UMass vs. UNC Chapel Hill

Deciding between University of Massachusetts Amherst and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill? 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
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • UMass Amherst, MA
  • UNC Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC
  • Setting
  • UMass Town Fringe
  • UNC Chapel Hill Small City
  • Total enrollment
  • UMass 31,726
  • UNC Chapel Hill 32,438
  • Type
  • UMass Public 4 Year
  • UNC Chapel Hill Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • UMass #169
  • UNC Chapel Hill #59
  • Religious Affiliation
  • UMass -
  • UNC Chapel Hill -
  • Status
  • UMass Non-profit
  • UNC Chapel Hill Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • UMass
  • UNC Chapel Hill

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • UMass $17,772
  • UNC Chapel Hill $8,994
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • UMass $40,449
  • UNC Chapel Hill $41,203
  • Room & Board
  • UMass $16,710
  • UNC Chapel Hill $13,804
  • Average Net Price
  • UMass $22,948
  • UNC Chapel Hill $10,154
  • Average Grant Aid
  • UMass $13,110
  • UNC Chapel Hill $17,814
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • UMass 81%
  • UNC Chapel Hill 38%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • UMass 50,261
  • UNC Chapel Hill 66,535
  • Admitted
  • UMass 30,020
  • UNC Chapel Hill 10,209
  • Acceptance Rate
  • UMass 59.7%
  • UNC Chapel Hill 15.3%
  • Enrolled
  • UMass 17.9%
  • UNC Chapel Hill 45.5%
  • Typical SAT score
  • UMass 1410
  • UNC Chapel Hill 1460
  • Typical ACT score
  • UMass 31
  • UNC Chapel Hill 31
  • Average High School GPA
  • UMass 3.99
  • UNC Chapel Hill 3.83
  • Typical High School Grades
  • UMass A
  • UNC Chapel Hill A-
  • Admissions Standards
  • UMass Exceptional
  • UNC Chapel Hill Exceptional
  • Applicant Competition
  • UMass Low
  • UNC Chapel Hill Very High
  • ACT Range
  • UMass 30/33
  • UNC Chapel Hill 28/34
  • SAT Range
  • UMass 1310/1500
  • UNC Chapel Hill 1390/1530
  • Submit Test Scores
  • UMass Test optional
  • UNC Chapel Hill Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • UMass Jan 15, 2027
  • UNC Chapel Hill Jan 15, 2027

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • UMass 17:1
  • UNC Chapel Hill 15:1
  • Popular Majors
  • UMass
    • Business (15%)
    • Social Sciences (12%)
    • Psychology (9%)
    • Biology (8%)
    • Communication (7%)
  • UNC Chapel Hill
    • Social Sciences (17%)
    • Communication (11%)
    • Biology (8%)
    • Business (8%)
    • Psychology (8%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • UMass 67%
  • UNC Chapel Hill 89%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • UMass $55,200
  • UNC Chapel Hill $66,100
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • UMass 76%
  • UNC Chapel Hill 82%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • UMass $24,000
  • UNC Chapel Hill $16,479
  • Median Loan Payment
  • UMass $248
  • UNC Chapel Hill $170

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • UMass 48%
  • UNC Chapel Hill 40%
  • % Women
  • UMass 52%
  • UNC Chapel Hill 60%
  • Racial Diversity
  • UMass Medium
  • UNC Chapel Hill Medium
  • HBCU
  • UMass No
  • UNC Chapel Hill No
  • % White
  • UMass 67%
  • UNC Chapel Hill 64%
  • % Asian
  • UMass 9%
  • UNC Chapel Hill 10%
  • % Black
  • UMass 4%
  • UNC Chapel Hill 8%
  • % Hispanic
  • UMass 5%
  • UNC Chapel Hill 8%
  • % Native American
  • UMass 0%
  • UNC Chapel Hill 1%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • UMass 0%
  • UNC Chapel Hill 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • UMass 3%
  • UNC Chapel Hill 4%
  • % International
  • UMass 4%
  • UNC Chapel Hill 2%
  • % Unknown Race
  • UMass 8%
  • UNC Chapel Hill 3%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • UMass 69%
  • UNC Chapel Hill 84%
  • % Out-of-State
  • UMass 22%
  • UNC Chapel Hill 11%

  • Campus

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

Comparable Facts

Compare University of Massachusetts Amherst in Amherst, MA with University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Chapel Hill, NC on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is larger than UMass based on total student enrollment (32,438 students vs. 31,726 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • University of Massachusetts Amherst is located in Amherst, MA (Town Fringe setting); University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is in Chapel Hill, NC (Small City setting).
  • University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: University of Massachusetts Amherst 17:1; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 15:1.

UMass vs. UNC Chapel Hill Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UMass or UNC Chapel Hill? 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 North Carolina at Chapel Hill than UMass ($10,154 vs. $22,948).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are 17.4% lower than at University of Massachusetts Amherst ($13,804 vs. $16,710).
  • University of Massachusetts Amherst is 97.6% more expensive for in-state tuition than UNC Chapel Hill (about $8,778 more per year; $17,772.00 vs. $8,994.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 1.9% higher at UNC Chapel Hill than at University of Massachusetts Amherst (about $754 more per year; $41,203.00 vs. $40,449.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at University of Massachusetts Amherst than at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (81% vs. 38%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill students is 35.9% larger than aid received by University of Massachusetts Amherst students ($17,814 vs. $13,110).

UMass vs. UNC Chapel Hill Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UMass or UNC Chapel Hill? 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 UNC Chapel Hill and UMass.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1460) is 50 points higher than at UMass (1410).
  • Incoming UMass students have the same typical ACT composite (median estimate; 31) as students at UNC Chapel Hill (31).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: University of Massachusetts Amherst 1310/1500; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 1390/1530.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: University of Massachusetts Amherst 30/33; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 28/34.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: UMass - Test optional; UNC Chapel Hill - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: UMass Jan 15, 2027; UNC Chapel Hill Jan 15, 2027.
  • Accepted freshman UMass students have a 0.16 point higher average high school GPA (3.99) than students at UNC Chapel Hill (3.83).
  • UMass has a higher acceptance rate (59.7%) than UNC Chapel Hill (15.3%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 17.9% at UMass vs. 45.5% at UNC Chapel Hill.

UMass vs. UNC Chapel Hill Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for UMass and UNC Chapel Hill? 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 North Carolina at Chapel Hill's six-year graduation rate (89%) is higher than University of Massachusetts Amherst's (67%).
  • Graduates from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill earn a median of about $10,900 more per year than UMass graduates about ten years after starting college ($66,100 vs. $55,200), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill graduates have a $7,521 lower median loan debt than UMass graduates ($16,479 vs. $24,000).
  • Among borrowers, UNC Chapel Hill graduates have an estimated $78 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than UMass graduates ($170 vs. $248).
  • More UNC Chapel Hill graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UMass students, three years after graduation. (82% 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.