333 South Street Suite 400
Shrewsbury, MA 01545

The University of Massachusetts is the state college system for Massachusetts. The system has five colleges: The University of Massachusetts at Amherst, the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, the University of Massachusetts at Boston, the University of Massachusetts Lowell and the University of Massachusetts medical school. Established in 1863 as the University of Massachusetts Agricultural College, it was renamed to the Massachusetts State College in 1932. The original school is now the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. There is a 19-member voting board and a president that oversees all of the colleges.

Over 58,000 students enroll in the University of Massachusetts system each year, including nearly 8,000 first time freshmen. On average about 80 percent of the student population are residents of Massachusetts. The system employs more than 4,700 faculty members, among them are: Nobel Laureates, Pulitzer Prize recipients, members of the National Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Medicine, American Book Award winners, and Fullbright, Guggenheim, MacArthur, and Mellon fellows. The faculty at the University of Massachusetts schools also secure more than $400 million in research grants each year.

The University of Massachusetts system not only helps the economy directly in Massachusetts by partnering with business and contributing to the local economies in which the schools are located, the system also assists the overall quality of life in the commonwealth by enhancing learning opportunities. The University of Massachusetts systems partners with businesses by assisting with research and development, industrial services, small business development and providing small business incubators. In today's global economy, it's also important for students to understand the world around them. The University of Massachusetts system brings scholars and lecturers from around the world to the campuses, as well as providing study abroad programs.

In addition to the five campuses, the University of Massachusetts system also includes: Commonwealth College, an honors college connected to the University of Massachusetts Amherst; Umass online, the distance learning extension of the system; and the Intercampus Graduate School of Marine Sciences and Technology, offering both Master's and Doctorate Degrees in marine sciences.

Quick Facts:

The University of Massachusetts colleges are accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, which accredits schools in the six New England states.

Each school in the University of Massachusetts has integrated voluntary study abroad programs into the curriculum and each college has its own international programs office.

The University of Massachusetts system allows for inter-library loans, which means each student in the system may visit the other libraries other than the ones on their home campuses.

This school profile has been compiled and updated by The CollegeBound Network. The school is not affiliated with The CollegeBound Network and shall not be considered a sponsor of this program.