Maine USM vs University of Massachusetts-Amherst (UMass)

When it comes to higher education, University of Southern Maine (USM) and University of Massachusetts-Amherst (UMass-Amherst) stand out as two prominent institutions with distinct characteristics. USM, located in Portland, Maine, offers a close-knit community with a strong focus on undergraduate education, while UMass-Amherst, situated in the vibrant college town of Amherst, Massachusetts, boasts a larger student body and a wider range of academic programs. With varying acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation outcomes, these universities cater to different student preferences and aspirations. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to discover which university aligns best with your academic goals and personal preferences.
University of Massachusetts-Amherst logo

University of Massachusetts-Amherst

University of Southern Maine logo

University of Southern Maine

Overview

Location Amherst, Massachusetts Portland, Maine
Campus setting Suburb: Large City: Small
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Public
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 91.0% 65.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 65.5% 87.0%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $85

Graduate: $85
SAT range 1250 - 1460 995 - 1230
ACT range 28 - 33 19 - 24
Students submitting SAT score 26.0% 18.0%
Students submitting ACT score 5.0% 1.0%
Total number of applicants 42,540 5,397
Total number of admissions given out 27,877 4,695
Admitted students who chose to enroll 4,872 895
Yield rate 17.5% 19.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Not 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
In state: $32,434

Out of state: $52,959
In state: $23,842

Out of state: $37,842
Average net price $17,291 $9,793
Tuition
In state: $15,791

Out of state: $36,316
In state: $8,064

Out of state: $22,064
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $7,611

Meal plan: $5,984
Room/dormitory: $5,460

Meal plan: $4,980
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

86.0%
Average amount $10,662
92.0%
Average amount $8,886
Students receiving federal student loan 39.0%
Average amount $5,123
45.0%
Average amount $4,969
Students taking out private loans 7.0%
Average amount $15,924
6.0%
Average amount $10,975

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 24,231
Men 48.8% Women 51.2%
5,956
Men 40.6% Women 59.4%
Graduate students 7,814
Men 47.9% Women 52.1%
2,040
Men 25.3% Women 74.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Very Low
Out-of-state students N/A 23.4%
International students 11.1% 1.2%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large City: Small
Dormitory capacity 13,582 1,189
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from New York New Jersey Connecticut California New Hampshire Maine New Hampshire Mississippi Vermont Connecticut

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Engineering
  • Health Professions
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Business
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Legal Profession
Students to faculty ratio 18:1 13:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 83.7% 34.5%
Dropout rate 5.1% 33.0%
Transferred out 10.5% 30.0%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
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
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $97,041
  • Year 2: $95,169
  • Year 3: $100,726
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,660
  • Year 2: $61,728
  • Year 3: $71,074
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $52,579
  • Year 2: $55,594
  • Year 3: $65,574
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,254
  • Year 2: $57,422
  • Year 3: $60,602
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,123
  • Year 2: $50,231
  • Year 3: $55,627
Public Policy Analysis (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $49,644
  • Year 3: $54,835
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $45,681
  • Year 2: $45,852
  • Year 3: $51,356
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,716
  • Year 2: $51,690
  • Year 3: $50,246
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,148
  • Year 2: $45,767
  • Year 3: $49,334
Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,098
  • Year 2: $41,342
  • Year 3: $48,118

