Montserrat College of Art

Key Highlights

• Independent private nonprofit art college formed in 1970
• NECHE member authorized to award bachelor's degrees
• Specialized undergraduate focus on visual art and design
• NECHE Institutional Resources notation remains an important due-diligence point

Student Life & Environment

Student life is organized around a small, arts-focused community whose classrooms, studios, galleries, services, and residences are spread through downtown Beverly. College housing uses furnished apartments rather than conventional corridor-style dormitories. Most apartments house four to eight students in double- or triple-occupancy rooms and include a shared living area, full kitchen, and bathroom. Live-in Campus Life staff and resident assistants provide support. Because residents have kitchens, prospective students should plan explicitly for food shopping and cooking rather than assume a conventional residential meal-plan experience. Students can participate in or propose student-run organizations. The current campus-life material describes student government, a Campus Activities Board, and groups connected to animation, comics, books, games, LGBTQIA+ community, anime, tabletop interests, and other student-created activities. Programming can include gallery openings, artist talks, museum trips, open-mic events, film screenings, workshops, and wellness activities; the roster may change as student interests change. The Wellness Center provides health consultations and counseling support during the academic year. The college also lists individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, referrals, and access to Uwill's round-the-clock emotional-support line and teletherapy resources. Academic advising, accessibility support, writing assistance, campus security, and career services add practical support. Students considering housing should confirm availability and placement deadlines early: preferences are not guaranteed, and only a very limited number of single rooms are reserved for approved medical accommodations.

Location & Surroundings

Montserrat's main address is 23 Essex Street in downtown Beverly, a coastal city on Massachusetts' North Shore. The campus is not a single enclosed quadrangle: teaching spaces, studios, galleries, administrative offices, and residence buildings occupy multiple downtown properties. That layout places students close to local shops, cafés, services, and the waterfront while making walking between buildings part of everyday campus life. Beverly Depot station is a short walk from the college. It is served by the MBTA Newburyport and Rockport commuter-rail lines, and the college estimates the trip to Boston's North Station at about 30 minutes. This connection can broaden access to museums, galleries, internships, events, and transportation links in Boston, though students should check current MBTA schedules and fares rather than treat the journey like urban rapid transit. The downtown setting also affects practical planning. College residences are within walking distance of studios, but students living off campus should compare rent, commuting, and parking carefully. Visitor parking exists at designated college locations, while street and metered parking are also used. For a prospective art student, the location offers a combination of a smaller coastal-city environment, a local creative community, and reachable Boston cultural resources without placing the college itself in central Boston.

Costs & Career Outcomes

For 2026–27, Montserrat lists full-time tuition of $42,595 and a general fee of $1,855 for 12–18 credits. These figures replace, but do not alter, the older fixed tuition value stored in the supplied database record. Published annual housing charges are $14,075 for a double, $18,455 for a single, and $11,930 for a triple. Health insurance is listed at $2,738; qualifying domestic students with comparable coverage may seek a waiver, while the college states that its plan is required without exception for international students. New-student charges include a $230 orientation fee and a $1,170 art-supply starter kit. A $250 tuition deposit, $275 nonrefundable housing deposit, and refundable $300 housing-damage deposit may also apply. Food is not included in the housing figures. The college's planning estimates list $2,050 for meals, $3,460 for books and supplies, $2,350 for transportation, and $2,350 for miscellaneous costs, but actual spending can differ. Applicants should use the net-price calculator and their aid offer rather than compare tuition alone. Montserrat automatically considers admission applicants for institutional merit scholarships. Need-based federal, state, and institutional aid generally requires the FAFSA; the college's preferred FAFSA filing date is March 1, with later files reviewed as funds remain. Career preparation is integrated into the arts curriculum. The Career Design Studio offers individual coaching, résumé and portfolio help, internship support, mentorship, workshops, entrepreneurial guidance, and access to the MontserratWorks opportunity board. A required internship forms part of the professional experience. For the incoming class beginning in 2026, the college says its Creative Employment Initiative will provide every student with paid, career-focused work while enrolled. Students should confirm eligibility, hours, pay, placement, and continuation terms in their individual offer rather than subtract anticipated earnings from billed costs in advance.