Lowell, MApublicwww.uml.edu/
Admit rate has ranged 73%–86% over the last 5 years — notably volatile. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
UMass Lowell is a public research university that punches above its weight, combining the resources of a state flagship with the scrappy, career-focused energy of a polytechnic. Known for standout engineering, computer science, and health sciences programs, it delivers strong ROI—graduates earn $85K on average within a year—while maintaining an 83% acceptance rate that makes it accessible. The campus vibe is work-hard, play-hard, with 40% of students living on a riverside campus that blends historic mill buildings with cutting-edge labs.
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Outcomes & value
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Campus & location
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
UMass Lowell is a high-access, moderately selective institution with an 83% acceptance rate, making it one of the more attainable options in the UMass system. The middle 50% of admitted students for Fall 2025 had a 3.715 average GPA, 1290 SAT, or 27 ACT, though 72% applied test-optional. Deadlines are rolling, but priority dates are July 25 for fall and December 12 for spring—late enough to accommodate late-deciding applicants. Notably, the Reddit community suggests mechanical engineering admits can sometimes slide in with a 2.7 GPA and 1290 SAT, hinting at program-specific flexibility.
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
With 100+ undergraduate majors across five colleges, UMass Lowell leans into its applied, experiential-learning DNA. The College of Engineering (especially plastics engineering) and Manning School of Business anchor its reputation, while computer science, nursing, and criminal justice (including a niche in terrorism studies) draw praise for rigor and industry connections. The curriculum balances theory with co-ops and undergrad research—expect projects like prototyping in the Fabrication Lab or fieldwork with Lowell’s police department. Reddit threads highlight the ‘no-nonsense’ vibe among faculty, many of whom have private-sector experience.
A commuter-school-turned-residential-campus, 40% of students live in university housing, with South Campus (home to health sciences and humanities) buzzing with cafes and the student-run radio station. The River Hawks D1 athletics (especially hockey) rally school spirit, but the social scene is decentralized—think hackathons at the Innovation Hub or kayaking on the Merrimack River. Instagram reels showcase the ‘gritty-chic’ aesthetic: repurposed 19th-century mills housing robotics labs, students grabbing banh mi in Lowell’s Cambodian enclave between classes.
The $85,592 average starting salary for 2024 grads (based on 60% knowledge rate) reflects UML’s STEM-heavy portfolio and Boston-adjacent job market. While the 6-year graduation rate is 63-65%, those who persist see earnings jump to $75K+ within five years—outpacing many liberal arts colleges. The 84% freshman retention rate suggests students who stick around find the ROI compelling, especially in engineering and tech, where co-op pipelines feed into firms like Raytheon and Boston Scientific.
At $17,240 average net price after aid, UML undercuts private peers while delivering comparable STEM outcomes. 90% of students receive aid, with 76% getting grants (average $7,935) and 62% securing institutional scholarships ($5,308 typical award). The ‘no-frills’ campus keeps costs down—no climbing walls here—but the financial aid office earns Reddit kudos for transparency in packaging. Pro tip: Massachusetts’ Commonwealth Commitment program locks in tuition rates for students who complete gen eds at community colleges first.
UMass Lowell is the anti-boutique university: a public powerhouse where plastics engineers rub elbows with criminal justice majors studying under ex-FBI agents, all within a 30-mile radius of Boston’s biotech boom. Its lack of pretension is a feature, not a bug—the kind of place where a 2.7-GPA tinkerer can land a mech-E spot and out-earn Ivy grads by age 30. For students who want hands-on faculty, career-aligned academics, and zero debt drama, it’s a stealth-value play in the Northeast.