Catholic School CompassTrue north for Catholic families.
MCPHS University: Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences - Worcester, MA - DSC05770
Photo: Daderot, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.

College · Catholic life on campus

MCPHS University

  • LocationBoston, MA
  • Type and sizePrivate nonprofit · 4-year · 6,321 students
Official website

MCPHS University is not a Catholic college. This rating measures Catholic life on campus: campus ministry, priests, Mass and confession, student groups, and nearby parishes.

MCPHS's own student organization list includes a Catholic Student Association. The archdiocese's February 2025 list named the Catholic Center at 68 Saint Stephen Street (Northeastern) for the health-sciences colleges; that list predates the current and previous school years; the Center's Masses and programs are not credited to MCPHS until a current page confirms it.

Catholic churches nearby

Map of MCPHS University, its Catholic center and nearby Catholic churches0.5 mi1 mi2 miBasilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Hope: 0.3 mi1Saint Clement Eucharistic Shrine: 0.9 mi2Saint Marys Church of the Assumption Parish: 0.9 mi3BU Catholic Center: 1.0 mi4Saint Cecilia Parish: 1.0 mi5Saint Francis Chapel: 1.2 mi6MCPHS University (campus)N0.5 mi
CampusCatholic church (numbered below)Open a street map ›
  1. Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Hope — 0.3 mi · 1545 Tremont Street, Boston
  2. Saint Clement Eucharistic Shrine — 0.9 mi · 1105 Boylston Street, Boston
  3. Saint Marys Church of the Assumption Parish — 0.9 mi · 5 Linden Place
  4. BU Catholic Center — 1.0 mi
  5. Saint Cecilia Parish — 1.0 mi · 14-18;18 Belvidere Street, Boston
  6. Saint Francis Chapel — 1.2 mi · 800 Boylston Street, Boston

Within 3 miles, as mapped by OpenStreetMap contributors. The map may be incomplete. Confirm with the parish or diocese.

Catholic life scorecard

Each line is one thing we looked for. A check means yes, a half means partly, a dash means no. “Not enough information” means official sources did not say.

N/ACatholic life on campus: Not enough information. Official sources do not cover enough of this to grade it yet.

Catholic life on campus

Not enough information: official sources cover less than 60% of this area.

  • Yes: Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Catholic campus ministry serving this campus (Catholic center, campus ministry, or chaplaincy)Yes (The university's student organization directory lists a Catholic Student Association.)
    Sources (1)
    1. Boston Student Organizations | MCPHSmcphs.edu/student-life/boston/campus-life/student-organizations · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Catholic Student Association”
      The Boston student organization list on MCPHS's own website includes a Catholic Student Association.
  • Not enough information: Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Dedicated Catholic center or chapel on or next to campusNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Priest chaplain assigned to campus ministryNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Weekday Mass at the campus ministryNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Sunday Mass at the campus ministry or a campus chapelNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Scheduled confession at the campus ministryNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Partly: Partly: the school meets some of this item and earns part of the points.
    Catholic student groups and missionary outreach (e.g., FOCUS, Saint Paul's Outreach, Knights of Columbus, Bible studies)One (One Catholic student group is listed on MCPHS Boston's student organization directory: the Catholic Student Association.)
    Sources (1)
    1. Boston Student Organizations | MCPHSmcphs.edu/student-life/boston/campus-life/student-organizations · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Catholic Student Association”
      The Boston student organization list on MCPHS's own website includes a Catholic Student Association.
  • Not enough information: Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Formation programs (retreats, OCIA/RCIA, service, small groups)Not enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Yes: Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Catholic church within walking distance (computed from OpenStreetMap)Within 1 mile of campusComputed from OpenStreetMap church locations.
  • Not enough information: Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Published weekly schedule of Mass, confession, and adorationNot enough information: no verified Mass times are recorded.

Grades come from the documented indicators under the published rubric. “Not enough information” does not mean the school lacks it.

Strengths

None recorded.

