Celebration of Excellence 2025
Average size of an Honors course
Faculty teaching Honors courses
Entering first-year students
Average combined SAT score
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.
Small Classes, Big Ideas
Commonwealth Honors College students reach beyond the boundaries of their academic majors and our advanced scholarship tracks provide them with opportunities to contribute original knowledge to their fields of study.
Campus Full of Opportunities
Commonwealth Honors College students have access to the extensive resources of UMass Amherst — a large research university with roughly 100 majors and wide-ranging opportunities for student engagement.
Close Ties to Faculty
Micheal Orlando shares how having close ties to faculty has shaped his academic journey.
Featured Events
In the News
My Dream College Doesn’t Exist, But UMass Does
I didn’t find a dream school—but I found the right one. UMass became home when I stopped chasing perfect and started looking for the people who made it real.
Introducing Ellen Williams: CHC's New Writing Coach
Meet Ellen Williams, CHC’s new writing coach! With a student-centered approach, she’s here to guide and support you at any stage of your writing journey.
“I’ll study and get my degree”: Reflections on my College Experience
I came to UMass for a degree but found friendship, self-discovery, and unexpected lessons. College became so much more than I ever imagined.
