UniversityRivier University
University of Massachusetts-Lowell65% graduate$65k earnings$24k typical debt
Middlesex Community College23% graduate$51k earnings$7k typical debt
Bentley University87% graduate$121k earnings$25k typical debt
Brandeis University86% graduate$77k earnings$26k typical debt
Rivier University52% graduate$52k earnings$27k typical debt
Lasell University59% graduate$50k earnings$26k typical debt
Regis College72% graduate$53k earnings$26k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Questions about college near Carlisle

Is Carlisle a college town?

No. About 4 of every 100 Carlisle residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), below Massachusetts (8). The nearest campus, Middlesex Community College, is 4.5 miles away in Bedford.

What colleges are near Carlisle?

9 colleges are within 15 miles. The largest: the University of Massachusetts-Lowell (8.2 miles, 11,742 students on campus), Middlesex Community College (4.5 miles, 6,225) and Bentley University (12.6 miles, 5,168).

What is the closest community college to Carlisle, and what does it cost?

Middlesex Community College in Bedford, 4.5 miles away. Tuition and fees are $6,048 a year for Massachusetts residents; the federal net price, $2,624, counts housing and food at full cost.

How much does the University of Massachusetts-Lowell cost if we live in Massachusetts?

Tuition and fees are $16,966 a year in-state and $36,264 from out of state. After grants, families on federal aid paid an average of $9,943 (under $30,000 income) to $26,139 (over $110,000), housing and food included.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Carlisle. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →