UCI vs. UMass

Should I go to University of California Irvine or University of Massachusetts Amherst? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UCI or UMass is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

Add a college to compare up to four schools

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

UConn UCLA UCSD UVM Penn State UCSB UC Davis UC Riverside Rutgers UMass Dartmouth UCSC BU
University of California Irvine vs. University of Massachusetts Amherst comparison
University of California Irvine University of Massachusetts Amherst College 3 College 4
University of California Irvine University of Massachusetts Amherst
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

UCI UMass
Location Irvine, CA Amherst, MA
Setting Rural Fringe Town Fringe
Enrollment 35,937 32,229
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #91 #176
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uci.edu umass.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCI UMass
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $16,186
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $37,405
Room & Board $17,699 $14,123
Avg Net Price $14,033 $22,291
Avg Grant Aid $17,411 $12,350
% Receiving Grant Aid 80% 85%

Admission

UCI UMass
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 119,191 45,451
Admitted 25,212 28,871
Acceptance Rate 21.2% 63.5%
Enrolled % 22.5% 19.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.75 3.99
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Very High Exceptional
Applicant Competition Very High Low
ACT Range 26/33 29/33
SAT Range 1230/1430 1260/1480
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2023 Jan 15, 2024

Academics

UCI UMass
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (23%)
  • Biology (16%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Communication (7%)

Outcomes

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

Diversity

UCI UMass
% Men 45% 49%
% Women 55% 51%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 15% 67%
% Black 2% 4%
% Hispanic 25% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 16% 4%
% Unknown Race 1% 8%

Students

UCI UMass
% In-State 81% 65%
% Out-of-State 7% 24%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Irvine is larger than than UMass based on total student enrollment (35,937 students vs. 32,229 students)

UCI vs. UMass Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCI or UMass?

  • University of Massachusetts Amherst is 40% more expensive to attend than UCI for in-state tuition ($16,186.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 11.3% higher at UCI than University of Massachusetts Amherst ($41,636.00 vs. $37,405.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Irvine than UMass ($14,033 vs. $22,291)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Massachusetts Amherst are 25.3% lower than costs at University of California Irvine ($14,123 vs. $17,699)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Massachusetts Amherst than University of California Irvine (85% vs. 80%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Irvine students is 41% larger than aid received University of Massachusetts Amherst ($17,411 vs. $12,350)

UCI vs. UMass Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UCI or UMass? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between UMass or UCI .

  • The average SAT score at University of Massachusetts Amherst (1226) is 51 points higher than at UCI (1175)
  • Incoming UMass students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at UCI (27)
  • 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 (63.5%) than UCI (21.2%)

UCI vs. UMass Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCI or UMass? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between UMass and UCI.

  • The graduation rate at UCI is higher than University of Massachusetts Amherst (85% vs. 67%)
  • Graduates from University of California Irvine earn on average $6,600 more per year than UMass graduates after ten years. ($61,800 vs. $55,200)
  • University of California Irvine students graduate with a $7,000 lower median federal student loan debt than UMass graduates. ($17,000 vs. $24,000)
  • UCI graduates are paying $73 less per month on federal student loans 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/