59.7%
Acceptance Rate
$17,772
Avg Cost (In-State)
$40,449
Avg Cost (Out-of-State)
83.2%
Graduation Rate
23,671
Total Enrollment
Popular programs
Application requirements
Regular Deadline
January 15
Early Deadline
November 1 (Early Action)
Common App
Yes
Test Policy
Test Optional
Essays Required
1
Letters of Rec
1
Application Fee
$85
Interview
Not required
Essays: One personal essay required through Common App (650 word maximum)
Requirements are AI-generated from public data and may change. Always verify directly with the college.
Getting there
Graduate outcomes
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
$60,347
Median Earnings at 6 Years
median graduate salary 6 years after starting
$71,631
Median Earnings at 10 Years
median graduate salary 10 years after starting
83%
4-Year Graduation Rate
students completing degree within 4 years
Earnings data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Figures reflect federal aid recipients only — actual median earnings may be higher at schools where many students receive grants rather than loans.
Earnings by major
Median earnings 1 year after graduation, by bachelor's program. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard FieldOfStudy data.
| Program | Median earnings (1yr) | Earnings (4yr) | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other. | $47,762 | $63,383 | 316 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. | $81,452 | $90,309 | 244 |
| Psychology, General. | $32,223 | $51,274 | 242 |
| Economics. | $52,309 | $80,434 | 223 |
| Mechanical Engineering. | $73,972 | $96,999 | 219 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services. | $68,920 | $96,995 | 205 |
| Biology, General. | $40,427 | $72,726 | 204 |
| Communication and Media Studies. | $36,380 | $60,891 | 203 |
Tracked through federal tax records. Programs with fewer than 30 graduates with reported earnings are privacy-suppressed. 4-year figure tracks the same cohort 3 years later.
What current students say
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Tactics that apply here
Things you can do that most families don't know about.
Early Action priority deadlines unlock the biggest merit pools
~$15k valueAt many public universities, applying by the EA deadline (Nov 1) instead of regular (Feb 1) decides whether you're considered for the top merit awards.
Who it helps: Students with their applications ready by November of senior year, especially those targeting merit-rich publics.
How to use: List each target school's EA deadline (commonly Nov 1, sometimes Oct 15 or Dec 1). Submit complete applications + test scores by then. Confirm merit-scholarship deadlines separately — some require a different priority date or supplemental essay.
Source ↗File FAFSA the day it opens
~$5k valueMost schools award state and institutional aid first-come-first-served from a fixed pool. Filing FAFSA in October beats filing in February by thousands.
Who it helps: Every student applying for need-based aid, but especially families relying on state grants or institutional aid.
How to use: Set a calendar reminder for the FAFSA opening date (currently Oct 1 most years; Dec 1 in the 2024-25 transition year). Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to auto-fill tax info. Submit even if you have to estimate; corrections are easy.
Source ↗CSS Profile is required by 200+ private schools — separate from FAFSA
Most selective private colleges use the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA. It costs $25 + $16/school and reaches deeper into family finances than FAFSA does.
Who it helps: Any student applying to a private 4-year with significant institutional aid needs.
How to use: Check the CSS Profile school list for each of your target colleges. Open the app at cssprofile.collegeboard.org as soon as it opens (early Oct). Submit ahead of each school's earliest priority date — often before the FAFSA deadline.
Source ↗Scholarships
Scholarships you may qualify for.
Wellesley College Need-Met Aid
100% need met (loans capped per year)
universityAll admitted Wellesley students with demonstrated need.
Deadline: CSS Profile + FAFSA + IDOC
Learn more ↗UMass Boston Chancellor's Scholarship
Full tuition + fees
universityTop UMass Boston freshmen via competitive process; need + merit considered.
Deadline: December 1
Learn more ↗Boston University Trustee Scholarship
Full tuition (~$66,000)
universityTop ~20 BU freshmen via competitive process; strong academic + leadership.
Deadline: December 1
Learn more ↗Boston Foundation Scholarships
$1,000-$5,000
localEastern Massachusetts students with academic merit + financial need.
Deadline: Varies
Learn more ↗Smith College Need-Met Aid
100% need met; loans replaced for first-year families under $60k
universityAll admitted Smith students with demonstrated need.
Deadline: CSS Profile + FAFSA
Learn more ↗Salem State Scholarship
$1,500-$5,000/year
universitySSU incoming freshmen via automatic merit grid.
Deadline: December 1
Learn more ↗Mount Holyoke Need-Met Aid
100% need met for international + most domestic students
universityAdmitted Mount Holyoke students with demonstrated need.
Deadline: CSS Profile + FAFSA
Learn more ↗UMass Lowell Chancellor's Scholarship
Up to full tuition + fees
universityTop UML freshmen with 3.5+ GPA + 1300+ SAT.
Deadline: December 1
Learn more ↗Western New England University Presidential Scholarship
$20,000-$25,000/year
universityTop WNE freshmen with 3.6+ GPA + 1250+ SAT.
Deadline: December 1
Learn more ↗Round-by-round
Acceptance rates by application round.
The single overall 59.7% rate hides a 2–4x gap between ED and RD at most selective schools. Class of 2027 cycle.
Regular Decision
58%
acceptance
Overall ~60%; CS direct admit far lower.
Source ↗Regular Decision
59.73%
acceptance
Bulk-imported from College Scorecard (admission_rate.overall). Deadline/notification dates are typical RD defaults; revise as needed.
Source ↗Peer colleges
Similar colleges to consider.
Similar selectivity
CUNY City College
New York, NY
60% acceptance
Both admit around 60% of applicants, with 13k undergrads and a u campus — a close selectivity match.
University of South Carolina-Columbia
Columbia, SC
60.2% acceptance
Both admit around 60% of applicants, with 30k undergrads and a c campus — a close selectivity match.
Ohio State University-Main Campus
Columbus, OH
60.6% acceptance
Both admit around 61% of applicants, with 46k undergrads and a u campus — a close selectivity match.
Cheaper alternatives
CUNY City College
New York, NY
60% acceptance
Similar selectivity (60% vs 60%) but out-of-state cost runs $15k — meaningfully less than $40k.
CUNY Hunter College
New York, NY
53.8% acceptance
Similar selectivity (54% vs 60%) but out-of-state cost runs $15k — meaningfully less than $40k.
CUNY Lehman College
Bronx, NY
56.6% acceptance
Similar selectivity (57% vs 60%) but out-of-state cost runs $15k — meaningfully less than $40k.
Reaches above this college
Safer alternatives
Rowan University
Glassboro, NJ
77.7% acceptance
Same c setting in the Northeast, but higher admit rate (78% vs 60%) — a likelier admit with a similar feel.
University of New Hampshire
Durham, NH
80% acceptance
Same c setting in the Northeast, but higher admit rate (80% vs 60%) — a likelier admit with a similar feel.
University of New Hampshire-Main Campus
Durham, NH
88.2% acceptance
Same c setting in the Northeast, but higher admit rate (88% vs 60%) — a likelier admit with a similar feel.
Transfer pathways
Routes in from a community college.
From MA community colleges
articulation onlyUMass Amherst is part of the MassTransfer system, which provides guaranteed admission to AA-degree graduates from Massachusetts community colleges with a 3.0+ GPA (MassTransfer A2B program). The Commonwealth Commitment offers reduced tuition for community college graduates contin…
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