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Massachusetts has strong traditions in higher education. Boston in particular is noted as being a terrific college town. However, the northern part of the state holds University of Massachusetts-Lowell (UMass Lowell and UML), a rather large campus with over 13,000 undergraduate students and around 4,000 students in pursuit of master's degrees. Since the UMass system enjoys such a strong reputation, the Lowell campus is a great option for motivated students who aren't interested in living in Boston or its suburbs. In fact, the Lowell campus might offer students a lower cost of living with the quality of life associated with a smaller town.


Overview of University of Massachusetts-Lowell (UMass Lowell and UML)


Meanwhile, the Lowell campus supports over 135 undergraduate majors, some of which lead directly to one of the 50 master's degree programs available at the Lowell campus. These students not only enrich their minds with academic rigor, but they expand their development by participating in clubs, organizations, and athletic or recreational activities supported by the campus. After class, students flock to the campus rec center for a session on a treadmill, stationary bicycle, or indoor running track. Students also enjoy meeting friends for racquetball, squash, pick-up games of basketball, or badminton. The more competitive students join intramural leagues that include E-sports.

General Information


School Type Public
Campus Setting Suburb: Large
Campus Housing Yes
Student Faculty Ratio 18:1
Graduation Rate 69%
Year Founded 1894

Student Enrollment


Total Students17,597

Undergraduate
12,884
Graduate
4,713

Undergraduate Student

Male 7,602
7,602
Female 5,282
5,282

Graduate Student

Male 2,781
2,781
Female 1,932
1,932

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UMass Lowell Acceptance Rate and Admissions


APPLICATIONS12,493

Male 6,538
Female 5,955

ACCEPTANCE10,619

Male 5,427
Female 5,121

Acceptance Rate85%

Male 83%
Female 86%

Enrollment 1,911

Male 1,140
Female 768
Admissions
Application Fee $60
High School GPA Required
High School Rank NA
High School Transcripts Required
College Prep Courses Required
Recommendations Required
SAT/ACT Considered But Not Required
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) Required
Application Deadline February 5
Common Application Accepted Yes

UML Tuition Cost & Financial Aid


The cost of education in the University of Massachusetts system, while not cheap, is a terrific value in higher education. That's because Massachusetts state residents are able to take advantage of in-state tuition rates. They thus see a gross price tag of only around $17,000 for a year of tuition, books, and supplies. Meanwhile, their out-of-state friends pay nearly double, or $35,000 for the same academic experience.

These figures rise in the wake of living costs. Massachusetts state residents see their gross costs rise to somewhere between $25,000 and $32,000 with the off-campus figure coming in as the lower of the two. Non-Massachusetts residents have a gross cost of between $43,000 and $50,000 for the same year in Lowell.

The financial aid office offsets these costs with an array of grants and scholarships that can help immensely. After they work their magic, the overall average net price for a year on the Lowell campus is a mere $13,000. The lowest income students then pay only $8,000 for a year, including living costs. The top earning households, who earn over $110,000, face an average net price of $20,000, which is still quite a value in higher education.

Average net price 2020-2021
Net Price $13,227
Average Total Aid $10,449
Students Receiving Financial Aid 90%
Room & Board $13,570

Sticker Price


  • Tuition In-State - $15,698
  • Tuition Out-of-State - $33,624
  • Books and Supplies - $1,200
  • Room & Board - $13,570
  • Other - $1,424

Academics


The University of Massachusetts system is well-known throughout the nation. This is because their graduates make such a positive impact on the economy. However, aspiring UMass students might be interested to know how UMass Lowell stacks up in terms of academics. To help them, our research team digs into academic statistics to determine the substance behind UML's reputation. They look at the retention rate, graduation rate, and other academic metrics to arrive at an objective assessment that students can weigh against their personal factors.

In fact, the University of Massachusetts at Lowell returns terrific statistics. Their retention rate, a measure of how many first-time, full-time students return to campus for a second year, is a jaw-dropping 84%. That's a fantastic number for any school, especially a publicly funded university. Then, UML retains 69% of those students through graduation. Thus, an incoming first-year student can expect that most of their friends in the dorm will still be around to don a cap and gown at graduation.

These figures can be partly explained by UML's student-to-faculty ratio. This figure provides researchers an approximation of what the classroom situation looks like. Since UML reports a 19 to 1 ratio, it's pretty clear that students will have a relatively intimate classroom experience.

Student Population Total


Student Population 17,597

Undergraduate
12,884
Graduate
4,713
Evening Classes : No
Online Learning : Yes

Most Popular Programs & Majors

(# of Diplomas Awarded by Subject)


All Engineering Majors 654 Total Graduates / 21%
Mechanical Engineering 214 Graduates
Electrical and Electronics Engineering 119 Graduates
Civil Engineering, General 97 Graduates
Chemical Engineering 86 Graduates
All Business Majors 623 Total Graduates / 20%
Business Administration and Management, General 623 Graduates
All Computer and Information Sciences Majors 390 Total Graduates / 13%
Information Science/Studies 203 Graduates
Computer Science 187 Graduates
All Psychology Majors 224 Total Graduates / 7%
Psychology, General 224 Graduates
All Health Professions and Related Programs Majors 214 Total Graduates / 7%
Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse 93 Graduates
Public Health, General 74 Graduates
Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology/Technologist 39 Graduates
Pharmaceutical Sciences 8 Graduates
All Other Diplomas 32%

Outcome & Salary


Students may be impressed with the academic programs available at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, but they are also interested in the long-term economic outcomes of their hard work. While there are no guarantees in higher education, a UML degree has launched many successful alumni onto the professional stage. Of the top earning alumni, UML's computer science students top the list with a median entry-level salary of $93,000. Rounding out the top five top-earning degrees, UML's registered nurses report median earnings of $70,000. The top earners from UML's alumni are engineering students.

Graduates Salary
College Grads Early Career Salary $53,500
College Grads Average Salary $79,000
College Grads Mid Career Salary $78,000
Return on Investment (ROI)
10 Year Salary Earnings Potential $790,000
20 Year Salary Earnings Potential $1,570,000
Cost of Education (Net Price) 4 Year $52,908
10 Year Projected ROI $737,092
20 Year Projected ROI $1,517,092
No College Education Salary Comparison
National Average Salary $38,792
10 Year Projected Income $387,920
20 Year Projected Income $775,840

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