University Of Massachusetts-Amherst

University of Massachusetts Amherst prices differently across income levels, and the spread is meaningful. Low-income families pay approximately $10,164 per year in net price, middle-income families see annual costs around $12,932, and higher-income families pay closer to $30,793.

Azimuth ranks University of Massachusetts-Amherst #769 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The published cost of attendance is $34,549, but need-based aid closes a meaningful portion of that gap for qualifying families, and the difference between sticker price and what students actually pay is a [net price illusion](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) worth understanding before drawing conclusions from the headline figure.

UMass Amherst participates in federal, state, and institutional aid programs, with need-based grants available through the FAFSA. The university's public-institution structure keeps in-state net prices more accessible than comparable private research universities, and the income-band spread suggests that aid packaging is meaningfully differentiated — lower-income families see substantially reduced costs relative to higher-income families, reflecting the institution's reliance on need-based rather than merit-only aid.

Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $22,763, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $26,243; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions. For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $78,620, median federal debt of $22,763 projects to a monthly payment of about $257 under standard ten-year repayment.

For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

Graduates of University of Massachusetts-Amherst earn median earnings of $78,620 four years after enrollment, placing University of Massachusetts-Amherst in the 86.1 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs above the $65,228 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band).

Graduates earn about $7,679 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the university in the 82.1 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks University of Massachusetts-Amherst #247 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The earnings pattern reflects a Business-anchored program mix — Business accounts for 14% of degrees, followed by Social Sciences at 10% and Engineering at 7%. Computer Science combines large cohort scale with strong pay, making it a key driver of the university's overall return profile.

Azimuth ranks Psychology, General #172 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions [per the program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/), with 547 graduates earning median earnings of $51,274 four years after enrollment. Computer Science ranks #49 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions with 391 graduates earning median earnings of $123,519, and Economics ranks #78 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions with graduates earning median earnings of $80,434.

Among the most popular fields, Biology, General program graduates 317 students annually with median earnings of $72,726, while The Interdisciplinary Studies program graduates 316 students with median earnings of $63,383 four years after enrollment.

University of Massachusetts-Amherst's program mix is anchored in Business, which accounts for 14% of graduates, followed by Social Sciences at 10% and Engineering at 7%. That business-heavy concentration shapes the institution's overall earnings profile: the largest programs by cohort size — Psychology, General (547 graduates), Computer Science (391 graduates), and Economics (353 graduates) — span applied-professional and quantitative fields that feed directly into regional and national labor markets.

Computer Science combines the largest cohort with strong earnings, making it the single program that contributes most to the institution's aggregate return. The strongest national rankings cluster in quantitative and applied fields.

Azimuth ranks Computer Science #49 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning $123,519. Azimuth ranks Finance #34 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning $96,995 from a cohort of 289.

Azimuth ranks Business Administration #28 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning $92,623. Biology, General and Interdisciplinary Studies round out the largest programs, graduating 317 and 316 students respectively, with median four-year earnings of $72,726 and $63,383.

Several of University of Massachusetts-Amherst's highest-earning programs — particularly Computer Science, Mathematics (median earnings $83,338), and Economics (median earnings $80,434) — are high-mobility pathways where graduates enter the workforce directly. Programs in biology and social sciences are more likely grad-school-dependent, where four-year earnings undercount lifetime trajectory.

Across 65 programs serving roughly 6,814 students annually, 44 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold.