UC Berkeley vs. UMass

Deciding between University of California Berkeley and University of Massachusetts Amherst? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

University of California Berkeley
University of Massachusetts Amherst

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • UC Berkeley Berkeley, CA
  • UMass Amherst, MA
  • Setting
  • UC Berkeley Midsize City
  • UMass Town Fringe
  • Total enrollment
  • UC Berkeley 45,882
  • UMass 31,726
  • Type
  • UC Berkeley Public 4 Year
  • UMass Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • UC Berkeley #65
  • UMass #169
  • Religious Affiliation
  • UC Berkeley -
  • UMass -
  • Status
  • UC Berkeley Non-profit
  • UMass Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • UC Berkeley
  • UMass

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • UC Berkeley $16,347
  • UMass $17,772
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • UC Berkeley $50,547
  • UMass $40,449
  • Room & Board
  • UC Berkeley $23,750
  • UMass $16,710
  • Average Net Price
  • UC Berkeley $16,538
  • UMass $22,948
  • Average Grant Aid
  • UC Berkeley $29,608
  • UMass $13,110
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • UC Berkeley 53%
  • UMass 81%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • UC Berkeley 124,242
  • UMass 50,261
  • Admitted
  • UC Berkeley 13,639
  • UMass 30,020
  • Acceptance Rate
  • UC Berkeley 11%
  • UMass 59.7%
  • Enrolled
  • UC Berkeley 46%
  • UMass 17.9%
  • Typical SAT score
  • UC Berkeley 1420
  • UMass 1410
  • Typical ACT score
  • UC Berkeley 32
  • UMass 31
  • Average High School GPA
  • UC Berkeley 3.87
  • UMass 3.99
  • Typical High School Grades
  • UC Berkeley A
  • UMass A
  • Admissions Standards
  • UC Berkeley Elite
  • UMass Exceptional
  • Applicant Competition
  • UC Berkeley Very High
  • UMass Low
  • ACT Range
  • UC Berkeley 30/35
  • UMass 30/33
  • SAT Range
  • UC Berkeley 1310/1530
  • UMass 1310/1500
  • Submit Test Scores
  • UC Berkeley Test-free
  • UMass Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • UC Berkeley Nov 30, 2026
  • UMass Jan 15, 2027

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • UC Berkeley 18:1
  • UMass 17:1
  • Popular Majors
  • UC Berkeley
    • Social Sciences (20%)
    • Biology (13%)
    • Engineering (10%)
    • English and Literature (5%)
    • Natural Resources Conservation (5%)
  • UMass
    • Business (15%)
    • Social Sciences (12%)
    • Psychology (9%)
    • Biology (8%)
    • Communication (7%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • UC Berkeley 90%
  • UMass 67%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • UC Berkeley $74,700
  • UMass $55,200
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • UC Berkeley 79%
  • UMass 76%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • UC Berkeley $14,200
  • UMass $24,000
  • Median Loan Payment
  • UC Berkeley $146
  • UMass $248

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • UC Berkeley 46%
  • UMass 48%
  • % Women
  • UC Berkeley 54%
  • UMass 52%
  • Racial Diversity
  • UC Berkeley Very High
  • UMass Medium
  • HBCU
  • UC Berkeley No
  • UMass No
  • % White
  • UC Berkeley 27%
  • UMass 67%
  • % Asian
  • UC Berkeley 35%
  • UMass 9%
  • % Black
  • UC Berkeley 2%
  • UMass 4%
  • % Hispanic
  • UC Berkeley 14%
  • UMass 5%
  • % Native American
  • UC Berkeley 0%
  • UMass 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • UC Berkeley 0%
  • UMass 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • UC Berkeley 5%
  • UMass 3%
  • % International
  • UC Berkeley 14%
  • UMass 4%
  • % Unknown Race
  • UC Berkeley 3%
  • UMass 8%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • UC Berkeley 84%
  • UMass 69%
  • % Out-of-State
  • UC Berkeley 9%
  • UMass 22%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • UC Berkeley Yes
  • UMass Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • UC Berkeley No
  • UMass No
  • Meal Plan
  • UC Berkeley Yes
  • UMass Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • UC Berkeley No
  • UMass Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • UC Berkeley Yes
  • UMass Yes

Comparable Facts

Compare University of California Berkeley in Berkeley, CA with University of Massachusetts Amherst in Amherst, MA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

University of California Berkeley is larger than UMass based on total student enrollment (45,882 students vs. 31,726 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • University of California Berkeley is located in Berkeley, CA (Midsize City setting); University of Massachusetts Amherst is in Amherst, MA (Town Fringe setting).
  • University of California Berkeley is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: University of California Berkeley 18:1; University of Massachusetts Amherst 17:1.

UC Berkeley vs. UMass Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Berkeley or UMass? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Berkeley than UMass ($16,538 vs. $22,948).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Massachusetts Amherst are 29.6% lower than at University of California Berkeley ($16,710 vs. $23,750).
  • University of Massachusetts Amherst is 8.7% more expensive for in-state tuition than UC Berkeley (about $1,425 more per year; $17,772.00 vs. $16,347.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 25% higher at UC Berkeley than at University of Massachusetts Amherst (about $10,098 more per year; $50,547.00 vs. $40,449.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at University of Massachusetts Amherst than at University of California Berkeley (81% vs. 53%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Berkeley students is 125.8% larger than aid received by University of Massachusetts Amherst students ($29,608 vs. $13,110).

UC Berkeley vs. UMass Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UC Berkeley or UMass? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between UMass and UC Berkeley.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at University of California Berkeley (1420) is 10 points higher than at UMass (1410).
  • Incoming UC Berkeley students have a 1 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (32 vs. 31 at UMass).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: University of California Berkeley 1310/1530; University of Massachusetts Amherst 1310/1500.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: University of California Berkeley 30/35; University of Massachusetts Amherst 30/33.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: UC Berkeley - Test-free; UMass - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: UC Berkeley Nov 30, 2026; UMass Jan 15, 2027.
  • Accepted freshman UMass students have a 0.12 point higher average high school GPA (3.99) than students at UC Berkeley (3.87).
  • UMass has a higher acceptance rate (59.7%) than UC Berkeley (11%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 46% at UC Berkeley vs. 17.9% at UMass.

UC Berkeley vs. UMass Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for UC Berkeley and UMass? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • University of California Berkeley's six-year graduation rate (90%) is higher than University of Massachusetts Amherst's (67%).
  • Graduates from University of California Berkeley earn a median of about $19,500 more per year than UMass graduates about ten years after starting college ($74,700 vs. $55,200), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, University of California Berkeley graduates have a $9,800 lower median loan debt than UMass graduates ($14,200 vs. $24,000).
  • Among borrowers, UC Berkeley graduates have an estimated $102 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than UMass graduates ($146 vs. $248).
  • More UC Berkeley graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UMass students, three years after graduation. (79% vs. 76%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.