UMass Amherst: the complete school report for parents

What does UMass Amherst actually weigh in admissions?

UMass Amherst rates 2 of the 18 factors "Very Important": course rigor, GPA. It does not consider 6 of them at all. Every college reports these weights in section C7 of its Common Data Set; below is UMass Amherst's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.

What GPA do admitted students actually have?

60% of enrolled students had a 4.0 GPA or above. The average was 4.05 on a 4 scale, reported for 99.3% of the entering class. This is the school’s own distribution, not an estimate from its admit rate.

What is the UMass Amherst waitlist really like?

UMass Amherst offered a place on its waiting list to 11,100 applicants and 7,261 accepted one. 2,349 were ultimately admitted. That is 32.4% of those who waited.

Is transferring in easier than applying as a freshman?

UMass Amherst admitted 65.5% of 3,622 transfer applicants, against 59.9% of first-year applicants. The two routes are similarly competitive here. The minimum college GPA considered is 2.

When do we apply, and does timing change the odds?

UMass Amherst reports its early rounds below.

What does my child need to take in high school?

UMass Amherst requires 17 academic units. A college-preparatory program is required. A GED is accepted.

What will UMass Amherst actually cost us?

Families pay an average of $22,383 a year at UMass Amherst after grants and scholarships, against a published in-state tuition of $17,601. The published price is not what most families pay. The university reports meeting 86.4% of demonstrated need on average. It also gave 1,972 merit awards averaging $7,757 to first-years with no demonstrated need.

What families at each income level actually paid:

58% of UMass Amherst graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $33,146 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $241 a month in repayment. UMass Amherst’s net price calculator gives your own figure.

Does a degree from UMass Amherst pay off?

Graduates earn a median $71,631 ten years after entering, and $60,347 at six years. 84% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years. 77% are actively paying down their loans three years in.

Four-year net cost against that earnings premium:

A scale, not a forecast: it assumes aid and earnings hold steady.

$132,046 to $32,203, depending on the major. Median earnings five years out at UMass Amherst:

College Scorecard, by field of study; highest and lowest shown.

Will my child actually graduate?

92% of first-years return for a second year. 73% graduate within four years and 81% within six (2019 cohort). The rate holds up across income: 75.0% of Pell-grant recipients graduate within six years against 82.5% of everyone else, a gap of 7.5 points.

How big are the classes?

47% of class sections have fewer than 20 students, while 8% have 100 or more. The student-faculty ratio is 17:1, and 81% of faculty are full-time. Both are true at once: 8% of sections seat 100 or more, and those are the introductory lectures. Accredited by New England Commission on Higher Education.

What is life at UMass Amherst like?

24,019 undergraduates, 27% of first-years from out of state. 97% of freshmen live in university housing, falling to 58% across all undergraduates. Greek life is small: 8% of men join a fraternity and 7% of women a sorority. 22% of students are the first in their family to attend college, and the median family income is $78,424.

What this means for your student

• Course rigor is rated Very Important here, so the senior-year schedule should hold its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten.
• 60% of enrolled students are at a 4.0 GPA or above, averaging 4.05. Below that line the rest of the application has to carry real weight.
• Skip demonstrated-interest tactics here. Visits and emails are not tracked, so save that effort for schools where they count.
• The waitlist is live but thin: 2,349 of 7,261 who waited were admitted, about 32%.
• Its highest-earning major returns $132,046 five years out against $32,203 at the other end, a gap wider than the one between most schools.
• See where your student actually stands: calculate their GPA and compare it against the distribution above.

Common questions about UMass Amherst

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