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University of Massachusetts Amherst

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University of Massachusetts Amherst Overview

University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public institution located in Amherst, Massachusetts. Amherst is a good match for students who enjoy the safety and convenience of the suburbs.

What Is University of Massachusetts Amherst Known For?

7,168 Undergraduate Awards
$40,010 Avg Cost After Aid
65% Acceptance Rate
  • Students at UMass Amherst have an easier time paying back their loans. The school's student loan default rate is only 3%, compared to the national rate of 10.1%.
  • Although it may not be available for every major, the doctor's degree is the highest award a student can attain at UMass Amherst.
  • In 2017-2018, 80% of the faculty were full-time.
  • Students who graduate from UMass Amherst with a bachelor's degree make about $51,400 a year. That's 26% more than those who graduate from other schools.
  • The average UMass Amherst student graduates in 4.1 years. That's better than the national average of 4.4 years.

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University of Massachusetts Amherst Rankings

According to our 2022 analysis, UMass Amherst is ranked #188 out of 2,587 schools in the nation that were analyzed for overall quality. This puts it in the top 10% of all schools in the nation.

These rankings may look different from those published by other outlets, because we use an outcomes-based approach rather than a subjective one. We get our data from a number of places, including the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and the College Scorecard. For more information, check out our rankings and methodology page.

UMass Amherst has been awarded the following overall awards by our latest rankings.

Rank Ranking Name Share
#16 Best Associate Degree Schools Tweet It - Post It
#152 Best Master’s Degree Schools Tweet It - Post It
#178 Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools Tweet It - Post It

Program Level Awards

These are highlights of some of the most noteworthy awards granted to specific programs at UMass Amherst.

Rank Ranking Name Share
#1 Best Horticulture Bachelor’s Degree Schools Tweet It - Post It
#4 Best Microbiology Science & Immunology Master’s Degree Schools Tweet It - Post It
#5 Best Physiology & Pathology Sciences Master’s Degree Schools Tweet It - Post It
#6 Best Health & Physical Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools Tweet It - Post It
#6 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools Tweet It - Post It
#13 Best Other Interdisciplinary Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools Tweet It - Post It
#19 Best Biological & Biomedical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools Tweet It - Post It
#54 Best Business Administration & Management Master’s Degree Schools Tweet It - Post It
#61 Best Business, Management & Marketing Master’s Degree Schools Tweet It - Post It
#87 Best Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools Tweet It - Post It

Awards From Around the Web

The following table lists some notable awards UMass Amherst has earned from around the web.

Rank Ranking Name Source
#11 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Schools College Factual
#52 Best Psychology Schools College Factual
#62 Best Biological & Biomedical Sciences Schools College Factual
#89 Best Business, Management & Marketing Schools College Factual
#125 Best Health Professions Schools College Factual
#133 Best Business Schools Business Degree Central

Where Is University of Massachusetts Amherst?

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Contact details for UMass Amherst are given below.

Contact Details
Address: 374 Whitmore Building 181 Presidents Drive, Amherst, MA 01003
Phone: 413-545-0111
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/umassamherst
Twitter: http://twitter.com/umassamherst

How Do I Get Into UMass Amherst?

You can apply to UMass Amherst online at: www.commonapp.org/

Admission Requirements for UMass Amherst

Submission Required?
High School GPA required
High School Rank recommended
High School Transcript required
College Prep Program required
Recommendations required
SAT or ACT Scores considered but not required
TOEFL required

How Hard Is It To Get Into UMass Amherst?

65% Acceptance Rate
55% Of Accepted Are Women
88% Submit SAT Scores
The acceptance rate at UMass Amherst is 65%, which is a sign that the school is fairly selective. While it may not be as hard to get into as other colleges, you should not take admission for granted.

Approximately 45% of accepted students are men and 55% are women. The acceptance rate for men is 61%, and the acceptance rate for women is 69%.

Average Test Scores

About 88% of students accepted to UMass Amherst submitted their SAT scores. When looking at the 25th through the 75th percentile, SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing scores ranged between 600 and 680. Math scores were between 600 and 710.

