Public · University

University of Massachusetts-Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts · Small city

59.7%
Admit rate
$22,383
Avg net price
83%
Graduation rate
$71,631
Median earnings

University of Massachusetts-Amherst is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Amherst, Massachusetts (small city setting), enrolling 23,671 undergraduates.

PublicLarge · 23,671 undergradsSmall citySelective · 60% admitNCAA Division I-FBS · Independent Northeast RegionCold wintersSnowy

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against University of Massachusetts-Amherst's admitted students.

Admit rate
59.7%
SAT (mid 50%)
1310–1500
Avg GPA
4.04

Enter a test score to see where you land against University of Massachusetts-Amherst's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and University of Massachusetts-Amherst's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Amherst, Massachusetts

Amherst is a city in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Connecticut River valley. The earliest known document of the lands now comprising Amherst is the deed of purchase dated December 1658 between John Pynchon of Springfield and three native inhabitants, referred to as Umpanchla, Quonquont, and Chickwalopp. Major employers in Amherst include University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst College, William D. Mullins Memorial Center, Hampshire College, and Amherst-Pelham Regional School District. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Small city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
70 miles
Nearest airport
32 miles to Bradley (BDL) · major hub

How University of Massachusetts-Amherst compares

Selectivity59.7%

More selective than 76% · #22 most selective of 63 in Massachusetts

SAT average1423

Higher than 91%

Graduation rate83%

Higher than 91% · #18 of 66 in Massachusetts

First-year retention92%

Higher than 89%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$71,631

Higher than 85% · #25 of 67 in Massachusetts

Average net price$22,383

Cheaper than 39% · #18 cheapest of 65 in Massachusetts

Median debt at graduation$22,763

Lower than 54%

Student–faculty ratio17 : 1

Lower than 23%

Undergraduate enrollment23,671

Larger than 96%

Percentiles compare University of Massachusetts-Amherst with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Massachusetts.

University of Massachusetts-Amherst campus

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

31,477students
  • Undergraduate23,67175%
  • Graduate7,80625%

Undergraduates by gender

23,671undergrads
  • Women12,20252%
  • Men11,46948%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White57%
  • Black4.5%
  • Hispanic9.1%
  • Asian14%
  • Other or multiracial15%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
23,671
Graduate enrollment
7,806
Student–faculty ratio
17 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
20%
First-generation students
22%
Students over 25
5%
Median family income
$74,291
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$131,967
Endowment
$579,704,081

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 5,286 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Massachusetts68%
  • Other U.S. states23%
  • International9.5%

A regional draw: about 67% of first-years come from Massachusetts, the rest from elsewhere.

9% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
59.7%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1310–1500
SAT average
1423
SAT reading
650–730
SAT math
660–770
ACT composite
30–33
Average GPA
4.04

Cost

In-state tuition
$17,772
Out-of-state tuition
$40,449
Room & board
$16,710
Books & supplies
$1,200
Total cost of attendance
$34,549
Average net price
$22,383

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
83%
Graduated on time (4 years)
75%
First-year retention
92%
Transferred to another college
10%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$60,347
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$71,631
Median debt at graduation
$22,763
Students with federal loans
47%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
73%

About 8% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
75%
Low-income (Pell)
50%
First-generation
52%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
14,465
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
61%
Housing charge (year)
$8,154
Meal plan (year)
$7,283
Application fee
$85
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FBS
Football conference
Independent Northeast Region
Varsity athletes
791 (383 men · 408 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (12)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)258
Football111
Lacrosse83
Basketball65
Rowing61
Soccer54
Swimming and Diving (combined)47
Baseball35
Ice Hockey27
Field Hockey25
Softball18
Tennis7

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
1.7 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
80
Property offenses (2022–2024)
84

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (31,726 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

55reported offenses a year
27 violent a year28 property a year

By offense type, per year

Motor vehicle theft
19
Rape
13
Fondling
9.0
Burglary
8.0
Aggravated assault
3.7
Arson
1.3
Robbery
1.0

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$10,164
$30–48k
$10,456
$48–75k
$12,932
$75–110k
$18,964
$110k+
$30,793

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$53,557

$12,932/year × about 4.1 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

74%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$10,214
average award, among those who get one

A meaningful share of freshmen — 74% — get grant money from University of Massachusetts-Amherst itself, averaging $10,214, which softens the sticker price.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 5,580 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$71,631
Typical debt at graduation
$22,763
Debt vs. one year's pay
32%
Out-earn a HS grad
74%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.2 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$68,639
Men
$76,718

Men out-earn women by $8,079 (12%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
83°F
Winter low
14°F
Annual rain
46.6″
Annual snow
36.5″

Average temperature

HighLow
0°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.44.7JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Amherst, MA US station (0.5 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to University of Massachusetts-Amherst

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare University of Massachusetts-Amherst side by side →

Colleges near University of Massachusetts-Amherst

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.