University of Massachusetts Amherst: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics

Dr. Allen Grove is an Alfred University English professor and a college admissions expert with over 20 years of experience helping students transition to college.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public university with an acceptance rate of 64%. Located in Amherst, Massachusetts, UMass Amherst is the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts university system. As the only public university in the Five College Consortium, UMass offers the benefit of state tuition with access to classes at Amherst College, Mt. Holyoke College, Hampshire College, and Smith College. The large UMass campus is easily recognized because of the W.E.B. DuBois Library, the tallest college library in the world.

UMass frequently ranks among the top 50 public universities in the U.S., and it has a chapter of the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa honor society because of its strong liberal arts and sciences programs. Students can join a number of on-campus activities, ranging from academic groups to performing arts ensembles. In athletics, the UMass Minutemen compete in the NCAA Division I Atlantic 10 Conference for most sports.

Considering applying to UMass Amherst? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students.

Acceptance Rate

During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, UMass Amherst had an acceptance rate of 64%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 64 students were admitted, making UMass Amherst's admissions process competitive.

The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to University of Massachusetts Amherst. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account.

Admissions Chances

The University of Massachusetts Amherst, which accepts over half of applicants, has a somewhat selective admissions process. If your SAT/ACT scores and GPA fall within the school's average ranges, you have a strong chance of being accepted. However, UMass Amherst has a holistic admissions process involving other factors beyond your grades and test scores. A strong application essay and glowing letters of recommendation can strengthen your application, as can participation in meaningful extracurricular activities and a rigorous course schedule. Applicants to UMass Amherst should note that some programs also have portfolio or audition requirements. Students with particularly compelling stories or achievements can still receive serious consideration even if their test scores are outside UMass Amherst's average range.

In this scattergram above, the blue and green dots represent students accepted to UMass Amherst. You can see that the majority of students who were accepted had high school averages of B+ or better, combined SAT scores of about 1100 or higher (ERW+M), and ACT composite scores of 23 or higher.