UMass vs. NYU

Deciding between University of Massachusetts Amherst and New York University? 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 Massachusetts Amherst
New York University

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • UMass Amherst, MA
  • NYU New York, NY
  • Setting
  • UMass Town Fringe
  • NYU Large City
  • Total enrollment
  • UMass 31,726
  • NYU 56,832
  • Type
  • UMass Public 4 Year
  • NYU Private 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • UMass #169
  • NYU #43
  • Religious Affiliation
  • UMass -
  • NYU -
  • Status
  • UMass Non-profit
  • NYU Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • UMass
  • NYU

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • UMass $17,772
  • NYU $62,796
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • UMass $40,449
  • NYU $62,796
  • Room & Board
  • UMass $16,710
  • NYU $23,530
  • Average Net Price
  • UMass $22,948
  • NYU $30,325
  • Average Grant Aid
  • UMass $13,110
  • NYU $53,901
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • UMass 81%
  • NYU 37%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • UMass 50,261
  • NYU 110,807
  • Admitted
  • UMass 30,020
  • NYU 10,232
  • Acceptance Rate
  • UMass 59.7%
  • NYU 9.2%
  • Enrolled
  • UMass 17.9%
  • NYU 55.4%
  • Typical SAT score
  • UMass 1410
  • NYU 1520
  • Typical ACT score
  • UMass 31
  • NYU 34
  • Average High School GPA
  • UMass 3.99
  • NYU 3.79
  • Typical High School Grades
  • UMass A
  • NYU A-
  • Admissions Standards
  • UMass Exceptional
  • NYU Elite
  • Applicant Competition
  • UMass Low
  • NYU Extreme
  • ACT Range
  • UMass 30/33
  • NYU 34/35
  • SAT Range
  • UMass 1310/1500
  • NYU 1480/1560
  • Submit Test Scores
  • UMass Test optional
  • NYU Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • UMass Jan 15, 2027
  • NYU

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • UMass 17:1
  • NYU 8:1
  • Popular Majors
  • UMass
    • Business (15%)
    • Social Sciences (12%)
    • Psychology (9%)
    • Biology (8%)
    • Communication (7%)
  • NYU
    • Business (19%)
    • Visual and Performing Arts (18%)
    • Social Sciences (14%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
    • Communication (9%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • UMass 67%
  • NYU 86%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • UMass $55,200
  • NYU $76,000
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • UMass 76%
  • NYU 77%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • UMass $24,000
  • NYU $23,250
  • Median Loan Payment
  • UMass $248
  • NYU $240

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • UMass 48%
  • NYU 42%
  • % Women
  • UMass 52%
  • NYU 58%
  • Racial Diversity
  • UMass Medium
  • NYU Very High
  • HBCU
  • UMass No
  • NYU No
  • % White
  • UMass 67%
  • NYU 34%
  • % Asian
  • UMass 9%
  • NYU 20%
  • % Black
  • UMass 4%
  • NYU 5%
  • % Hispanic
  • UMass 5%
  • NYU 12%
  • % Native American
  • UMass 0%
  • NYU 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • UMass 0%
  • NYU 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • UMass 3%
  • NYU 4%
  • % International
  • UMass 4%
  • NYU 17%
  • % Unknown Race
  • UMass 8%
  • NYU 8%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • UMass 69%
  • NYU 26%
  • % Out-of-State
  • UMass 22%
  • NYU 49%

  • Campus

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

Comparable Facts

Compare University of Massachusetts Amherst in Amherst, MA with New York University in New York, NY on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

New York University is larger than UMass based on total student enrollment (56,832 students vs. 31,726 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • University of Massachusetts Amherst is located in Amherst, MA (Town Fringe setting); New York University is in New York, NY (Large City setting).
  • University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. New York University is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: University of Massachusetts Amherst 17:1; New York University 8:1.

UMass vs. NYU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UMass or NYU? 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 Massachusetts Amherst than NYU ($22,948 vs. $30,325).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Massachusetts Amherst are 29% lower than at New York University ($16,710 vs. $23,530).
  • New York University is 253.3% more expensive for in-state tuition than UMass (about $45,024 more per year; $62,796.00 vs. $17,772.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 55.2% higher at NYU than at University of Massachusetts Amherst (about $22,347 more per year; $62,796.00 vs. $40,449.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at University of Massachusetts Amherst than at New York University (81% vs. 37%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by New York University students is 311.1% larger than aid received by University of Massachusetts Amherst students ($53,901 vs. $13,110).

UMass vs. NYU Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UMass or NYU? 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 NYU and UMass.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at New York University (1520) is 110 points higher than at UMass (1410).
  • Incoming NYU students have a 3 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (34 vs. 31 at UMass).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: University of Massachusetts Amherst 1310/1500; New York University 1480/1560.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: University of Massachusetts Amherst 30/33; New York University 34/35.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: UMass - Test optional; NYU - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: UMass Jan 15, 2027.
  • Accepted freshman UMass students have a 0.2 point higher average high school GPA (3.99) than students at NYU (3.79).
  • UMass has a higher acceptance rate (59.7%) than NYU (9.2%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 17.9% at UMass vs. 55.4% at NYU.

UMass vs. NYU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for UMass and NYU? 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).

  • New York University's six-year graduation rate (86%) is higher than University of Massachusetts Amherst's (67%).
  • Graduates from New York University earn a median of about $20,800 more per year than UMass graduates about ten years after starting college ($76,000 vs. $55,200), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, New York University graduates have a $750 lower median loan debt than UMass graduates ($23,250 vs. $24,000).
  • Among borrowers, NYU graduates have an estimated $8 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than UMass graduates ($240 vs. $248).
  • More NYU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UMass students, three years after graduation. (77% 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.