Solid graduate outcomes with earnings above the peer average.
What graduates earn 10 years after enrollment.
Annual salary at 10 years
Lower quartile earnings
Upper quartile earnings
How graduate earnings grow in the decade after enrollment.
UMass Amherst graduates experience steady earnings growth throughout their early career progression. Median earnings increase from $60,347 at six years to $66,904 at eight years and $71,631 at ten years after enrollment, representing 18.7% growth from the six-year to ten-year marks.
How outcomes compare to similar institutions.
Graduate earnings exceed the peer average, indicating above-typical outcomes for this institution type.
Financial justification for the investment.
Healthy debt burden. Most graduates can manage $22,763 in debt with typical earnings.
UMass Amherst graduates carry median debt of $22,763, comparable to the peer median of $20,000 and representing typical borrowing levels for four-year public institutions. Debt levels range from $11,500 at the 25th percentile to $27,000 at the 75th percentile, indicating variation in borrowing patterns across students.
UMass Amherst ranks at the 77.9th percentile for return on investment, reflecting well above average performance in translating educational investment into post-graduation outcomes. Graduates earn earnings around the national average relative to similar students, with actual outcomes of $71,631 compared to peer institutions' median of $60,543.
Approximately 25.4% of UMass Amherst graduates continue to graduate or professional study, indicating balanced preparation for both workforce entry an...
Program mix explains much of the earnings story.
Computer Science drives the strongest earnings outcomes at $111,935, ranking #42 nationally and graduating 310 students annually. Business programs contribute significantly, with Accounting Technology at $85,464 and Banking and Financial Support Services at $83,610.
Mechanical Engineering rounds out the top earners at $85,357. Psychology represents the largest program with 475 graduates earning $53,442, demonstrating the university's strength in serving diverse career paths beyond high-earning technical fields.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
The earnings distribution from $43,210 to $103,346 represents a 2.4:1 ratio between top and bottom quartiles, indicating meaningful variation in career outcomes across programs and individual paths. Low-income graduates earn $52,500, demonstrating solid mobility outcomes for students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
