University of Massachusetts Amherst

UMass Amherst is moderately selective, admitting about 59.9% of applicants in the most recent cycle from a pool of roughly 53,000, with around 5,300 first-years enrolling. The bar is higher than the overall rate suggests for non-residents and for selective majors and the Commonwealth Honors College, since only about 27% of students come from outside Massachusetts and the rigor of your course load and GPA are weighed as very important factors.

Admitted first-years at UMass Amherst report an average high school GPA of about 4.05. There is no fixed cutoff, but academic GPA and the rigor of your high school record are both rated very important in admissions, so a strong transcript in challenging courses matters more than hitting any single number.

A 1400 is competitive at UMass Amherst, landing right in the middle 50% of enrolled first-years, who scored between 1330 and 1480 on the SAT (30–34 ACT). Because UMass is test-optional, a score in that band can strengthen your application but is not required to apply.

No, UMass Amherst is test-optional and reviews applications with or without scores; standardized test scores are only a considered factor, not a very important one. If you do submit, the middle 50% of enrolled first-years scored 1330–1480 on the SAT and 30–34 on the ACT, with about 57% of SAT submitters scoring 1400 or higher.

Out-of-state applicants are admitted at a slightly higher rate than Massachusetts residents — 61.4% vs. 57.8% in the most recent cycle. UMass Amherst lists both state residency and geographical residence as not considered in its review, so non-residents are evaluated on the same academic and personal factors as in-state applicants. The small gap likely reflects self-selection among the larger out-of-state pool rather than any preference.

Annual tuition and required fees are about $18,987 for Massachusetts residents and $42,259 for out-of-state students, with on-campus housing and food adding roughly $16,726. About 42% of first-years receive need-based grant aid, the average need-based package is near $24,457, and UMass meets roughly 86% of demonstrated need on average.

Business and marketing is the largest field at about 17% of bachelor's degrees, followed by the biological and life sciences and the social sciences at roughly 10% each. Psychology (8%), computer and information sciences (8%), and engineering (7%) round out the most-conferred programs at this land-grant flagship.

Yes. UMass Amherst rates the application essay as an important factor in its holistic review, alongside recommendations, extracurriculars, and class rank, and ahead of standardized test scores, which are only considered. With character and personal qualities also weighed as very important, a specific, well-revised essay is one of the clearest ways to stand out beyond your GPA and course rigor.

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