President Lynn Perry Wooten | Simmons University
President Lynn Perry Wooten | Simmons University
Of the 29 institutions in the county, 15 provided detailed enrollment data at the time, including Fisher College, The New England Conservatory of Music and Emmanuel College.
At least 248,221 people applied to Suffolk County colleges in the 2022-23 school year.
NCES data shows that among them, around 149,846 students enrolled in the universities, including 93,354 in undergraduate and 56,492 in graduate programs. Only 3.8% of undergraduates transferred from another college or university.
The reported undergraduate student body is comprised mostly of white (36.8%) and Hispanic (14.7%) students.
Among the institutions that provided disclosed enrollment data, Boston University stood out with the largest enrollment at the time, welcoming 36,714 students.
U.S. college enrollment has been in a downward trend since peaking at around 18.1 million students in 2010. Recent increases offered some relief, but experts project a steeper decline in 2025.
This decline is likely due to two main factors. First, the pool of young adults is shrinking as birth rates have fallen nearly 23% between 2007 and 2022. Second, the rising cost of higher education, including skyrocketing student loan debt. A 2023 Wall Street Journal report shows that more than half of Americans think a four-year degree is not worth the cost.
NCES shows that enrollment data was not available for two institutions in Suffolk County, including New England Law-Boston and New England College of Optometry.
Some educational data is based on estimates. Shifting demographics among student populations can sometimes result in gender totals which do not equal 100%.
| Institution | # of Applicants | # of Admitted Students | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Bennet Street School | -- | -- | 152 |
| The New England Conservatory of Music | 815 | 310 | 796 |
| New England College of Optometry | -- | -- | -- |
| Simmons University | 4,001 | 3,041 | 5,710 |
| Suffolk University | 9,699 | 8,438 | 6,734 |
| Roxbury Community College | -- | -- | 1,214 |
| University of Massachusetts-Boston | 19,512 | 15,805 | 15,586 |
| Jupiter Beauty Academy | -- | -- | 248 |
| Empire Beauty School-Boston | -- | -- | 66 |
| New England Law-Boston | -- | -- | -- |
| Saint John's Seminary | -- | -- | 103 |
| Bunker Hill Community College | -- | -- | 8,439 |
| Wentworth Institute of Technology | 5,537 | 5,094 | 3,920 |
| Hellenic College-Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology | 38 | 22 | 131 |
| MGH Institute of Health Professions | -- | -- | 1,353 |
| Fisher College | 3,333 | 2,466 | 1,421 |
| Urban College of Boston | -- | -- | 596 |
| Berklee College of Music | 7,286 | 3,934 | 8,282 |
| Boston Architectural College | -- | -- | 747 |
| Boston Baptist College | 13 | 13 | 43 |
| Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology | -- | -- | 513 |
| Boston University | 80,796 | 11,311 | 36,714 |
| Cambridge College | -- | -- | 2,135 |
| Massachusetts College of Art and Design | 2,598 | 2,052 | 1,939 |
| Northeastern University | 91,000 | 6,370 | 30,013 |
| Emerson College | 12,109 | 5,207 | 5,891 |
| Emmanuel College | 5,786 | 4,629 | 2,012 |
| MCPHS University | 5,698 | 5,014 | 6,824 |
| Northeastern University Professional Programs | -- | -- | 8,264 |
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