What Is UMass Amherst and What Does It Offer Students?
UMass Amherst is the University of Massachusetts flagship campus in Amherst, Massachusetts — a public research university offering more than 100 undergraduate majors, minors, and certificates, plus a path to design your own major. It's worth exploring if you want a large public research university in New England with strong dining, residential communities, and a college-town setting. The official site organizes next steps for prospective students around four actions: apply, browse majors and minors, check tuition and costs, and take a tour.
Academic options
- 100+ programs. The university offers more than 100 undergraduate majors, minors, and certificates spanning fields from engineering to public health to literature.
- Design your own major. Through the Bachelor's Degree with Individual Concentration (BDIC) program, students can build a personalized major by blending courses across fields that don't fit a traditional department.
- Study abroad. Global learning opportunities are part of the academic picture, per the site's program descriptions.
If your interests sit between established departments, BDIC is the mechanism to check first; if you already know your field, start with the majors and minors list.
Campus life and location
- Housing. Students choose from residential communities where they live, study, and build friendships "steps from the classroom."
- Dining. UMass dining is ranked #1 nationally, recognized for quality, variety, and sustainability — a distinction the university highlights prominently.
- Amherst. The town combines a creative culture, restaurants, and the natural setting of the Pioneer Valley.
These are the factors that shape day-to-day experience, so weigh them alongside academics if campus feel matters to your decision.
Reputation markers
The site cites several distinctions:
| Recognition | Source cited on site |
|---|---|
| #1 public research university in New England (non-medical school R&D expenditures) | UMass Amherst |
| #24 top public universities | U.S. News & World Report |
| Top 50 best value colleges (public) | The Princeton Review |
Research and engagement run across campus, with featured work including "Food is Medicine," AI for the Commonwealth, and studying barriers to accessing healthy food.
Next steps for prospective students
- Apply — the site's prospective student path starts here.
- Browse majors and minors to find a program, or look into BDIC if nothing fits.
- Check tuition and costs before committing; the site links these figures but does not state them in the material summarized here.
- Take a tour — in person or via the campus life pages — to judge housing, dining, and Amherst for yourself.
The site also routes content by audience: prospective students, current students, parents and family, faculty and staff, and alumni, so you can jump straight to the section that matches your situation.