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Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts

Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, also referred to as MCLA, was originally established as the North Adams Normal School in 1894. It became the State Teachers College of North Adams in 1932. The name was changed again to North Adams State College in 1960, and finally in 1997, it was christened the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. The 105-acres campus of MCLA is situated in North Adams, Massachusetts.

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts offers bachelor’s degrees in arts and science, and master’s degrees in education. Certificate programs of study in educational leadership, and teacher licensure programs are also available.

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts’ department of athletics fields men’s and women’s teams in basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, tennis, volleyball, and golf. The teams are nicknamed the Trailblazers, and they compete in the NCAA Division III, the ECAC, and the MASCAC.

Overview of Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts

Students attend Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts in North Adams, MA, a town not far from a more urbanized area. The school is a public institution. Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts degrees go up to the Post-Master's certificate.

Areas of Study

The school is known for its programs in art studies, liberal arts, and conservation and resource management.

Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts Selectivity

Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts is selective and does not offer open admission. Three quarters of students in 2007 had SAT verbal scores of at least 440. Half of math SAT scores of accepted students fell between 430 and 550.

Faculty

Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts has a tenure system for senior faculty. The full-time faculty at the school is well-paid, which often goes with faculty quality.

Student Body

There are 1,841 students at Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts (as of 2007).

Student Life

The school offers dorm rooms to a higher percentage of its students than do most colleges. Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts offers students meal plans. The school values student athletics, and belongs to the Massachusetts State College Athletic Association.

The school reports its educational mission is:
"Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts is a public, residential, liberal arts college, which offers both undergraduate and graduate programs. Its distinctive purpose is to provide a high quality alternative to private liberal arts institutions at a lower cost. Special features include selective admission, small classes, individualized attention, and academic excellence in an attractive college setting. A challenging curriculum provides flexibility for motivated students to shape their own course of study and encourages them to combine traditional coursework with experiential learning, such as internships, study abroad, and other field experiences. Working with a diverse student body in an intellectually challenging environment, MCLA faculty and staff develop liberally educated citizens with the knowledge, perspectives, critical thinking abilities, and values necessary to become active members of their communities and leaders in their chosen professions. To accomplish this mission, we seek to develop curricula that integrate liberal arts and professional studies; affirm the value of excellent teaching and reward scholarly and creative activity; expand opportunities for experiential learning to include field experiences, community service, international programs and independent studies; create a campus community that fosters intellectual, cultural, social and recreational activities that enrich education and where the value and worth of all people are affirmed and celebrated; achieve greater diversity within our faculty, administration, staff, and student body; challenge students to succeed and support them in their efforts; and extend our cultural and educational resources to enhance the quality of life in the Berkshires."

More complete details are provided below.

Contacting Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts

Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts
375 Church St
North Adams, MA 01247-4100
General Phone: (413) 662-5000
http://www.mcla.edu

Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts Programs and Degrees (2007)

General CategoryDegreesMost Common Majors [see all]
Liberal Arts152English, sociology, history, interdisciplinary studies
Business And Management45business management
Education And Teaching41education
Art Studies32visual and performing arts, arts management
Therapy And Counseling26psychology
Science15biology
Conservation And Resource Management8environmental studies
Computer Science And Engineering6computer and info science
Mathematics3mathematics
Religion And Philosophy3philosophy

Number of programs and degrees for Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts in 2007:

Degree LevelTotal
Awarded
Number of
Programs
Bachelor's degree30314
Master's degree271
Post-master's certificate11

Student Body

In 2007, Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts had a total enrollment of 1,841 students (1,548 full-time equivalent).

Students in the Freshman Class:

GroupPercent
Men41%
Women59%
Full-Time98%
Part-Time2%

Students By Class:

GroupPercent
Undergraduate65%
Graduate35%

Racial Diversity:
RacePercent
White92%
Black3%
Hispanic3%
Asian1%
American Indian0%
Unknown1%
(Foreign Students)0%

Students by Age:

AgePercent
Under 181%
18-1931%
20-2125%
22-2413%
25-298%
30-346%
35-395%
40-497%
50-644%
65+0%

Incoming (Freshman) Students by Place of Residence:
(From available data sampling)

ResidencePercent
Massachusetts70%
New York20%
Vermont4%
Connecticut3%
Rhode Island1%

Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts Graduation, Retention, and Transfers

Retention Rates (2007):

GroupReturning From
Previous Year
Full-Time71 %
Part-Time80 %

Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts Room and Board (2007)

Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts offers campus housing for 867 of its 1,548 (full-time) students. Freshmen are required to live on campus.

