University of Massachusetts Boston
The University of Massachusetts Boston (UMass Boston) is a public research university and the only public research university in Boston, Massachusetts . It is the third-largest campus in the five-campus University of Massachusetts system . Founded in 1964, the university is nationally recognized as a model of excellence for urban public universities, with a special commitment to urban and global engagement . The 120-acre waterfront campus is located on Columbia Point in the Dorchester section of Boston, adjacent to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, the Massachusetts State Archives, and the Edward M. Kennedy Institute . UMass Boston enrolls approximately 15,575 students, including 12,138 undergraduates and 3,437 graduate students . The university offers 79 undergraduate programs and 114 graduate programs across nine colleges and schools, with a 15:1 student-to-faculty ratio . Ninety-three percent of full-time faculty hold the highest degree in their fields . The university is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research spending and doctorate production" . Its athletic teams, the Beacons, compete in NCAA Division III . The university's motto is "To Preserve and Extend Knowledge" .
University Overview
In 1968, officials announced that UMass Boston's permanent home would be on Columbia Point in Dorchester—a 100-acre landfill and former cow pasture on a peninsula jutting into Dorchester Bay . The new campus opened in January 1974, featuring McCormack and Wheatley halls, the Science Center, Healey Library, and the Quinn Administration Building .
A pivotal moment came on January 28, 1982, when Boston State College—founded in 1852 as a normal school for teacher training—was merged into UMass Boston . This merger added graduate and undergraduate programs in education, criminal justice, nursing, and regional studies, plus an evening division, boosting undergraduate enrollment by 38 percent and tripling graduate enrollment . By 1995, UMass Boston had 31 graduate degree and certificate programs, with graduate students comprising 21 percent of total enrollment .
In September 2022, the university launched its ten-year strategic plan, "For the Times: UMass Boston Strategic Plan, 2022–2032," affirming its vision as "a public research university with a teaching soul" dedicated to pursuing locally rooted and globally engaged research, teaching, and learning at the highest level of scholarly excellence . The university has grown from its pioneering class to become the most diverse university campus in New England, serving as a gateway to intellectual discovery and an engine of social mobility
Popular Programs
Nursing, Business, Psychology, Sociology, Computer Science
Tuition Fees
$15,000 - $35,000/year
Scholarships
Chancellor's Scholarships, Dean's Merit Awards, Transfer Scholarships, Beacon Awards
Admission Requirements
GPA 2.8+, ACT 19-25/SAT 1000-1180, Personal Essay, Letters of Recommendation
