UCI vs. UMass

Deciding between University of California Irvine 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 Irvine
University of Massachusetts Amherst

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

  • Overview

  • Location
  • UCI Irvine, CA
  • UMass Amherst, MA
  • Setting
  • UCI Rural Fringe
  • UMass Town Fringe
  • Total enrollment
  • UCI 37,297
  • UMass 31,726
  • Type
  • UCI Public 4 Year
  • UMass Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • UCI #98
  • UMass #169
  • Religious Affiliation
  • UCI -
  • UMass -
  • Status
  • UCI Non-profit
  • UMass Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • UCI
  • UMass

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • UCI $15,722
  • UMass $17,772
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • UCI $49,922
  • UMass $40,449
  • Room & Board
  • UCI $18,991
  • UMass $16,710
  • Average Net Price
  • UCI $15,889
  • UMass $22,948
  • Average Grant Aid
  • UCI $23,110
  • UMass $13,110
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • UCI 55%
  • UMass 81%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • UCI 122,699
  • UMass 50,261
  • Admitted
  • UCI 35,054
  • UMass 30,020
  • Acceptance Rate
  • UCI 28.6%
  • UMass 59.7%
  • Enrolled
  • UCI 19.2%
  • UMass 17.9%
  • Typical SAT score
  • UCI 1330
  • UMass 1410
  • Typical ACT score
  • UCI 29
  • UMass 31
  • Average High School GPA
  • UCI 3.75
  • UMass 3.99
  • Typical High School Grades
  • UCI A-
  • UMass A
  • Admissions Standards
  • UCI Very High
  • UMass Exceptional
  • Applicant Competition
  • UCI High
  • UMass Low
  • ACT Range
  • UCI 26/33
  • UMass 30/33
  • SAT Range
  • UCI 1230/1430
  • UMass 1310/1500
  • Submit Test Scores
  • UCI Test-free
  • UMass Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • UCI Nov 30, 2026
  • UMass Jan 15, 2027

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • UCI 19:1
  • UMass 17:1
  • Popular Majors
  • UCI
    • Social Sciences (23%)
    • Biology (16%)
    • Psychology (11%)
    • Business (8%)
    • Engineering (8%)
  • UMass
    • Business (15%)
    • Social Sciences (12%)
    • Psychology (9%)
    • Biology (8%)
    • Communication (7%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • UCI 85%
  • UMass 67%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • UCI $61,800
  • UMass $55,200
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • UCI 76%
  • UMass 76%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • UCI $17,000
  • UMass $24,000
  • Median Loan Payment
  • UCI $175
  • UMass $248

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • UCI 45%
  • UMass 48%
  • % Women
  • UCI 55%
  • UMass 52%
  • Racial Diversity
  • UCI Very High
  • UMass Medium
  • HBCU
  • UCI No
  • UMass No
  • % White
  • UCI 15%
  • UMass 67%
  • % Asian
  • UCI 37%
  • UMass 9%
  • % Black
  • UCI 2%
  • UMass 4%
  • % Hispanic
  • UCI 25%
  • UMass 5%
  • % Native American
  • UCI 0%
  • UMass 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • UCI 0%
  • UMass 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • UCI 4%
  • UMass 3%
  • % International
  • UCI 16%
  • UMass 4%
  • % Unknown Race
  • UCI 1%
  • UMass 8%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • UCI 74%
  • UMass 69%
  • % Out-of-State
  • UCI 7%
  • UMass 22%

  • Campus

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

Comparable Facts

Compare University of California Irvine in Irvine, 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 Irvine is larger than UMass based on total student enrollment (37,297 students vs. 31,726 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • University of California Irvine is located in Irvine, CA (Rural Fringe setting); University of Massachusetts Amherst is in Amherst, MA (Town Fringe setting).
  • University of California Irvine 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 Irvine 19:1; University of Massachusetts Amherst 17:1.

UCI vs. UMass Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCI 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 Irvine than UMass ($15,889 vs. $22,948).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Massachusetts Amherst are 12% lower than at University of California Irvine ($16,710 vs. $18,991).
  • University of Massachusetts Amherst is 13% more expensive for in-state tuition than UCI (about $2,050 more per year; $17,772.00 vs. $15,722.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 23.4% higher at UCI than at University of Massachusetts Amherst (about $9,473 more per year; $49,922.00 vs. $40,449.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at University of Massachusetts Amherst than at University of California Irvine (81% vs. 55%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Irvine students is 76.3% larger than aid received by University of Massachusetts Amherst students ($23,110 vs. $13,110).

UCI vs. UMass Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UCI 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 UCI.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at University of Massachusetts Amherst (1410) is 80 points higher than at UCI (1330).
  • Incoming UMass students have a 2 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (31 vs. 29 at UCI).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: University of California Irvine 1230/1430; University of Massachusetts Amherst 1310/1500.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: University of California Irvine 26/33; University of Massachusetts Amherst 30/33.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: UCI - Test-free; UMass - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: UCI Nov 30, 2026; UMass Jan 15, 2027.
  • Accepted freshman UMass students have a 0.24 point higher average high school GPA (3.99) than students at UCI (3.75).
  • UMass has a higher acceptance rate (59.7%) than UCI (28.6%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 19.2% at UCI vs. 17.9% at UMass.

UCI vs. UMass Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for UCI 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 Irvine's six-year graduation rate (85%) is higher than University of Massachusetts Amherst's (67%).
  • Graduates from University of California Irvine earn a median of about $6,600 more per year than UMass graduates about ten years after starting college ($61,800 vs. $55,200), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, University of California Irvine graduates have a $7,000 lower median loan debt than UMass graduates ($17,000 vs. $24,000).
  • Among borrowers, UCI graduates have an estimated $73 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than UMass graduates ($175 vs. $248).
  • More UMass graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCI students, three years after graduation. (76% 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.