Colleges
University of Massachusetts
University of Massachusetts |
![]() |
location | students | adm. | int’l. | fresh | grad | GPA | ACT | SAT | TOEFL |
Amherst, MA | 24,391 | 64% | 7% | 90% | 76% | 3.8 | 31 | 1370 | 80 |
University of Massachusetts—Amherst is a public institution that was founded in 1863. It’s set on 1,463 acres in the town of Amherst, 90 miles away from the city of Boston. The campus provides a rich cultural environment in a rural setting. UMass is the central location for the state school system. All freshmen are required to live on campus. The Commonwealth Honors College Residential Complex is a national model and welcomes students who seek additional academic challenge and can meet the requirements for acceptance. CHC offers personalized advising, smaller class sizes taught by professors, and a six building Honors Residential Community. At UMass, Students participate in 240 campus organizations, 21 NCAA Division I athletic teams, living-learning residence halls, community service, internships, and faculty research.
Academics
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is the largest school in the UMass system. The Amherst campus offers 109 bachelor’s degree programs. Massachusetts is also part of the Five Colleges consortium, which includes smaller liberal arts colleges: Smith, Mount Holyoke, Hampshire, and Amherst, all within a free bus ride of each other using the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority. Students can take classes on any of these campuses and participate in all co-curricular and cultural activities. The student-faculty ratio at UMass is 18:1, and the school has 48% of its classes with fewer than 20 students. Popular majors include Psychology, Liberal Arts and Humanities, and Computer Science.
Special Highlights
Center for Education Policy & Advocacy. CEPA is an agency of the Student Government Association that collaborates with a variety of other campus departments, programs, RSOs, and agencies to identify and research campus related issues that could be effectively addressed through policy restructuring or reform. Based on CEPA’s research, policy proposals, reports, and recommendations are developed to assist in building a campus environment that is inclusive of and responsive to the diverse needs of UMass students who come from a multitude of cultures and backgrounds.
College of Engineering. The College of Engineering faculty are dedicated to effective teaching and committed to mentoring the College’s 2,300 undergraduate and 750 graduate students. From world-class research opportunities in lab bench and in the field to a breadth of academic and experiential offerings including hands-on design projects, innovation competitions, and co-op opportunities, the College prepares students to lead, innovate, and succeed. With seven undergraduate majors, nine graduate programs, and flexible MS and graduate certificate options, there are numerous opportunities for students. The 4+1 Accelerated Master’s Degree Programs offer a way for students to get further, faster. Engineering students who maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher will be automatically accepted into the master’s program in their field of study.
School Mission & Unique Qualities
The University of Massachusetts Amherst traces its origins back more than a century and a half. Throughout that time, it has steadily and dramatically evolved and expanded. Even so, UMass Amherst has always been marked by a deep dedication to the public good—or, as old term had it, the “common weal.” Amherst is the flagship and the largest of the UMass campuses, as well as the first established. It became “University of Massachusetts” in 1947. The library system is the largest state-supported library system in New England with over 6.1 million items. The campus has many architecturally distinctive buildings commissioned by the Commonwealth and designed by world-renowned architects. The Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center is a joint venture of the University of Massachusetts system, MIT, Harvard, Boston University, and Northeastern to build a shared high-performance computing facility.
Student Reviews…
“The student body is incredibly diverse, which fosters a vibrant and inclusive atmosphere. There’s always something happening on campus, from club meetings to sports events. Academically, there’s a large variety of classes. The professors are knowledgeable and approachable, and they genuinely care about your success.”