SAT Reading and Writing Scores for University of Massachusetts Amherst  ( 600 to 680 )
200
800

SAT Math Scores for University of Massachusetts Amherst  ( 600 to 710 )
200
800
UMass Amherst received ACT scores from 18% of accepted students. When looking at the 25th through the 75th percentile, ACT English scores ranged between 25 and 33. Math scores were between 25 and 31. Composite scores were between 27 and 32.

ACT English Scores for University of Massachusetts Amherst  ( 25 to 33 )
1
36
ACT Math Scores for University of Massachusetts Amherst  ( 25 to 31 )
1
36
ACT Composite Scores for University of Massachusetts Amherst  ( 27 to 32 )
1
36

Can I Afford University of Massachusetts Amherst?

$40,010 Net Price
53% Take Out Loans
2.8% Loan Default Rate
The overall average net price of UMass Amherst is $40,010. The affordability of the school largely depends on your financial need since net price varies by income group.

The net price is calculated by adding tuition, room, board and other costs and subtracting financial aid.

Student Loan Debt

It's not uncommon for college students to take out loans to pay for school. In fact, almost 66% of students nationwide depend at least partially on loans. At UMass Amherst, approximately 53% of students took out student loans averaging $8,157 a year. That adds up to $32,628 over four years for those students.

The student loan default rate at UMass Amherst is 2.8%. This is significantly lower than the national default rate of 10.1%, which is a good sign that you'll be able to pay back your student loans.

University of Massachusetts Amherst Undergraduate Student Diversity

22,212 Full-Time Undergraduates
50% Women
28% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
There are 24,233 undergraduate students at UMass Amherst, with 22,212 being full-time and 2,021 being part-time.

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There are also 7,409 graduate students at the school.

Gender Diversity

Of the 22,212 full-time undergraduates at UMass Amherst, 50% are male and 50% are female.

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Racial-Ethnic Diversity

The racial-ethnic breakdown of University of Massachusetts Amherst students is as follows.

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 2,562
Black or African American 1,071
Hispanic or Latino 1,738
White 13,647
International Students 1,613
Other Races/Ethnicities 1,581

Geographic Diversity

Massachusetts students aren't the only ones who study at University of Massachusetts Amherst. At this time, 35 states are represented by the student population at the school.

Over 108 countries are represented at UMass Amherst. The most popular countries sending students to the school are China, India, and South Korea.

Online Learning at University of Massachusetts Amherst

26,059 Took All Classes Online
30,293 Took At Least One Class Online
160.9% Avg Growth Over 4 Years
There are 2 bachelor’s degree and 4 master’s degree programs available online at UMass Amherst. In 2019-2020, 30,293 students took at least one online class at the school.

The following chart shows how the online learning population at UMass Amherst has changed over the last few years.

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This school is the most popular in Massachusetts for online learning according to the online graduations recorded by the Department of Education for the academic year 2019-2020.

Online Affordability Rankings of UMass Amherst

The following table shows how UMass Amherst is ranked for affordability for both in-state and out-of-state students among colleges and universities that are not mostly online.

Major Tuition for In-State Students Tuition for Out-of-State Students
Agricultural Production #1 #1
Journalism #7 #10
Nutrition Science #22 #28
Hospitality Management #34 #54
Agriculture & Agriculture Operations #40 #51

Online Affordability Rankings of UMass Amherst Rankings

The following table shows how UMass Amherst is ranked for affordability for both in-state and out-of-state students among colleges and universities that are mostly online.

Major Tuition for In-State Students Tuition for Out-of-State Students
Agricultural Production #1 #1
Agriculture & Agriculture Operations #8 #14
Engineering-Related Fields #20 #20
Engineering Technologies #32 #32
Management Sciences & Quantitative Methods #40 #46
Other Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies #67 #67

Online Growth Rankings of UMass Amherst

The average growth rate over the last four years of online students at University of Massachusetts Amherst was 160.9%. This is the #320 largest growth rate of all schools that are mostly online. This refers to all students at UMass Amherst regardless of major.

The following table shows the 1-year growth rate of UMass Amherst majors that offer at least one online course. This table only includes majors with positive growth.

