Physical Science Building

We Are Fueling Innovation

UMass Amherst provides a world-class, accessible education. We drive positive change for the people of Massachusetts—and beyond—preparing students to take on tomorrow’s challenges and producing bold, impactful research.

4.08 GPA graphic

Attracting High-Achieving Students

As the reputation of the flagship campus continues to grow, first-year undergraduate applications have increased by over 40% over the past 10 years. UMass Amherst received over 50,000 first-year applications for fall 2023, the most in our history. The number of early action applications has more than doubled over the past decade.

The average entering first-year student GPA is 4.08.

An Increasingly Diverse Student Body

35%

ALANA (African American, Latino/a, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Native American), Domestic Students

22%

First Generation
 

19%

Pell Grant Recipients
(Based on undergraduate student body, Fall 2023)

Putting Students on a Trajectory for Success

91%

Students Returning for
a Second Year

83%

Students Graduating within
6 Years

85%

of Undergraduates Obtain a Career Outcome Related to Their Field of Study (Class of 2023)

Student in microfluidics lab.

Supplying Talent

UMass Amherst provides premier talent for 1,400+ companies and organizations, including Accenture, Amazon, Apple, Baystate Health, Biogen, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Dell Technologies, Google, HubSpot, intel, Marriott International, MassMutual, Merck, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, and Vertex Pharmaceuticals.

Top-Ranked Faculty

24%

ALANA (African American, Latino/a, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Native American)

48%

Female

230+

New Tenure-System Faculty Hired in the Past 5 Years

Researcher in lab

Revolutionary Research

$245M

Research Expenditures (FY22)

#1

Public Research University in New England
Non-Medical School R&D Expenditures

#1

Public University in New England in NSF Awards

160%

Increase in Annual HHS funding 
(2013 to 2023)

~150

Industry Research Partnerships

12

Of the world’s Most Highly Cited Researchers
(Clarivate Analytics, 2023).

As one of the only eight “R1: Doctoral Universities,” and the only public, with the “Very High Research Activity” in Massachusetts, UMass Amherst is committed to translating cutting-edge research into real-world impact.

UMass Amherst’s research is a major contributor to the innovation economy through leadership in advanced materials and manufacturing, applied life and health sciences, data and computational science, the arts and creative economy, climate science and sustainability, and equity and inclusion.

UMass Flex Student

UMass Flex is a student-centric learning model dedicated to providing students with a dynamic learning environment that adapts to their evolving needs. Students can take classes while participating in internships, service learning, and international experiences, or just be where life needs them to be while still being a UMass student.

Driving Massachusetts Forward

73%

of the Undergraduate Student
Body is from Massachusetts

~60%

of Alumni Remain in Massachusetts,
Fueling the State's Innovation Economy

7 to 1

Return on State Investment

Educating More Students

UMass Amherst alone enrolls more first-year students from Massachusetts than do the Commonwealth's eight top private universities (as ranked by U.S. News & World Report) combined.

Producing STEM Graduates

UMass Amherst awards more undergraduate STEM degrees than any other college or university in the Commonwealth, public or private.

Highlights

Mellon Foundation Awards UMass Amherst $2.65 Million to Expand Slavery North Initiative

Led by founding director Charmaine A. Nelson, provost professor of art history, Slavery North is a one-of-a-kind academic and cultural destination where scholars, thinkers, and artists research and build community that transforms society’s understanding of the neglected histories of trans-Atlantic slavery in Canada and the U.S. North. This is the largest Mellon grant awarded to UMass Amherst to date.


UMass Amherst Recognized as Top-Producing Institution for Fulbright U.S. Student and Scholars Program

UMass Amherst is one of only 12 institutions recognized for both the Fulbright U.S. Student Program and the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program this year. It is the only institution in Massachusetts—and one of only three in New England—to receive this distinction. 


UMass Amherst to Launch $11.9 Million Academic Center for Reliability and Resilience of Offshore Wind

The U.S. Department of Energy has selected UMass Amherst to establish and lead the Academic Center for Reliability and Resilience of Offshore Wind (ARROW), a new multimillion-dollar national center of excellence to accelerate reliable and equitable offshore wind energy deployment across the nation and produce a well-educated domestic offshore wind workforce.


