Massachusetts Higher Education Enjoys Enrollment Boost from State Financial Incentives

Massachusetts has made gains in making a post-secondary degree affordable for students across the commonwealth.

The Healey-Driscoll administration has announced that preliminary data from this fall indicate that the number of students attending Massachusetts' public colleges and universities has returned to pre-pandemic levels.

According to a Sentinel & Enterprise report, the undergraduate student headcount at the state's system of 29 public two- and four-year colleges and universities has grown 5.7% since fall 2024, reaching approximately 175,000 students. Community college enrollment growth is up 11.4% over last fall.

As the Sentinel & Enterprise noted, the launch of the MassReconnect program in the fall of 2023 enabled students 25 and older to attend community college for free. MassEducate, included in the state's fiscal 2025 budget, offered free community college to everyone, regardless of income level.

Since fall 2022, community college enrollment in Massachusetts has grown by 38.5%, an increase of 23,977 students, to a total of 86,321 students in fall 2025.

Compared with last year's numbers, undergraduate enrollment across Massachusetts' nine state universities remained consistent. Enrollment across the four University of Massachusetts undergraduate campuses rose by 0.8%.

Fueling this enrollment increase, Massachusetts has also doubled state financial aid over the last several years. According to the Sentinel & Enterprise, the fiscal 2026 budget allocated nearly $400 million to these programs. Due to these investments, eligible Pell Grant recipients in Massachusetts now receive free tuition and fees at all public two- and four-year colleges and universities.

“… A college degree opens the door to greater earnings for graduates throughout their lifetimes, while ensuring that our employers have highly-skilled talent to fill in-demand positions,” said Gov. Maura Healey in a media statement. “I'm grateful for the partnership of the Legislature as we work together to make Massachusetts more affordable and the best place to live, learn, work, and build a future.”