MCPHS Earns Forbes Highest Financial Grade

A+ financial grade reflects the University's stability and positions it among the nation's strongest private colleges.

Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) has earned an A+ financial grade and a 4.5 financial GPA in Forbes magazine's 2026 Annual College Financial Grades, placing the University among the nation's strongest private institutions in financial health.

Among the 44 Massachusetts private colleges and universities evaluated by Forbes, MCPHS was one of 11 institutions to receive the publication's highest financial grade. The University joins Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston College, Amherst College, and Williams College among the state’s A+ recipients.

The recognition reflects the University's long-term financial stability at a time when many private colleges are facing mounting fiscal challenges. Forbes evaluated 928 private, nonprofit institutions with enrollments of more than 500 full-time students, assessing operational performance, balance sheet strength, and institutional liquidity using data from the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics, higher education analytics, and liquidity metrics developed by Perspective Data Science.

Nationally, the report found a growing gap between financially strong institutions and those struggling to remain viable. Nearly half of the colleges evaluated received a grade of C or lower, while more than one-quarter earned the publication's lowest grade of D.

The Forbes recognition adds to a series of recent national accolades for MCPHS. The University was ranked No. 5 in the nation for return on investment (ROI) by Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce. MCPHS also ranked No. 2 among Massachusetts' safest college campuses in Niche's 2026 college safety rankings.

According to Forbes, the outlook for much of higher education remains uncertain as colleges contend with declining numbers of high school graduates, reduced international student enrollment, inflation-driven affordability concerns, and changing workforce demands. The publication noted that these pressures have left many institutions facing significant fiscal strain, making strong financial performance increasingly rare among private colleges.

MCPHS's A+ rating places the University among a select group of institutions that Forbes identified as being in a good position to navigate the changing higher education landscape while investing in students, academic programs, and campus growth.

For MCPHS, that financial strength has translated into a series of strategic investments over the past two years. In spring 2024, MCPHS grew its Worcester footprint with the acquisition of three downtown buildings and also expanded into additional space at One Palace Road on the Simmons University campus in Boston. The University launched a new Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences through its School of Professional Studies, launched the Hybrid Online PharmD and the Post Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate programs, opened a treatment center for the New England School of Acupuncture on the Boston campus, and transformed the third floor of the Matricaria building into a 6,000-square-foot home for the Career Development Center and the Center for Academic Success and Enrichment.

MCPHS has also strengthened academic partnerships, including a new agreement with Worcester Polytechnic Institute that expands accelerated degree pathways.