(Please refer to our profile of North Adams, Massachusetts for details about the area surrounding the campus. Also see our list of other Massachusetts Colleges).

The school offers students a meal plan with 9 meals per week.

Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts Admissions and Selectivity (2007)

Acceptances:

GroupApplicantsAcceptedPercent
Accepted
EnrolledPercent of
Accepted Enrolled
Total1,24889271%30434%
Men52236770%12534%
Women72652572%17934%

Standardized Test Scores:

Test25th Percentile75th Percetile
SAT Verbal440570
SAT Math430550
ACT Composite2024

Application Requirements:

ItemRequirement
GPArequired
Class Ranknot required
High School Recordrequired
College Prep Programrequired
Recommendationsnot required
Formal Demonstration of Competencenot required
Standardized Tests (SAT and/or ACT)required
Percent of Applicants Submitting SAT95%
Percent of Applicants Submitting ACT5%
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)not required

Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts Expenses and Financial Aid (2007)

Expenses and Financial Aid:

ExpenseAmount
In-state tuition and fees$ 6,168
Out-of-state tuition and fees$ 15,113
Room and board$ 7,004
Room charge$ 3,698
Board (meal plan) charge$ 3,306
Books and supplies$ 800
Other expenses$ 1,856

Financial Aid:
Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts participates in Federal Title IV financial aid programs. (The school's OPE ID is 218700)

Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts Faculty

Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts has a tenure system for faculty.

Tenure Status of Faculty (2007):

Full-Time Faculty LevelMenWomen
Tenured3823
Non-tenured, but on tenure track911
Non-tenured and not on tenure track03

Salaries for full-time faculty:

Full-Time Faculty (2007):

Full-Time Faculty LevelContract LengthNumber MenAvg Salary MenNumber WomenAvg Salary Women
Professoracademic year30$79,80815$73,845
Associate professoracademic year7$65,6586$60,464
Assistant professoracademic year10$54,27413$52,981
Instructoracademic year0*3$42,974
All faculty totalacademic year47$72,26837$61,842

*: salaries are not displayed where there are fewer than 3 professors in the category.

Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts Athletics

Athletic Conferences:

SportConference
BasketballMassachusetts State College Athletic Association
BaseballMassachusetts State College Athletic Association
TrackMassachusetts State College Athletic Association

Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts Degree Programs (2007)

ART STUDIES
Arts Management
Visual and Performing Arts, General

BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT
Business Administration and Management, General

COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
Computer and Information Sciences, General

CONSERVATION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Studies

EDUCATION AND TEACHING
Education, General

LIBERAL ARTS
English Language and Literature, General
History, General
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
Sociology

MATHEMATICS
Mathematics, General

RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY
Philosophy

SCIENCE
Biology/Biological Sciences, General

THERAPY AND COUNSELING
Psychology, General

Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts Highlights

(Details are provided further down on this page.)

What Sets Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts Apart:

CategoryTrophy 
% of degrees in art studies
(vs. all colleges)
Top 2%Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts % of degrees in art studies
Lowest tuition & fees (in-state)
(for colleges of its size and type)
Top 8%Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts Lowest tuition & fees (in-state)
Dorm rooms per full-time student
(vs. all colleges)
Top 10%Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts Dorm rooms per full-time student
Number of degree programs
(vs. colleges of similar size)
Top 11%Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts Number of degree programs
% of degrees in liberal arts
(vs. all colleges)
Top 14%Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts % of degrees in liberal arts
Salaries of full-time faculty
(vs. all colleges)
Top 17%Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts Salaries of full-time faculty
% of degrees in conservation and resource management
(vs. all colleges)
Top 18%Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts % of degrees in conservation and resource management
Explanation of the Highlights categories

Notable:
Accepts some high school credits
Offers credit for life experience
Grants credits for AP courses
Offers distance learning
Career counseling
Career services
Student employment services
Remedial classes for students
Offers remedial adult education
Option to study abroad
Offers part-time study
On-campus library
Offers campus housing
Offers a board (meal) plan
Tenure system for quality teaching
NCAA athletic conference member

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