Major 1-Year Growth Rate
Agricultural Production 9%
Agriculture & Agriculture Operations 44%
Business Administration & Management 8%
Business, Management & Marketing 7%
Computer & Information Sciences 6%
Computer Engineering 21%
Engineering Technologies 52%
Engineering-Related Fields 52%
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 29%
Foreign Languages & Linguistics 23%
Linguistics & Comparative Literature 36%
Management Information Systems 76%
Management Sciences & Quantitative Methods 10%
Nursing 9%
Visual & Performing Arts 7%

The table below shows how the average growth rate over 4 years at UMass Amherst ranks compared to all other mostly online schools that offer a specific major. Note that the majors may or may not be offered online at UMass Amherst.

Major Growth Rate Rank
Agricultural Production #1
Natural Resources Conservation (Other) #1
Data Science #2
Film, Video & Photographic Arts #4
Plant Sciences #4
Political Science & Government #4
Bioethics/Medical Ethics #4
Alternative Medicine & Systems #4
Linguistics & Comparative Literature #7
Computer Engineering #7
Engineering-Related Fields #7
Journalism #7
Agriculture & Agriculture Operations #7
Management Information Systems #10
Multilingual Education #10
Hospitality Management #10
Management Sciences & Quantitative Methods #12
Natural Resources & Conservation #16
Foreign Languages & Linguistics #19
Engineering Technologies #25
Engineering #28
Visual & Performing Arts #28
Other Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies #28
Information Technology #28
Instructional Media Design #32
Human Resource Management #33
Public Health #34
Public Administration & Social Service #44
Educational Administration #50
Communication & Journalism #50
Social Sciences #52
Accounting #55
Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies #56
Teacher Education Subject Specific #57
Nursing #71
Computer & Information Sciences #81
Education #149
Business Administration & Management #166
Health Professions #184
Business, Management & Marketing #244

When we speak of partially online, we are referring to schools whose online population is less than 50% of its total student body. Mostly online refers to those with online populations greater than or equal to 50%.

University of Massachusetts Amherst Undergraduate Concentrations

The table below shows the number of awards for each concentration.

