A report of the Executive Office for Administration and Finance (under Section 196 of Chapter 140 of the Acts of 2024) submitting the Higher Education Capital Working Group’s final legislative report

Executive Summary

Massachusetts is known for its excellent higher education system, which drives

innovation and strengthens our economy. Our public institutions of higher education are

a big part of this success, offering affordable, high-quality education and preparing

students for jobs that help our state grow. This year, we have seen remarkable

progress: thanks to historic investments in free community college, applications to

community colleges have surged, and enrollment has increased by double digits,

reversing more than a decade of declines. Public four-year colleges are also seeing

their first enrollment growth since 2013.

However, our public higher education system is facing significant capital challenges.

Much of the construction on these campuses happened in the 1970s, resulting in aging

academic buildings and infrastructure that now require major upgrades. Deferred