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
University of Massachusetts-Amherst UMass vs University of Connecticut University of Connecticut
University of Massachusetts-Amherst UMass vs Quinnipiac University Quinnipiac University
University of Massachusetts-Amherst UMass vs University of Delaware University of Delaware
University of Massachusetts-Amherst UMass vs Florida State University Florida State University
University of Massachusetts-Amherst UMass vs Iowa State University Iowa State University
University of Massachusetts-Amherst UMass vs Kansas State University Kansas State University
University of Massachusetts-Amherst UMass vs Eastern Kentucky University Eastern Kentucky University
University of Massachusetts-Amherst UMass vs University of Maine University of Maine
University of Massachusetts-Amherst UMass vs University of Maryland-Baltimore County University of Maryland-Baltimore County
University of Massachusetts-Amherst UMass vs Assumption University Assumption University
University of Massachusetts-Amherst UMass vs Bentley University Bentley University
University of Massachusetts-Amherst UMass vs Fisher College Fisher College
University of Massachusetts-Amherst UMass vs Lasell University Lasell University
University of Massachusetts-Amherst UMass vs University of Massachusetts-Lowell University of Massachusetts-Lowell
University of Massachusetts-Amherst UMass vs Suffolk University Suffolk University
University of Massachusetts-Amherst UMass vs CUNY Graduate School and University Center CUNY Graduate School and University Center
University of Massachusetts-Amherst UMass vs Jewish Theological Seminary of America Jewish Theological Seminary of America
University of Massachusetts-Amherst UMass vs SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
University of Massachusetts-Amherst UMass vs Syracuse University Syracuse University
University of Massachusetts-Amherst UMass vs North Carolina State University at Raleigh North Carolina State University at Raleigh
University of Massachusetts-Amherst UMass vs Bowling Green State University-Main Campus Bowling Green State University-Main Campus
University of Massachusetts-Amherst UMass vs Miami University-Oxford Miami University-Oxford
University of Massachusetts-Amherst UMass vs Ohio University-Main Campus Ohio University-Main Campus
University of Massachusetts-Amherst UMass vs University of Toledo University of Toledo
University of Massachusetts-Amherst UMass vs Wright State University-Main Campus Wright State University-Main Campus
University of Massachusetts-Amherst UMass vs Salve Regina University Salve Regina University
University of Massachusetts-Amherst UMass vs University of South Carolina-Columbia University of South Carolina-Columbia
University of Massachusetts-Amherst UMass vs Middle Tennessee State University Middle Tennessee State University
University of Massachusetts-Amherst UMass vs Texas Tech University Texas Tech University
University of Massachusetts-Amherst UMass vs Brigham Young University Brigham Young University
University of Massachusetts-Amherst UMass vs Champlain College Champlain College
University of Massachusetts-Amherst UMass vs West Virginia University West Virginia University
University of Southern Maine Maine USM vs Central Connecticut State University Central Connecticut State University
University of Southern Maine Maine USM vs Southern Connecticut State University Southern Connecticut State University
University of Southern Maine Maine USM vs Western Connecticut State University Western Connecticut State University
University of Southern Maine Maine USM vs University of Louisiana at Monroe University of Louisiana at Monroe
University of Southern Maine Maine USM vs University of Maine at Augusta University of Maine at Augusta
University of Southern Maine Maine USM vs University of Maine at Farmington University of Maine at Farmington
University of Southern Maine Maine USM vs University of Maine at Fort Kent University of Maine at Fort Kent
University of Southern Maine Maine USM vs University of Maine University of Maine
University of Southern Maine Maine USM vs Maine Maritime Academy Maine Maritime Academy
University of Southern Maine Maine USM vs University of Maine at Presque Isle University of Maine at Presque Isle
University of Southern Maine Maine USM vs Saint Joseph's College of Maine Saint Joseph's College of Maine
University of Southern Maine Maine USM vs American International College American International College
University of Southern Maine Maine USM vs Bridgewater State University Bridgewater State University
University of Southern Maine Maine USM vs Lesley University Lesley University
University of Southern Maine Maine USM vs University of Massachusetts-Lowell University of Massachusetts-Lowell
University of Southern Maine Maine USM vs University of Massachusetts-Amherst University of Massachusetts-Amherst
University of Southern Maine Maine USM vs University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth
University of Southern Maine Maine USM vs Western New England University Western New England University
University of Southern Maine Maine USM vs Worcester State University Worcester State University
University of Southern Maine Maine USM vs Montana State University Billings Montana State University Billings
University of Southern Maine Maine USM vs Plymouth State University Plymouth State University
University of Southern Maine Maine USM vs Rutgers University-Camden Rutgers University-Camden
University of Southern Maine Maine USM vs West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester University of Pennsylvania
University of Southern Maine Maine USM vs University of Rhode Island University of Rhode Island
University of Southern Maine Maine USM vs University of Wisconsin-Stout University of Wisconsin-Stout