Fitchburg State University Rankings & Recognition

Fitchburg State University appears in 8 of CollegesRef's value rankings by major. Its best placement is #52 of 379 for criminal justice, and #5 of 16 ranked colleges in Massachusetts.

Fitchburg State University rankings by major

Source: CollegesRef value rankings from U.S. College Scorecard data, 2025

Each ranking compares bachelor's programs in one field. A college's value score is the weighted average of four percentiles among the ranked colleges: graduate earnings, average net price, debt compared with earnings, and graduation rate. Percentiles here are 100 for the best figure in the field. How the rankings work

Criminal justice

Ranked #52 of 379 for value

Criminal Justice and Corrections · 54 graduates

Earnings 4 yrs after: $62,396; Ranked-college median: $55,481
Median debt: $22,250; Ranked-college median: $21,500

Value score 69.9 of 100 · #5 of 16 in Massachusetts

Graduate earnings · 40% of score: 85th percentile
Average net price (lower is better) · 25% of score: 65th percentile
Debt compared with earnings (lower is better) · 20% of score: 58th percentile
Graduation rate · 15% of score: 54th percentile

Average net price $13,803 (median $16,222) · graduation rate 52.8% · debt is 36% of earnings

Ranked just above: Saint Peter's University (#51)
Ranked just below: Nova Southeastern University (#53)

Best colleges for criminal justice

Kinesiology and exercise science

Ranked #95 of 459 for value

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness · 25 graduates

Earnings 4 yrs after: $60,768; Ranked-college median: $53,707
Median debt: $24,250; Ranked-college median: $21,500

Value score 67.4 of 100 · #3 of 12 in Massachusetts

Graduate earnings · 40% of score: 82th percentile
Average net price (lower is better) · 25% of score: 75th percentile
Debt compared with earnings (lower is better) · 20% of score: 49th percentile
Graduation rate · 15% of score: 40th percentile

Average net price $13,803 (median $18,314) · graduation rate 52.8% · debt is 40% of earnings

Ranked just above: The University of Tennessee-Knoxville (#94)
Ranked just below: Appalachian State University (#96)

Best colleges for kinesiology and exercise science

Biology

Ranked #99 of 680 for value

Biology, General · 35 graduates

Earnings 4 yrs after: $65,991; Ranked-college median: $58,001
Median debt: $20,165; Ranked-college median: $20,717

Value score 69.9 of 100 · #9 of 29 in Massachusetts

Graduate earnings · 40% of score: 80th percentile
Average net price (lower is better) · 25% of score: 74th percentile
Debt compared with earnings (lower is better) · 20% of score: 73th percentile
Graduation rate · 15% of score: 31th percentile

Average net price $13,803 (median $18,049) · graduation rate 52.8% · debt is 31% of earnings

Ranked just above: SUNY College at Geneseo (#98)
Ranked just below: Loyola Marymount University (#100)

Best colleges for biology

Nursing

Ranked #105 of 686 for value

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · 137 graduates

Earnings 4 yrs after: $92,187; Ranked-college median: $85,171
Median debt: $19,224; Ranked-college median: $20,938

Value score 67.9 of 100 · #4 of 17 in Massachusetts

Graduate earnings · 40% of score: 73th percentile
Average net price (lower is better) · 25% of score: 72th percentile
Debt compared with earnings (lower is better) · 20% of score: 71th percentile
Graduation rate · 15% of score: 43th percentile

Average net price $13,803 (median $18,014) · graduation rate 52.8% · debt is 21% of earnings

Ranked just above: Alcorn State University (#104)
Ranked just below: Long Island University (#106)

Best colleges for nursing

Education

Ranked #261 of 521 for value

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods · 26 graduates

Earnings 4 yrs after: $46,696; Ranked-college median: $48,822
Median debt: $20,500; Ranked-college median: $21,500

Value score 49.5 of 100 · #10 of 14 in Massachusetts

Graduate earnings · 40% of score: 38th percentile
Average net price (lower is better) · 25% of score: 71th percentile
Debt compared with earnings (lower is better) · 20% of score: 53th percentile
Graduation rate · 15% of score: 41th percentile

Average net price $13,803 (median $17,201) · graduation rate 52.8% · debt is 44% of earnings

Ranked just above: Cornerstone University (#260)
Ranked just below: University of Central Arkansas (#262)

Best colleges for education

Communications

Ranked #335 of 388 for value

Communication and Media Studies · 55 graduates

Earnings 4 yrs after: $46,129; Ranked-college median: $56,130
Median debt: $25,000; Ranked-college median: $19,593

Value score 29 of 100 · #15 of 17 in Massachusetts

Graduate earnings · 40% of score: 12th percentile
Average net price (lower is better) · 25% of score: 72th percentile
Debt compared with earnings (lower is better) · 20% of score: 7th percentile
Graduation rate · 15% of score: 31th percentile

Average net price $13,803 (median $17,285) · graduation rate 52.8% · debt is 54% of earnings

Ranked just above: East Tennessee State University (#334)
Ranked just below: University of Hawaii at Hilo (#336)

Best colleges for communications

Business

Ranked #364 of 986 for value

Business Administration, Management and Operations · 89 graduates

Earnings 4 yrs after: $64,528; Ranked-college median: $64,860
Median debt: $19,519; Ranked-college median: $21,375

Value score 56.6 of 100 · #17 of 32 in Massachusetts

Graduate earnings · 40% of score: 48th percentile
Average net price (lower is better) · 25% of score: 74th percentile
Debt compared with earnings (lower is better) · 20% of score: 61th percentile
Graduation rate · 15% of score: 45th percentile

Average net price $13,803 (median $19,132) · graduation rate 52.8% · debt is 30% of earnings

Ranked just above: University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (#363)
Ranked just below: Georgia College & State University (#365)

Best colleges for business

Psychology

Ranked #438 of 814 for value

Psychology, General · 48 graduates

Earnings 4 yrs after: $50,046; Ranked-college median: $51,007
Median debt: $23,625; Ranked-college median: $21,000

Value score 48.2 of 100 · #27 of 35 in Massachusetts

Graduate earnings · 40% of score: 45th percentile
Average net price (lower is better) · 25% of score: 76th percentile
Debt compared with earnings (lower is better) · 20% of score: 30th percentile
Graduation rate · 15% of score: 35th percentile

Average net price $13,803 (median $18,874) · graduation rate 52.8% · debt is 47% of earnings