University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth

Admission to the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth is highly accessible, though the institution has experienced a decline in its national standing. In the 2027 US News rankings, the university placed 250th, down from 215th in 2019. Gaining acceptance presents few hurdles for applicants, as the school accepted 90.6% of candidates in 2025. This open admission profile means that academic requirements are relatively modest for prospective students. However, the university encounters substantial challenges in convincing admitted applicants to enroll. In 2025, its yield rate was 13.5%, a figure that is higher than only 13% of peer schools in a comparison group of similarly ranked public comprehensive universities. The vast majority of accepted candidates choose other educational options rather than matriculating. For prospective applicants, these patterns indicate that obtaining an offer of admission is very likely, but the school holds limited pulling power among students who receive admission offers.

Applicants assessing their chances at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth can look to historical test ranges for guidance, even though standardized testing is now provided by only a fraction of candidates. In 2025, only 10% of freshmen submitted SAT results. For those who provided standardized testing, the middle fifty percent of composite ACT scores ranged from 26 to 30. On the SAT, the median composite score stood at 1170 in 2025, positioning the institution above the median of a comparison group of similarly ranked public comprehensive universities. These figures suggest that prospective students presenting an SAT score around 1170 or an ACT composite reaching the upper twenties possess test credentials that match well with admitted peers who report scores. With most applicants not reporting exam results, admissions evaluations place substantial emphasis on overall high school performance.

Undergraduate enrollment is moderately spread across disciplines, with the top three majors accounting for 24.2% of all bachelor's degrees conferred in 2025. Nursing stands out as the university's primary undergraduate strength, where program popularity aligns directly with academic standing and post-college pay. The largest bachelor's program is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Other, which also achieved the school's top undergraduate ranking at 56th nationally in the 2027 U.S. News ranking. Graduates from this field earned a median salary of $81,744 one year after graduation based on 2023 data, leading all undergraduate disciplines. The campus shows a pronounced divide in student demographics: while international students made up a small fraction of bachelor's recipients, they earned 50% of all master's degrees in 2025. This graduate presence is heavily focused in technology and quantitative fields, most notably Data Analytics, General, where 95.8% of graduates were international students.

The student body at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth comprised 7,968 students in 2025, spanning undergraduate and graduate divisions. Domestic White students form the largest demographic group among undergraduates, followed by significant Black and Hispanic representation. International student presence varies drastically between academic stages. At the undergraduate level, international learners comprise only a very small sliver of the population, including just dozens of freshmen and continuing students. In contrast, international scholars are heavily concentrated in the graduate division, where 788 students make up 35.2% of all enrolled postgraduates. Asian students represent a consistent minority across all academic programs, accounting for 75 graduate students and low single-digit percentages in each undergraduate class, such as among freshmen and transfer cohorts. This demographic composition creates an undergraduate environment largely drawn from domestic regional backgrounds alongside a substantially more international graduate student community.

The student population at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth reflects a standard division between traditional college-age undergraduates and early-career graduate students. Among undergraduates in 2025, students aged 18 to 19 made up 31.2% of the cohort, while those aged 20 to 21 accounted for 30.5%. Another portion is aged 22 to 24, indicating that campus life and undergraduate activities primarily center on young adults progressing directly through college. Meanwhile, the graduate community is concentrated among individuals in their twenties. Graduate students aged 22 to 24 constituted 31.6% of enrollment, matched by another 31.6% aged 25 to 29. Older adults make up only a small fraction of the graduate population. This distribution shapes a traditional undergraduate campus atmosphere alongside a graduate cohort composed mainly of young professionals and continuing scholars.

International student enrollment at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth has diverged significantly by degree level over recent years. At the undergraduate level, international representation has trended downward, falling to 1.7% of all undergraduates in 2025, remaining below the median of a comparison group of similarly ranked public comprehensive universities. Conversely, graduate international enrollment has expanded substantially, reaching 35.2% of the graduate student body in 2025. This divide is clearly visible in graduation outcomes. In 2025, international students earned only a minuscule fraction of bachelor's degrees, but they accounted for 50% of all master's degrees conferred. At the graduate level, international degree recipients are overwhelmingly concentrated in quantitative and technological disciplines. For example, international students made up 95.8% of graduates in the Data Analytics master's program, alongside a strong presence in Computer and Information Sciences. Meanwhile, undergraduate cohorts across major disciplines like nursing, psychology, and management remain almost entirely domestic.

Families considering UMass Dartmouth can explore several other higher education options located within 30 kilometers of the campus. Just 24.7 kilometers away in Providence, Brown University is a private research institution ranked 16th among National Universities in the 2027 US News rankings. For students interested in a smaller liberal arts setting, Wheaton College (Massachusetts) is located 25.1 kilometers from campus and holds the 81st spot among National Liberal Arts Colleges, while Stonehill College, ranked 85th among National Liberal Arts Colleges, is situated 30 kilometers away. Additionally, the University of Rhode Island provides another public option 28.8 kilometers away, ranking 148th among National Universities.

Campus safety records at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth indicate a noticeable decrease in reported violations over the past decade. The crime rate per 1,000 students declined from 12.9 in 2016 to 5 in 2025. Incident reports from 2023 to 2025 demonstrate that the vast majority of safety issues involve campus disciplinary enforcement rather than violent criminal activity. Disciplinary referrals for alcohol infractions constituted the largest single category, totaling 194 incidents over those three years. Beyond alcohol violations, serious offenses occurred infrequently from 2023 to 2025, with residence hall fires, sexual harassment, assaults, and domestic violence each remaining in the low double digits or single digits across the entire period. For prospective students and their families, these trends indicate that campus security incidents primarily stem from residential conduct violations, while major safety breaches remain comparatively limited.