UMass Lowell vs UNC Charlotte

When it comes to higher education, University of Massachusetts-Lowell and University of North Carolina at Charlotte stand out as two compelling options. UMass-Lowell, located in the vibrant city of Lowell, Massachusetts, offers a rich history and a diverse student body. UNCC, situated in the dynamic city of Charlotte, North Carolina, boasts a strong reputation for research and innovation. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence, they differ in several key aspects. UMass-Lowell has a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible choice for students. UNCC, on the other hand, has a slightly higher graduation rate, indicating a strong focus on student success. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into further distinctions between these two esteemed institutions, including popular majors, student body demographics, and more, to determine which university best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	University of Massachusetts-Lowell	University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Overview
Location	Lowell, Massachusetts	Charlotte, North Carolina
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	82.0%	85.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	84.6%	79.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $50	Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $75
SAT range	1170 - 1340	1120 - 1320
ACT range	25 - 32	21 - 26
Students submitting SAT score	26.0%	21.0%
Students submitting ACT score	2.0%	54.0%
Total number of applicants	12,493	20,366
Total number of admissions given out	10,565	16,180
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,907	4,256
Yield rate	18.1%	26.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $24,672 Out of state: $42,598	In state: $23,716 Out of state: $37,150
Average net price	$13,227	$15,682
Tuition	In state: $15,078 Out of state: $33,004	In state: $3,812 Out of state: $17,246
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,500 Meal plan: $5,070	Room/dormitory: $7,322 Meal plan: $4,420
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	78.0% Average amount $10,449	61.0% Average amount $7,807
Students receiving federal student loan	59.0% Average amount $5,148	49.0% Average amount $5,311
Students taking out private loans	5.0% Average amount $10,989	7.0% Average amount $14,942

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	12,884 Men 58.6% Women 41.4%	24,116 Men 52.5% Women 47.5%
Graduate students	4,713 Men 53.7% Women 46.3%	6,332 Men 39.4% Women 60.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	8.8%
International students	5.8%	5.7%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	4,787	5,983
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Mississippi New Hampshire New York New Jersey Pennsylvania	North Carolina South Carolina Virginia New York New Jersey

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Engineering Health Professions Computer and Information Science Law Enforcement and Firefighting	Education Engineering Health Professions Business Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	18:1	20:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	69.0%	65.7%
Dropout rate	28.0%	8.6%
Transferred out	N/A	23.1%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $99,028 Year 2: $123,527 Year 3: $120,396 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $76,492 Year 2: $84,653 Year 3: $90,016 Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $88,922 Year 2: $78,343 Year 3: $88,416 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,378 Year 2: $70,829 Year 3: $79,712 Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $71,575 Year 3: $74,196 Civil Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $61,022 Year 2: $65,387 Year 3: $73,734 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,160 Year 2: $63,898 Year 3: $73,656 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $52,433 Year 2: $60,920 Year 3: $72,989 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $61,034 Year 2: $60,335 Year 3: $70,327 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,768 Year 2: $62,666 Year 3: $69,749

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