Massachusetts Bay Community College

Yes, this community college has more than 10 fully online certificate and degree programs. In addition, as mentioned, all of MassBay’s associate degree programs are offered 100% online. Regarding MassBay's distance education status, 85% of its undergraduates are solely enrolled in online courses. 

For prospective students interested in an online associate degree, MassBay’s credibility and rankings show that the community college may be a good choice. For example, MassBay ranks #1 in 2023 as the best online community colleges in Massachusetts. It also ranks in the top 10 for OnlineU's list of the best online community colleges and online associate degrees in 2023. 

Yes, online degrees awarded by MassBay are respected by employers as long as the rewarding school has accreditation. This status is given to colleges and universities that have met the educational requirements to award undergraduate and graduate degrees. MassBay is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), a voluntary, non-governmental membership accreditor recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education.

At OnlineU, we only include accredited online colleges and universities on our site. 

MassBay is a two-year college known for its high-tech programs and Corporate Partnerships & Workforce Development.

Innovative Tech Opportunities for Students

MassBay involves itself in social justice by creating affordable and quality opportunities for its traditional and online students. Through its MassBay Foundation, MassBay offers two high-tech programs to help students successfully transition into the Massachusetts workforce. MassBay has the Center for Cybersecurity and MassBay Center for Therapeutics and Genomics Training on its campus. 

Corporate Partnerships & Workforce Development (CPWD)

MassBay’s Office of CPWD involves coursework, training, certifications, and programs that help students prepare to enter the workforce. Traditional and online students have access to various resources that ensure they meet their educational and professional goals at MassBay. Online students can take online or hybrid professional development courses. 

According to federal data from College Scorecard, MassBay's top associate degree that provides the highest median earnings for graduates are liberal arts and sciences, general studies, and humanities at ~$36,000. The second highest earning degree is criminal justice and corrections, which earns graduates ~$31,200. 

Within these majors, prospective online students can pursue several related degrees, like an Associate of Science in Criminal Justice and an Associate of Arts in Communications. 

College Scorecard also shows that MassBay accepts 100% of applicants. MassBay has an open admissions policy, which means the community college accepts all students who apply to their programs. Unfortunately, there isn’t any data available on the typical ACT or SAT scores of applicants admitted into MassBay. 

To be considered for admission at MassBay, applicants must determine the type of student they’ll be. There are different types of admissions at MassBay, which include (1) new student, (2) current or teturning MassBay student, (3) transfer, (4) international, (5) dual enrollment, and (6) students just taking one or two classes for college credit.

Here’s a look at the admissions checklist for applying to MassBay:

Proof of high school graduation

• An online application
• Official high school or college transcripts, with a minimum high school GPA of 2.7 preferred
• Additional documents for the secondary selective admissions process for Health Sciences and Automotive Technology programs
• Placement requirements

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Applicants who experience difficulties completing the application process online can contact MassBay’s admissions office for support.