How Many Colleges and Universities Are in Boston?

The Boston metropolitan area is one of the world's densest hubs of higher education. As of recent counts, there are approximately 55 colleges and universities within the Greater Boston region (including Cambridge, Somerville, and surrounding cities).

This includes world-renowned research institutions like Harvard University and MIT (both in Cambridge), major private universities such as Boston University, Northeastern, Tufts, Boston College, Brandeis, and Suffolk, large public universities like UMass Boston, and specialized colleges including Emerson, Berklee College of Music, The New England Conservatory, MassArt, Wentworth Institute of Technology, and numerous community colleges (Bunker Hill, Roxbury, MassBay, etc.).

This concentration fuels the region's innovation economy, biotech cluster, and vibrant cultural scene, attracting over 250,000 students annually.