University of Massachusetts-Boston

Admission to the University of Massachusetts-Boston is relatively accessible, with a large majority of applicants receiving offers. In 2025, the university posted an acceptance rate of 83.8%, which was higher than 60% of peer schools in its comparison group of public comprehensive universities with similar rankings. This broad selectivity means qualified applicants face modest admissions barriers. However, turning acceptances into actual registrations remains a major challenge. The university recorded an enrollment yield rate of just 12.3% in 2025, which was lower than all peer schools in the comparison group. This low yield indicates that accepted candidates frequently decide to enroll elsewhere. In the U.S. News rankings, the institution has shown steady upward momentum in recent years, advancing from rank 234 in 2023 to rank 202 in 2027. For prospective applicants, the combination of an accessible acceptance rate and rising national standing makes the campus an achievable target, though the modest drawing power among admitted students reflects intense competition from other institutions.

The University of Massachusetts-Boston maintains an admissions test policy that is optional, where test scores are considered if submitted. For the 2025 entering class, standardized testing was submitted by a minority of incoming students, with roughly one-third providing SAT scores and a smaller share providing ACT results. For those who reported scores in 2025, the university recorded a median SAT score of 1190. This mark is higher than 67% of peer schools in its comparison group of public comprehensive universities with similar rankings. Among students submitting ACT results in 2025, composite scores ranged between 22 and 29. These figures give prospective applicants a clear benchmark regarding the academic preparation of peers who choose to submit scores, helping families gauge competitiveness alongside high school academic records.

Undergraduate degrees at the University of Massachusetts-Boston are fairly concentrated, with the top three bachelor programs accounting for 40.7% of all graduating seniors in 2025. Business Administration and Management, General led bachelor completions with 394 graduates, followed closely by Nursing Science and Psychology, General. While Business awards the most degrees, the university finds its highest-ranked recognition in healthcare. In the 2027 U.S. News rankings, the undergraduate Nursing program achieved rank 36, and at the graduate level, Rehabilitation Counseling placed 15th in 2026. Nursing is also among the most lucrative fields on campus, with 2023 earnings data showing that registered nursing graduates earned a median income of $83,750 one year after completing their bachelor degrees, closely followed by engineering. At the master's level, international enrollment is heavily focused in computational areas such as Computer Science and Information Technology. Prospective students will find that while business remains the most popular major, health and nursing disciplines provide the strongest mix of academic reputation and early-career returns.

The University of Massachusetts-Boston maintains a varied student body where Asian and international students comprise established shares across academic levels. In 2025, Asian students formed a sizable segment of the undergraduate population, including 1,424 continuing undergraduates who accounted for 17.3% of that cohort. Asian enrollment also appeared consistently among first-year and transfer cohorts. Meanwhile, international representation was most pronounced in post-baccalaureate studies, where 795 international students comprised 23.1% of the graduate division. Domestic minority groups, including Hispanic and Black students, similarly made up substantial portions of undergraduate enrollment alongside White students. For families evaluating the campus, these metrics indicate that degree candidates study within a demographically balanced setting throughout their studies, while graduate applicants encounter a classroom environment with a significant international contingent. Those planning an application can expect broad representation across degree programs rather than an enrollment concentrated within any single demographic background.

The age distribution at the University of Massachusetts-Boston highlights a clear divide between undergraduate and graduate student life. In 2025, undergraduates were predominantly of traditional college age. Students aged 18 to 19 accounted for 31.4% of the undergraduate population, while those aged 20 to 21 comprised 29.9%, with another notable segment between 22 and 24. This concentration means the undergraduate experience centers primarily around young adults navigating early higher education. In contrast, graduate programs serve an older, career-focused demographic, where students aged 25 to 29 formed the largest cohort at 27%, complemented by working adults in their thirties and beyond. This balance shapes a dual campus atmosphere, blending traditional undergraduate student activity with professional and adult learners attending advanced degree programs.

International student representation at the University of Massachusetts-Boston has evolved in contrasting directions across academic levels. At the undergraduate level, international enrollment has trended downward over the past decade, with international students making up 6.9% of all undergraduates in 2025. Despite this decrease, that share remained higher than all peer schools in its comparison group of public comprehensive universities with similar rankings. In contrast, the graduate division has experienced significant international growth, where international scholars reached 23.1% of graduate enrollment in 2025, up from about thirteen percent in 2016. Among degree recipients, international students represented a modest single-digit share of bachelor graduates, but accounted for one-third of all master's degree awards. At the master's level, international students are heavily concentrated in technical and computational disciplines, representing 96.7% of graduates in Computer Science as well as large majorities in Information Science and Information Technology. Undergraduate international students, by comparison, are most commonly found in business administration.

Several prominent universities are located within a short distance of the University of Massachusetts-Boston. Just 3.2 kilometers away stands Northeastern University, ranked 42nd among National Universities in the 2027 U.S. News rankings. In downtown Boston, Suffolk University is located 3.3 kilometers away and ranks 262nd. Across the Charles River, Boston University is situated 4.5 kilometers away with a national ranking of 34th, while Harvard University is located 6.0 kilometers away, holding the 3rd rank among National Universities. These institutions offer diverse academic environments across the greater Boston metropolitan area.

Campus safety records at the University of Massachusetts-Boston reflect a relatively low incidence of serious offenses, with the majority of reported violations involving internal university disciplinary procedures. In 2025, the university registered a crime rate of 2.0 per 1,000 students. Across the three-year period from 2023 to 2025, student conduct issues constituted the bulk of safety reports, led by 170 disciplinary referrals for alcohol violations and 40 disciplinary referrals for drug offenses. Incidents of interpersonal misconduct over the same timeframe included a smaller number of stalking reports and dating violence cases, while weapon referrals and theft incidents remained minimal at three cases each. Serious violent crime was rarely recorded on campus during these years. For students and families evaluating the urban environment, these figures indicate that security concerns on campus primarily relate to substance-policy enforcement rather than severe threats to personal physical safety.