University of Massachusetts Amherst

University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public, state school in a small town setting in Amherst, Massachusetts. UMass Amherst was founded in 1863 and now enrolls around 31,642 students a year, including 24,233 undergrads. UMass Amherst offers housing for up to 13,636 students. The majority of students live on campus, and first year-students are required to live in campus housing. On the weekends, about 100% of students stay on-campus and participate in campus events and social life.

There are many ways for students to get involved at UMass Amherst! Love music or performing? Join a campus band, sing in a chorus, or perform with one of UMass Amherst's theater groups.

Interested in journalism or communications? UMass Amherst students can write for the campus newspaper, host a radio show or be a producer for the student-run television channel.

Excited for Greek life? UMass Amherst has fraternities and sororities.

Planning to play sports? UMass Amherst has many options for athletes. See them all and learn more about life at UMass Amherst on the Student Life page.

Learn more about life at UMass Amherst on the Student Life page.

Mark your calendar! January 15, 2022 is the final deadline to submit an application for Fall.

Is UMass Amherst a Good School?

There is no one way to define a "good" college or university. Admissions difficulty and admitted student statistics can give you a sense of how selective a university is, but they don't tell you how happy or successful students are. There are a few statistics that can give you a good idea of how satisfied students are and how well a school supports its students.

Let's take a look at each of these factors to get a better idea of what UMass Amherst offers and if it might be the right college for you.

UMass Amherst Acceptance Rate 2021

It is moderately difficult to get into UMass Amherst. UMass Amherst admitted 65% of all applicants in 2021. Last year, 40,315 students applied to UMass Amherst and 26,335 were admitted.

Retention and Graduation Rates at UMass Amherst

Retention is the number of students that stay enrolled at a school over time. This is a way to get a sense of how satisfied students are with their school experience, and if they have the support necessary to succeed in college.

Out of all the first-year, full-time undergrads who start at UMass Amherst, around 89% come back the next year. Around 83% of students who started at UMass Amherst earn their Bachelor's degrees within six years. Compare this to the average six-year graduation rate for colleges and universities in the U.S., which is around 61% for public schools and 67% for private.

Job Outcomes for UMass Amherst Grads

Job placement rates after graduation and average starting salaries can all give important clues about the value of a degree from a specific school. Within six months of graduating, 81% of graduates receive at least one full-time job offer.

Recent UMass Amherst grads have an average starting salary of $58,000 a year. The average starting salary for all 2021 graduates was around $60,000 a year, though these numbers vary widely by major.

UMass Amherst's Endowment

An endowment is the total value of a school's investments, donations, and assets. Endowment is not necessarily an indicator of the quality of a school, but it can give you a sense of how much money a college can afford to invest in expanding programs, improving facilities, and support students. UMass Amherst's endowment was valued at $368.4 million in 2021, compared to a national average of $905 million. The school spends $20,510 for each full-time student enrolled.

Tuition and Financial Aid at UMass Amherst

Cost is another important factor when choose a college. Some colleges may have high tuition, but do a better job at meeting students' financial need. UMass Amherst meets 82% of the demonstrated financial need for undergraduates. First-year students that attend UMass Amherst full-time are awarded $18,818 a year in financial aid, on average.

Students in the class of 2021 who had taken out student loans graduated with an average of $32,928 of debt. For context, compare this number with the average national debt, which is around $36,000 per borrower.

The 2022-2023 FAFSA Opened on October 1st, 2021

Some financial aid is available on a first-come, first-served basis, so fill out the FAFSA as soon as you can. Visit the FAFSA website to apply for student aid. Remember, the first F in FAFSA stands for FREE! No one should ever pay to fill out the FREE Application for Federal Student Aid, (FAFSA), so be very wary of anyone asking you for money.

Learn more about Tuition and Financial Aid at UMass Amherst. Based on this information, how does UMass Amherst sound? Remember, a school that is perfect for one person may be a terrible fit for someone else! So ask yourself: Is UMass Amherst a good school for you?

If University of Massachusetts Amherst seems like a school you want to apply to, click the heart button to save it to your college list.

Still Doing Your Research?

Choose one of the options below to learn more about UMass Amherst:

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UMass Amherst Community Forums

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Where is UMass Amherst?

UMass Amherst is located in the small town setting of Amherst, Massachusetts, less than an hour from Springfield and Hartford and CT.

If you want to see UMass Amherst for yourself, plan a visit. The best way to reach campus is to take Interstate 91 to Amherst, or book a flight to the nearest airport, Bradley International.

You can also take a virtual campus tour to get a sense of what UMass Amherst and Amherst are like without leaving home.

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