Clark University vs University of Massachusetts-Amherst (UMass)

Clark University and University of Massachusetts-Amherst, both esteemed institutions in Massachusetts, offer distinct educational experiences. Clark, a private research university, boasts a highly selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 48%, while UMass-Amherst, a public research university, is more accessible with an acceptance rate of 71%. Clark's student body is smaller and more diverse, with 2,200 undergraduates from 48 states and 60 countries, while UMass-Amherst's student body is larger and more local, with over 28,000 undergraduates primarily from Massachusetts. Both universities offer a wide range of undergraduate programs, with popular majors at Clark including Psychology, Biology, and Economics, and popular majors at UMass-Amherst including Business, Engineering, and Computer Science. With graduation rates of 86% and 79% respectively, both universities ensure that their students are well-prepared for successful careers. Explore the comparison
Clark University logo

Clark University

University of Massachusetts-Amherst logo

University of Massachusetts-Amherst

Overview

Location Worcester, Massachusetts Amherst, Massachusetts
Campus setting City: Midsize Suburb: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Public
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 87.0% 91.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 48.0% 65.5%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $60

Graduate: $100
Undergraduate: $85

Graduate: $85
SAT range 1218 - 1403 1250 - 1460
ACT range 27 - 30 28 - 33
Students submitting SAT score 17.0% 26.0%
Students submitting ACT score 5.0% 5.0%
Total number of applicants 8,151 42,540
Total number of admissions given out 3,915 27,877
Admitted students who chose to enroll 505 4,872
Yield rate 12.9% 17.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $62,302
In state: $32,434

Out of state: $52,959
Average net price $31,565 $17,291
Tuition $49,950
In state: $15,791

Out of state: $36,316
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $6,000

Meal plan: $4,150
Room/dormitory: $7,611

Meal plan: $5,984
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

95.0%
Average amount $27,608
86.0%
Average amount $10,662
Students receiving federal student loan 60.0%
Average amount $5,282
39.0%
Average amount $5,123
Students taking out private loans 9.0%
Average amount $16,271
7.0%
Average amount $15,924

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 2,302
Men 42.1% Women 57.9%
24,231
Men 48.8% Women 51.2%
Graduate students 1,048
Men 49.3% Women 50.7%
7,814
Men 47.9% Women 52.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students 23.0% 11.1%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 1,633 13,582
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Mississippi New York Connecticut Maine New Jersey New York New Jersey Connecticut California New Hampshire

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Social Sciences
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Business
  • Engineering
  • Health Professions
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio 9:1 18:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 79.0% 83.7%
Dropout rate 6.8% 5.1%
Transferred out 14.1% 10.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $69,601
  • Year 2: $64,328
  • Year 3: $76,941
Geography and Cartography (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $54,259
  • Year 2: $52,733
  • Year 3: $68,708
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,937
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $58,038
Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $44,649
  • Year 2: $48,432
  • Year 3: $50,210
Education, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $48,148
  • Year 2: $44,418
  • Year 3: $49,665
Public Administration (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,833
  • Year 2: $37,208
  • Year 3: $49,591
Community Organization and Advocacy (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $32,656
  • Year 2: $39,639
  • Year 3: $47,508
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $25,412
  • Year 2: $34,526
  • Year 3: $46,715
Communication and Media Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $31,423
  • Year 3: $46,559
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $37,568
  • Year 3: $46,250
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $112,236
  • Year 2: $99,741
  • Year 3: $118,959
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $97,497
  • Year 2: $97,071
  • Year 3: $105,578
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $79,216
  • Year 2: $78,232
  • Year 3: $95,030
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,683
  • Year 2: $75,518
  • Year 3: $94,055
Education, General (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,391
  • Year 2: $76,460
  • Year 3: $79,970
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $65,906
  • Year 2: $67,202
  • Year 3: $79,007
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $72,222
  • Year 2: $69,338
  • Year 3: $76,636
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $68,607
  • Year 2: $68,647
  • Year 3: $74,913
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,719
  • Year 2: $65,594
  • Year 3: $74,578
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,571
  • Year 2: $63,646
  • Year 3: $73,746

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