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Main Street North AdamsPhoto: Beyond My Ken · CC BY-SA 4.0
Colleges in and near North Adams

Williams College is 5 miles from North Adams

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (896 students on campus) is inside the city, and Williams College (2,168) is 5 miles from the center, just over the line in Williamstown. About 10% of North Adams’ residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Massachusetts (8%).

Williams 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 North Adams. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
2
3,064 students on campus
Nearest college
1.3 mi
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
Residents in college
10%
About the same as MA (8%)
Nearest community college
18 mi
Berkshire · $6,164 tuition
Nearest public university
1.3 mi
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts · $12,436 in-state
Median household income
$48K
prices below start here

What stands out about college in North Adams

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

A college 5 miles awayWilliams College has 2,168 students on campus in Williamstown, 94% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at Massachusetts College of Liberal ArtsLiving in Massachusetts, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts charges $12,436 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $21,381. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 18 miles awayBerkshire Community College in Pittsfield: tuition and fees $6,164 a year for Massachusetts residents.Students are 10% of residentsAbout the same as Massachusetts (8%). The Census counts anyone enrolled, including part-time and online students.
Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of North Adams

One private college within 5 miles, and one public college within 1.3 miles.

5 mi10 mi15 miWilliams CollegeMassachusetts College of Liberal ArtsNorth Adams
University or collegeCommunity college
Massachusetts College of Liberal ArtsUniversity or college · Public · 896 on campus · In North Adams90%admitted$16knet price56%graduate$48kearningsWilliams CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 2,168 on campus · 5 mi · Williamstown8%admitted$18knet price94%graduate$89kearnings

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 $30–48k, where North Adams’ median household income ($47,500) falls.

Williams College5 mi · Williamstown · sticker $84,860$-1,727a year
Massachusetts College of Liberal ArtsIn North Adams · sticker $26,026$10,762a 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 North Adams: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k$100k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Massachusetts College of Liberal ArtsWilliams College
Williams College94% graduate$89k earnings$13k typical debt
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts56% graduate$48k earnings$24k 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.

Majors

What students study in North Adams

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Health professions 15%Psychology 14%Business 12%Interdisciplinary 10%Computer science 8%Visual & performing arts 7%Everything else 34%

Biggest programs

Business Administration, Management and Operations31 graduates a year
$54k4 yrs out
Psychology, General26 graduates a year
$50k4 yrs out
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other24 graduates a year
$47k4 yrs out
Sociology19 graduates a year
$44k4 yrs out
English Language and Literature, General17 graduates a year
$40k4 yrs out
Biology, General8 graduates a year
$53k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in North Adams

Is North Adams a college town?

No. About 10 of every 100 North Adams residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), about the same as Massachusetts (8). The largest campus in the city, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, has 896 students on campus.

What colleges are in North Adams?

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts is inside the city. Williams College is 5 miles from the center, in Williamstown, and Berkshire Community College is 18 miles away in Pittsfield.

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

Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield, 18 miles away. Tuition and fees are $6,164 a year for Massachusetts residents; the federal net price, $9,921, counts housing and food at full cost.

How much does Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts cost if we live in Massachusetts?

Tuition and fees are $12,436 a year in-state and $21,381 from out of state. After grants, families on federal aid paid an average of $9,845 (under $30,000 income) to $22,698 (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 North Adams. 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 →