The Commonwealth Honors College Experience
About
As a Commonwealth Honors College student at UMass Amherst, you have the best of both worlds—the personalized experience of a small scholarly community and the resources of a major research university.
Community of Scholars
Commonwealth Honors College students benefit from a tight-knit community, close ties with faculty, small honors classes, value-added honors advising, and access to special programs, merit scholarships, and research grants.
Campus Full of Opportunities
As a CHC student, your world encompasses both the personalized experience of a small scholarly community and the extensive resources of the larger UMass Amherst community. Take advantage of all the cultural, athletic, and social activities that UMass Amherst offers. Consider serving in student government, playing on a sports team, writing for the Daily Collegian, running a student business, performing with the marching band, joining a fraternity or sorority, or discovering a new interest.
Your Life
You’ll have unique opportunities to engage with faculty members, develop lifelong learning skills, and join a vibrant intellectual and social world.
Your Space
Live with other CHC students in a residential setting that promotes academic achievement.
Your Team
The Commonwealth Honors College faculty and staff are dedicated to academic excellence.
Best College Town in America
Amherst keeps turning up on experts' lists as a premier college town.
Find out why Amherst has been named one of the “top college towns in North America” in this video tour of our community, home of the University of Massachusetts.
About the Amherst Area
Amherst offers the perfect blend of New England beauty and cosmopolitan culture—that’s why it’s one of the “top college towns in North America.”
Learn more about living in Amherst- Downtown Amherst and nearby Northampton are home to galleries, boutiques, coffee shops, fine dining, international cuisine, and independent bookstores.
- You will benefit from the array of lectures, films, live arts and entertainment, concerts, and other events throughout the Pioneer Valley.
- Hiking trails and bike paths are minutes away from campus, and the fall foliage attracts visitors from all over the country.
- When it’s time to get away, Bradley International Airport, New York City, and Boston are all within easy reach.