Concerns

  • The Center's published Mass schedule lists one Sunday Mass and Mass on four weekdays.
    Sources (1)
    1. Mass and Confession Times | Catholic Centernucatholics.sites.northeastern.edu/mass-and-confession-times · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Sunday Mass: 11am at the Fenway Center (77 St. Stephen St) Daily Mass (TUES-FRI): 4:30pm at the Catholic Center 3rd Floor Chapel”
      The Catholic Center lists Sunday Mass at 11 AM at the Fenway Center and Tuesday through Friday Mass at 4:30 PM in its 3rd-floor chapel, during fall and spring semesters.
  • The chaplain is also listed for another college; his time is shared.
    Sources (1)
    1. Campus Ministers 2025 | Archdiocese of Bostonfiles.ecatholic.com/32494/documents/2025/2/CampusMinisters2025-Web.pdf?t=1739221308000 · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Health Sciences Fr. Michael Zimmerman Chaplain 68 Saint Stephen Street Boston MA 02115 617-373-8964 nucatholics.neu.edu”
      The Archdiocese of Boston's 2025 campus ministers list names Fr. Michael Zimmerman as chaplain for Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, at 68 Saint Stephen Street.

Know something we missed? Suggest a correction.

Catholic clubs and student life

1 groups and regular activities · 0 on campus, 0 off campus, 1 location not published

Clubs and groups 1

  • Catholic Student Association
    Catholic student group listed on MCPHS Boston's student organization directory.

Everything listed is published by the school, its campus ministry, or the parish. Ask the campus minister what’s happening this semester.

Catholic campus ministry

Sources (2)
  1. Campus Ministers 2025 | Archdiocese of Bostonfiles.ecatholic.com/32494/documents/2025/2/CampusMinisters2025-Web.pdf?t=1739221308000 · verified Oct. 12, 2026
    “Health Sciences Fr. Michael Zimmerman Chaplain 68 Saint Stephen Street Boston MA 02115 617-373-8964 nucatholics.neu.edu”
    The Archdiocese of Boston's 2025 campus ministers list names Fr. Michael Zimmerman as chaplain for Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, at 68 Saint Stephen Street.
  2. Contact | Catholic Centernucatholics.sites.northeastern.edu/contact · verified Oct. 12, 2026
    “The Catholic Center 68 Saint Stephen St. Boston, MA 02115”
    The Catholic Center's published address is 68 Saint Stephen St., Boston, MA 02115.

My rating and notes

Sign in or create a free account to rate this school privately, keep notes, and save it to your list.

Academic Excellence

BAcademic Excellence: Good (grade B): 70 to 100 points out of 100 on what official sources document. Grades need sources for at least 60% of the checklist.
74 of 100
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.62%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.74%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,269 · ACT 28
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.9 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$14,199

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

Cost and value

Federal data, shown separately. Cost, debt, and earnings are never part of any grade.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
3,477
Total students6,321
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$39,545
Cost of attendance (per year)$65,022
Median federal debt at graduation$25,000
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
62%
First-year retention74%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$125,557
Admission rate85%
Students receiving Pell grants30%
Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT1269
SAT reading & writing570–678
SAT math590–738
ACT composite26–30
Test policyConsidered but not required

Value index: 51 / 100 (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Local Church

Archdiocese of Boston

The Most Reverend Richard G. Henning, Archbishop of Boston

Formal address: “Your Excellency”

Source: usccb.org, verified Oct. 7, 2026.

Diocese determined from the county, using the diocese’s county list (Wikipedia). Confirm with the diocese.

About this school’s data

Questions families ask

Is MCPHS University a Catholic college?
No. MCPHS University is not a Catholic college. Catholic School Compass rates the Catholic life on its campus instead. Catholic students are served by the Catholic Center (Serving Colleges of Boston).

Reviews

Personal experiences from signed-in readers. Reviews are moderated automatically and never change a school’s grades.

No reviews yet.

Sign in to write a review.

More in Massachusetts · Massachusetts rankings