UMass Boston vs University of Massachusetts-Amherst (UMass)

Nestled in the heart of Boston and Amherst, the University of Massachusetts-Boston and University of Massachusetts-Amherst stand as distinct academic powerhouses within the University of Massachusetts system. While both institutions share a commitment to academic excellence, they offer unique experiences shaped by their contrasting locations, student demographics, and academic offerings. UMass-Boston, rooted in the vibrant urban landscape, boasts a diverse student body and a focus on liberal arts and professional programs. In contrast, UMass-Amherst, surrounded by rolling hills and lush greenery, offers a more traditional college town atmosphere, renowned for its strong STEM and research programs. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to delve into the acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates of these two esteemed institutions, helping you make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	University of Massachusetts-Amherst	University of Massachusetts-Boston
Overview
Location	Amherst, Massachusetts	Boston, Massachusetts
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	City: 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	91.0%	75.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	65.5%	78.9%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $85 Graduate: $85	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $75
SAT range	1250 - 1460	1060 - 1280
ACT range	28 - 33	24 - 30
Students submitting SAT score	26.0%	21.0%
Students submitting ACT score	5.0%	2.0%
Total number of applicants	42,540	16,383
Total number of admissions given out	27,877	12,926
Admitted students who chose to enroll	4,872	2,246
Yield rate	17.5%	17.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $32,434 Out of state: $52,959	In state: $32,547 Out of state: $53,009
Average net price	$17,291	$17,575
Tuition	In state: $15,791 Out of state: $36,316	In state: $14,187 Out of state: $34,649
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,611 Meal plan: $5,984	Room/dormitory: $12,304 Meal plan: $5,830
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	86.0% Average amount $10,662	94.0% Average amount $11,767
Students receiving federal student loan	39.0% Average amount $5,123	56.0% Average amount $4,888
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $15,924	4.0% Average amount $13,299

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	24,231 Men 48.8% Women 51.2%	12,269 Men 42.0% Women 58.0%
Graduate students	7,814 Men 47.9% Women 52.1%	3,368 Men 33.5% Women 66.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	11.1%	8.0%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	13,582	1,077
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	New York New Jersey Connecticut California New Hampshire	Connecticut New York New Hampshire New Jersey California

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Engineering Health Professions Multidisciplinary Studies Computer and Information Science	Business Health Professions Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	18:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	83.7%	49.0%
Dropout rate	5.1%	21.0%
Transferred out	10.5%	25.2%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $112,236 Year 2: $99,741 Year 3: $118,959 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $97,497 Year 2: $97,071 Year 3: $105,578 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $79,216 Year 2: $78,232 Year 3: $95,030 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $71,683 Year 2: $75,518 Year 3: $94,055 Education, General (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $71,391 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $79,970 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $65,906 Year 2: $67,202 Year 3: $79,007 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $72,222 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $76,636 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $68,607 Year 2: $68,647 Year 3: $74,913 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,719 Year 2: $65,594 Year 3: $74,578 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,571 Year 2: $63,646 Year 3: $73,746	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $112,116 Year 2: $106,814 Year 3: $113,564 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $105,622 Year 2: $99,439 Year 3: $102,552 Educational Administration and Supervision (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $80,281 Year 2: $87,815 Year 3: $90,532 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $75,553 Year 2: $74,200 Year 3: $85,172 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $64,099 Year 2: $72,134 Year 3: $81,557 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $69,854 Year 2: $71,098 Year 3: $77,768 Public Administration (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $58,054 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $66,484 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,752 Year 2: $51,551 Year 3: $61,444 Special Education and Teaching (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $59,425 Year 3: $60,766 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $53,984 Year 3: $59,739

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