Fitchburg State vs UMass Lowell

Fitchburg State University and University of Massachusetts-Lowell, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in Massachusetts, offer distinct educational experiences. Fitchburg State, a public university with a smaller student body, boasts a higher acceptance rate and a more diverse student population. UMass-Lowell, a larger public research university, offers a wider range of academic programs, including graduate degrees, and attracts a more ethnically diverse student body. While Fitchburg State excels in teacher preparation and nursing, UMass-Lowell shines in engineering, business, and computer science. Both universities provide a supportive learning environment and opportunities for personal growth, but their unique strengths and characteristics cater to different student aspirations. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover which university aligns best with your academic goals and personal preferences.

	Fitchburg State University	University of Massachusetts-Lowell
Overview
Location	Fitchburg, Massachusetts	Lowell, Massachusetts
Campus setting	Suburb: Midsize	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	68.0%	82.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	85.3%	84.6%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $50
SAT range	980 - 1180	1170 - 1340
ACT range	18 - 25	25 - 32
Students submitting SAT score	18.0%	26.0%
Students submitting ACT score	2.0%	2.0%
Total number of applicants	3,414	12,493
Total number of admissions given out	2,911	10,565
Admitted students who chose to enroll	567	1,907
Yield rate	19.5%	18.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $24,330 Out of state: $30,410	In state: $24,672 Out of state: $42,598
Average net price	$16,862	$13,227
Tuition	In state: $970 Out of state: $7,050	In state: $15,078 Out of state: $33,004
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,990 Meal plan: $3,770	Room/dormitory: $8,500 Meal plan: $5,070
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	88.0% Average amount $6,170	78.0% Average amount $10,449
Students receiving federal student loan	62.0% Average amount $4,912	59.0% Average amount $5,148
Students taking out private loans	9.0% Average amount $12,352	5.0% Average amount $10,989

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,349 Men 46.3% Women 53.7%	12,884 Men 58.6% Women 41.4%
Graduate students	3,325 Men 30.7% Women 69.3%	4,713 Men 53.7% Women 46.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	2.1%	5.8%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Midsize	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,737	4,787
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Mississippi Connecticut New Hampshire Florida New York	Mississippi New Hampshire New York New Jersey Pennsylvania

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Education Health Professions Visual & Performing Arts Law Enforcement and Firefighting	Business Engineering Health Professions Computer and Information Science Law Enforcement and Firefighting
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	18:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	57.1%	69.0%
Dropout rate	14.3%	28.0%
Transferred out	27.0%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $66,667 Year 2: $75,518 Year 3: $80,428 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,430 Year 2: $66,897 Year 3: $73,957 Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,071 Year 2: $57,882 Year 3: $63,852 Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $51,546 Year 2: $50,856 Year 3: $54,097 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $47,151 Year 2: $45,715 Year 3: $52,237 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,607 Year 2: $38,048 Year 3: $51,244 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,965 Year 2: $41,246 Year 3: $49,224 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $40,991 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $47,433 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,178 Year 2: $34,793 Year 3: $44,801 Human Services, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,593 Year 2: $36,166 Year 3: $42,141	Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $73,995 Year 2: $71,575 Year 3: $92,580 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $71,575 Year 3: $90,960 Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $81,072 Year 2: $74,576 Year 3: $89,338 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $81,208 Year 2: $71,854 Year 3: $88,920 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $97,889 Year 2: $78,612 Year 3: $88,135 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,760 Year 2: $63,501 Year 3: $77,826 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $51,707 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $77,121 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $69,655 Year 2: $66,989 Year 3: $74,462 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $67,655 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $73,578 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,402 Year 2: $60,623 Year 3: $73,430

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