At MCLA, we’re here for all — and focused on all of our students. In every way possible, the experience at MCLA is designed to elevate our students as individuals, leaders, and communicators, fully empowered to make their impressions on the world.
Located in the Berkshires, our area is known for its mountain ranges, hiking trails,
and panoramic views. Our home town of North Adams is brimming with young, creative
energy and the regional economy is booming as a result.
MCLA has appeared on U.S. News & World Report’s list of Top Ten Public Colleges for 10 consecutive years, earning the No. 6 spot on the list of Top Public Liberal Arts Schools in the nation for 2025, after earning the No. 7 spot the prior three years.
Our classes are taught by educators who care deeply about teaching and about seeing their students thrive on every level; personally, academically, and professionally. We engage in the most relevant conversations of our time by bringing the most celebrated thinkers and speakers to campus through nationally known public lectures hosted by MCLA.
MCLA graduates excel in their careers, many advancing rapidly to earn competitive
salaries in exciting fields, stemming in part from the professional opportunities
available to them, such as internships in major cities, leadership programs that span
the globe, and undergraduate research projects. Nearly 93% of our graduates land jobs
or get accepted into some of the finest grad schools in the country.
Here for all — and focused on each — of our students, MCLA makes a lasting impression on people’s lives.
Wish you were here? We do, too. Here’s how to schedule a campus visit.
MCLA is in North Adams, Mass., a little city in the midst of an economic resurgence. Home to incredible museums (MCLA students have interned at every single one), majestic mountain ranges, hiking trails, and some of the nation’s most notable cultural landmarks, MCLA is an incredible place to spend your college years.
Our student guides give daily tours, and we hold lots of Open House and Preview Day events. Click here to request more info, schedule a tour, and learn more about the admission process.
MCLA offers more than 80 academic programs—check them out here. Many students double-major, or choose minors and concentrations outside their primary area of study.
You’ll begin your studies with an interdisciplinary core curriculum designed to challenge you. Exposing you to a variety of subjects will help you develop a more complex way of thinking—which will prepare you to solve more complex problems. And it’s OK if you’re still figuring it out. Our Center for Student Success and Engagement will help with academic advising while you’re exploring majors, minors, and concentrations.
This must all cost a fortune, right? Nope. Unlike many small colleges, MCLA is a public institution, so we’re committed to providing a top tier education with many hands-on learning opportunities at an affordable cost. We do it so well that the U.S. Department of Education now calls us one of 26 U.S. colleges “with low tuition costs and high salaries for graduates.” Learn about the cost of attendance here.
Approximately 85 percent of our students receive some type of financial assistance, and MCLA offers more than 100 scholarships for qualifying students. Learn about financial aid opportunities here.
Living at MCLA means soaking up picturesque views of the Berkshire mountains every time you walk to class. Students live in one of our three residence areas: Hoosac Hall, Berkshire Towers, or Flagg Townhouse Apartment Complex.
First-year students live on campus and participate in a college meal plan for three years. Campus housing is guaranteed for four years. Learn more about our residence areas here.
MCLA students can study abroad in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Pacific, or the Americas and fully immerse themselves in another culture.
For a shorter experience away from home, take a Travel Course, an academic experience that takes place partially on campus and includes travel to another country.
Or, spend a semester in another state or U.S. territory through the National Student Exchange Program.
At MCLA, our core mission is preparing you for personal and professional growth and success. That’s why we combine the academic core of a liberal arts education with so many ways to earn a degree. Whether in North Adams, or our newest location in Pittsfield, MCLA offers convenient seven-semester programs that let you complete your degree — once and for all — in just over two years.
If you’re looking to advance your career or learn some new skills, MCLA also offers graduate programs in education and business administration, as well as certificate programs in principles of accounting and network security.
Too many to count! (Although our Alumni Office keeps track.) The Berkshires are home to some powerful economic development drivers, like global aerospace and defense company General Dynamics, paper manufacturer Crane & Co, and Zogics, a manufacturer of eco-friendly facility supplies. MCLA alumni and students work at all of them.
And many of our alumni go on to prestigious organizations outside the Berkshires, often in Boston and New York City. They hold positions as diverse as manager of a traveling theater company to software developer at an athletics apparel company. We’re proud that 93% of MCLA students are employed or in grad school within a year of graduation.
