MassArt was founded in 1873 in response to a bold idea: art and design are essential to our daily lives, and key to improving our society and economy. What began as a school to teach drawing is today a bold, comprehensive art and design institution that spans 18 undergraduate and ten graduate degree programs, certificates, continuing education, and post-baccalaureate study.
Jan. 12, 2026
MassArt has received the 2026 Carnegie Classification for Extraordinary Commitment to Community Engagement, recognizing the College’s institution-wide commitment to partnering with communities and advancing the public good through art and design.
Learn MoreHere, we believe art and design can and should advance the common good. That belief powers ongoing programs like Compass and Thriving Classrooms, which aim to make life and learning at MassArt accessible and welcoming to all. It also inspires our community-engaged coursework and partnerships, which connect us and our work to communities across the Commonwealth. And it fuels our commitment to providing new learning opportunities for the next generation of talented, passionate, and determined students.
We are proud to have served as the state’s public college of art and design for a century and a half, and are excited to see where the next hundred years take our community.
Mission & Values
MassArt’s compact campus, located in the heart of Boston’s arts district, includes nearly a million square feet of classroom, studio, exhibition, and living spaces. Inside and outside the studio, students collaborate with faculty and peers to develop their skills, gain valuable experience, and create incredible work. They also take advantage of the many museums, galleries, and performance venues that are part of Boston’s arts and culture landscape.
Undergraduate Students: 1,682 / Graduate Students: 104 / Continuing Education Students: 153
Full Time: 120 & Part-Time/Adjunct: 182
Massachusetts: $15,860 / New England & New York: $35,740 / Out of State: $44,700
Our talented leadership team brings creativity, passion, and deep experience to the work of educating the next generation of art and design leaders.
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Celebrating artists, educators, and cultural leaders whose work shows how art and design transform civic life in Massachusetts and beyond.
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We’re challenging our whole community to understand that you’re also part of the JET Office. Everyone has a role to play in this work.
Lyssa Palu-Ay (MFA ’01), Dean of JET (Justice, Equity, and Transformation), works to move beyond institutional practices that can unintentionally marginalize BIPOC communities.
The campus of Massachusetts College of Art and Design is located on the lands of indigenous tribes, such as the Wampanoag and Massachusett. We make this land acknowledgement to pay respect to these communities — past, present, and future — and recognize the painful history of erasure and ongoing violence toward indigenous people in North America and across the world. We acknowledge this part of our history to affirm our values to pursue a more just, compassionate, and equitable learning environment.
