Overall Enrollment

The total undergraduate and graduate enrollment of students attending independent colleges and universities in Massachusetts is nearly 250,000.

The total enrollment in public and private colleges and universities in Massachusetts is approximately 347,000 students, with classifications as follows:

221,143 4-yr. independent (64%)
73,722 4-yr. public (21%)
51,792 community colleges (15%)
Source: USDOE

Massachusetts is the only state in the nation that educates more college students in the independent sector than in the public sector.

55% of students at independent colleges and universities in Massachusetts are residents of the Commonwealth.
Source: Nellie Mae, “Higher Ed Matters,” October 25, 2005.

Minority Enrollment

On average, the percentage of minority students enrolled in independent colleges and universities in Massachusetts represents 24% of the student enrollment. That same figure for 4-year public colleges and universities is 15%.
Source: USDOE

Degrees

The independent colleges and universities in Massachusetts graduate a large proportion of students majoring in disciplines critical to the economy – e.g., 73% of the chemistry majors; 74%, biology; 74%, computer science; 88% math, 53% nursing.)
Source: USDOE

Appropriations

The FY08 appropriation in the Massachusetts State Budget for higher education is $1.05B. This represents 4% of the total state budget of approximately $26.8B.

Many other states, such as North Carolina (11%) have double-digit expenditures for higher education in their state budgets.

The presence of the independent colleges and universities in Massachusetts allows the Commonwealth to spend far less public money on higher education, perhaps as much as $2 billion annually.
Source: State Budget Offices

Tuition and Institutional Aid

The average tuition and fees at AICUM member institutions for 2005-06 is $23,762. Institutional aid – i.e., financial aid provided to students by the colleges themselves – is more than $275 million annually to Massachusetts residents attending AICUM institutions.
Source: AICUM Members

State and Federal Financial Aid

Last year over 25,000 students attending independent colleges and universities in Massachusetts received Federal Pell Grants, an entitlement to students with the greatest financial aid need with a range of award from $400 - $4,050.

For FY2006 the Massachusetts state appropriation for the Gilbert Grant program for Massachusetts residents attending independent colleges and universities in the Commonwealth was $18.9M. There are just under 10,000 recipients annually of Gilbert Grants with an average award of $1,900 and total award value ranging from $200-$2,500.

The Massachusetts FY05 state appropriation for MassGrants, awarded to needy student attending public, private, and non-profit institutions was $24M. Approximately 9,165 recipients of MassGrants attend independent colleges and universities with an average grant of about $1,380.
Source: Massachusetts Office of Student Financial Assistance