UMass Amherst Ranks Among Top 20 Institutions in the Nation for Online Programs

UMass Amherst’s online education programs have been recognized as among the best in the nation in the U.S. News and World Report’s 2024 rankings. Placing at No. 2 among public and private colleges and universities was the Isenberg School of Management’s online undergraduate program in business.


UMass Amherst Researchers Named "Top Scientists in the World"

Four UMass Amherst faculty scholars representing a range of disciplines in the natural and health sciences have been recognized nationally and globally in Research.com’s 2023 list of top scientists and also earned high rankings in their specific fields of research.


UMass Amherst Rises to Top 20 Nationally in QS World University Rankings for Sustainability

The ranking provides a unique and detailed framework to assess how universities are taking action to tackle global challenges through the evaluation of three areas: social impact, environmental impact, and governance. UMass Amherst scored well above the global median in each of these areas.


UMass Amherst Generates $2.9 Billion in Economic Impact for Massachusetts

The commonwealth’s flagship campus delivers a 7-to-1 return on state investment.


Blazing a Trail for Massachusetts in Advanced Metaoptics

UMass Amherst and industry partner EMA are accelerating development and adoption of critical emerging metalense technology in the commonwealth, with applications ranging from smart glasses to medical imaging to self-driving vehicles.


UMass Amherst Partnering with Indigenous Communities to Launch $30M NSF Center for Braiding Indigenous Knowledges and Science

The five-year, $30 million international Science and Technology Center based at UMass Amherst will focus on addressing the impacts of climate change, the threats to cultural places, and the shift in our food systems.


UMass Amherst Welcomes 5,275 First-Year Students to Campus

The Class of 2027 is among one of the most diverse and accomplished in the history of the flagship campus.


Diverse Team Including UMass Amherst Biostatistician Receives $13.7 Million Grant to Address Antibiotic Resistance in Nursing Homes

Novel project examines six superbugs, which pose serious and urgent national health threats.


UMass Amherst's Isenberg School of Management Receives Record $20 Million Gift from Douglas and Diana Berthiaume

Largest cash donation in Isenberg history will attract and retain top faculty members, support impactful research, and enhance the Berthiaume Center for Entrepreneurship.


UMass Amherst Online Programs Place Among Top of U.S. News and World Report Rankings for 2023

The online undergraduate program in business offered by UMass Amherst’s Isenberg School of Management ranked third best in the country, while all UMass online bachelor’s degree programs placed 16th nationally, up from 19th in 2022.


College of Engineering Launches Paros Center Under the Leadership of Michael Zink and Brenda Philips

The newly launched Paros Center for Atmospheric Research (PCAR) will focus on translating research into improved hazardous weather predictions, alert systems and policies that will save lives.


Governor Baker Joins UMass Officials to Break Ground for New $125 Million Building for Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences

State commitment of $75 million plays key role in funding world-class facility.


UMass Amherst Emerges as Offshore Wind Workforce Training Leader With Newest Grant Award

UMass Clean Energy Extension to expand Offshore Wind course offerings, diversity scholarships and industry partnerships to meet increased demand for the Offshore Wind Certificate Program.


UMass Amherst Establishes Partnership With Ukraine's Kyiv School of Economics

Through the agreement, UMass will assist students and scholars affected by Russia's war with Ukraine.


CDC Designates New England Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases at UMass Amherst

Regional collaboration, funded with a five-year, $10 million award, is designed to reduce diseases spread by ticks and mosquitoes.


W.E.B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies Predoctoral Candidate Awarded Prestigious Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship

Maya Cunningham will receive an annual stipend for three years, an invitation to attend the Conference of Ford Fellows and access to key networking resources.


Computer Science Receives Major Boosts, Fueling the Massachusetts Tech Economy

An $18 million gift will endow the newly named Robert and Donna Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences. A state investment of $75 million—along with $30 million from the Amherst campus—will enhance and expand the college’s facilities, enabling accelerated enrollment growth.


College of Engineering Receives Major Gift to Advance Atmospheric Research

The $10M gift from Jerome '60 and Linda Paros will enable the college to accelerate its cutting-edge work in atmospheric research and hazard mitigation through a new center of excellence.


Largest Gift in UMass Amherst History to the College of Nursing

The Elaine Nicpon Marieb Charitable Foundation gave a $21.5 million gift, after previously giving over $2 million to the school. UMass Amherst’s nursing college has been renamed The Elaine Marieb College of Nursing.