Major Basic Certificate Associate’s Bachelor’s Graduate Certificate Master’s Doctor’s TOTAL
Business Administration & Management 25 0 266 1 440 9 741
Computer Science 0 0 310 0 165 27 502
General Psychology 0 0 475 0 6 9 490
Public Health 14 0 274 11 99 2 400
Economics 3 0 310 0 29 12 354
Accounting 0 0 156 1 162 0 319
Communication & Media Studies 11 0 295 0 0 9 315
General Biology 0 0 296 0 0 0 296
Other Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies 0 0 280 0 0 0 280
Nursing 0 0 185 3 34 53 275
Mathematics 0 0 237 0 9 9 255
Finance & Financial Management 0 0 225 0 0 0 225
Mechanical Engineering 0 0 189 0 23 9 221
Political Science & Government 0 0 181 0 7 2 190
Natural Resources Conservation 0 0 160 0 18 9 187
Physiology & Pathology Sciences 0 0 169 0 6 5 180
General Education 0 0 24 0 127 26 177
Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology 0 0 166 0 1 0 167
General English Literature 0 0 141 0 16 6 163
Health & Physical Education 0 0 132 0 24 0 156
Marketing 0 0 155 0 0 0 155
Electrical Engineering 0 0 48 0 75 19 142
Architectural Sciences & Technology 0 0 119 0 12 0 131
Hospitality Management 2 0 119 0 0 0 121
Sociology 0 0 110 0 4 4 118
Journalism 5 0 104 0 0 0 109
Civil Engineering 0 0 81 0 17 7 105
Chemical Engineering 0 0 92 0 1 9 102
History 0 0 75 7 12 1 95
Liberal Arts General Studies 0 0 95 0 0 0 95
Business/Managerial Economics 0 0 92 0 0 0 92
Non-Professional General Legal Studies 0 0 91 0 0 0 91
Physics 0 0 51 0 35 5 91
Communication Sciences 0 0 60 0 21 6 87
Music 1 0 48 2 31 1 83
Nutrition Science 0 0 64 0 10 2 76
Linguistics & Comparative Literature 6 0 49 9 3 8 75
Microbiological Sciences & Immunology 0 0 53 0 19 2 74
Romance Languages 0 0 62 0 6 3 71
Management Information Systems 58 0 0 9 0 0 67
Computer Engineering 0 0 61 5 0 0 66
Social Work 61 0 0 0 0 0 61
Management Sciences & Quantitative Methods 0 0 0 0 59 0 59
Fine & Studio Arts 0 0 49 0 5 0 54
Food Science Technology 0 0 32 0 9 12 53
Ethnic Studies 8 0 23 17 4 1 53
Sustainability Science 0 0 31 4 17 0 52
Chemistry 0 0 30 0 4 18 52
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 45 0 0 4 0 0 49
Criminal Justice & Corrections 47 0 0 0 0 0 47
Agricultural Production 6 7 31 0 0 0 44
Anthropology 0 0 38 0 2 1 41
Writing Studies 18 0 0 0 20 0 38
Animal Science 0 0 32 0 1 4 37
Philosophy 0 0 28 0 3 4 35
Horticulture 0 26 8 0 0 0 34
Public Policy 10 0 0 0 24 0 34
East Asian Languages 0 0 18 0 15 0 33
Drama & Theater Arts 2 0 28 0 3 0 33
Plant Sciences 0 0 28 0 2 2 32
Geological & Earth Sciences 0 0 19 0 5 8 32
Industrial Engineering 0 0 22 0 7 2 31
Other Social Sciences 0 0 31 0 0 0 31
Computer Information Systems 0 0 30 0 0 0 30
Geography & Cartography 10 0 11 0 9 0 30
Polymer & Plastics Engineering 0 0 0 0 11 16 27
International Relations & National Security 27 0 0 0 0 0 27
Landscape Architecture 0 0 17 0 9 0 26
Engineering-Related Fields 0 0 0 1 22 0 23
Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences 0 0 0 0 7 15 22
Classical Languages & Literature 0 0 16 0 6 0 22
Interdisciplinary Studies 21 0 0 0 0 0 21
Natural Sciences 21 0 0 0 0 0 21
Astronomy & Astrophysics 0 0 17 0 0 4 21
Dance 0 0 16 0 0 0 16
Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology 0 0 0 0 8 7 15
Human Resource Management 0 0 0 0 15 0 15
Area Studies 4 0 6 4 0 0 14
Biological & Physical Science 0 0 13 0 0 0 13
General Social Sciences 13 0 0 0 0 0 13
Urban & Regional Planning 0 0 0 0 8 4 12
Materials Sciences 0 0 0 11 0 0 11
Educational Administration 0 0 0 10 0 0 10
Marine Science 7 0 0 0 2 1 10
Germanic Languages 0 0 7 0 1 0 8
Biomathematics & Bioinformatics 0 0 0 0 6 1 7
Botany/Plant Biology 0 0 0 0 2 5 7
Neurobiology & Neurosciences 0 0 0 0 5 2 7
Applied Mathematics 0 0 0 0 7 0 7
Biotechnology 6 0 0 0 0 0 6
Teacher Education Subject Specific 0 0 0 5 1 0 6
Mathematics & Computer Science 0 0 1 5 0 0 6
Demography & Population Studies 6 0 0 0 0 0 6
Arts & Media Management 6 0 0 0 0 0 6
Medieval Studies 5 0 0 0 0 0 5
Environmental Engineering 0 0 0 0 3 0 3
Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology 0 0 0 0 0 3 3
Materials Engineering 2 0 0 0 0 0 2
Alternative Medicine & Systems 0 0 0 2 0 0 2
Historic Preservation 0 0 0 2 0 0 2
Religious Studies 0 0 2 0 0 0 2
Animal Services 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
General Architecture 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
Multilingual Education 0 0 0 1 0 0 1
Biomedical Engineering 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
Bioethics/Medical Ethics 0 0 0 1 0 0 1
International Agriculture 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Real Estate 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Information Technology 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Building Management & Inspection 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Instructional Media Design 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Teaching English or French 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Cognitive Science 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Data Science 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Natural Resources Conservation (Other) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
TOTAL 450 34 6,684 115 1,716 364 9,363

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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