College Azimuth

Research brief & institution hub

University of Massachusetts-Boston

MALarge public institution · Overall rank #122 nationally

Data snapshot Updated

Azimuth places the university in the 92nd percentile nationally.

Who it’s a good fit for

The University of Massachusetts-Boston is a public university in Boston whose degree mix is led by Health Professions and Business. Mobility is among the highest we track.

Graduates out-earn what predicts for students like them, and the typical graduate earns above the median at comparable schools. The model attributes the gap about evenly between the factors it measures and a remainder it does not explain.

Pell Grant recipients complete at a rate slightly above the overall cohort, and access is well above average. The lowest income band pays well below the published cost, while the highest pays closer to it.

The admission rate is above the median for comparable schools, and most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study. A student drawn to the largest programs should know that the best-paid ones are smaller.

University of Massachusetts-Boston at a glance

Admissions and outcomes

Admission rate[1]
83.8%
Six-year completion[2]
49.4%
Four-year earnings[3]
$69,532

Cost and family borrowing

Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[6]
$15,663
Median student debt[4]
$21,974
Median Parent PLUS debt[7]
$17,163

University of Massachusetts-Boston rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[5]

University of Massachusetts-Boston is a public university in Boston, Massachusetts, enrolling 11,512 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits near the top of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (92nd percentile), with mobility as the strongest .

The university admits 83.8% of applicants, against a median of 78.1% for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Of full-time first-year students, 70.4% return for a second year, while the peer median is 83.1%.

The six-year graduation rate is 49.4%, against a peer median of 65.0%. An estimated 34.9% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the six-year rate covers only the first-time full-time cohort.

The four pillars sit far apart. Mobility is the strongest, while affordability is the weakest.

Access and return fall between them, with access closer to the top and return closer to the middle. The shape is a broad-access public campus with a wide spread between its strongest and weakest pillars.

Mobility is the clearest strength at University of Massachusetts-Boston, while affordability is the least strong part of its Azimuth profile. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, mobility is in the 91st percentile and access is in the 88th percentile.

Return stands in the 81st percentile, while affordability is in the 66th percentile. The stronger mobility and access results sit above the affordability result.

41.5% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, a measure of financial access that defines much of the student body. Among enrolled students who submitted standardized tests, the middle half of SAT scores ran from 1,070 to 1,290 and the middle half of ACT scores ran from 22 to 29.

Azimuth ranks University of Massachusetts-Boston #173 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. The six-year completion rate for Pell recipients is 50.1%, a rate that sits 0.7 percentage points above the overall rate (49.4%).

Azimuth ranks the university #135 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $16,376 more than the model expects for similar students, an outcome that runs parallel to the university's standing on the access pillar.

How value-added outcomes are assessed · How to interpret program rankings

University of Massachusetts-Boston rankings in context
GeographyRank
National#122
Massachusetts#3
Northeast#28

Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group.

National pillar percentiles

Economic mobility
National percentile: 91
Access & reach
National percentile: 88
Affordability
National percentile: 66
Return on investment
National percentile: 81

Top-ranked majors

  1. Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology#6
  2. Criminal Justice and Corrections#26
  3. Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness#32

This school’s three highest-ranked programs nationally. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ.

Explore major rankings

01 / University of Massachusetts-Boston briefing

University of Massachusetts-Boston cost & financial aid[6][7]

The published annual cost at University of Massachusetts-Boston is $30,544 (an average across living arrangements), setting the starting price before grants and scholarships. Published in-state tuition and fees are $15,908, out-of-state tuition and fees are $38,125, and room and board are $19,128.

For aid recipients, the average net price, what they pay after grants and scholarships, is $17,707. That is $12,837 below the published cost.

At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median net price is $15,634, with this university above it by $2,073. Azimuth ranks University of Massachusetts-Boston #476 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The net price sits above the peer median, even after the average aid reduction from the published cost.

A published cost of attendance of $30,544 (an average) sets the starting price at University of Massachusetts-Boston, but aid recipients face different average net prices by family-income band. The , what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $14,070 in the lowest family-income band, $13,558 in the lower-middle band, $15,663 in the middle band, $20,885 in the upper-middle band, and $25,571 in the highest band.

The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $11,501. Azimuth places the affordability pillar in the 66th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 42% of the published cost, with average financial aid savings of $12,837. Across all aid recipients, the average net price is $17,707, which is $2,073 above the peer median of $15,634 at comparable institutions (same type and size).

In-state tuition and fees are $15,908, out-of-state tuition and fees are $38,125, and room and board are $19,128. The higher average price than comparable institutions sits alongside aid that offsets a substantial part of the published cost.

Among borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $21,974, and 80.2% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. That median is $1,898 above the peer median of $20,076 for comparable institutions (same type and size).

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $250 a month if repaid over ten years. Median Parent PLUS borrowing is $17,163.

Your family income

Choose a household income range to see estimated net price.

Reported average annual net price · $48–75K$15,663

After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ.

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Borrowing and repayment at University of Massachusetts-Boston

Federal borrowing is common at University of Massachusetts-Boston, making completion debt relevant for a large share of undergraduates. Federal loans are used by 80.2% of federal aid recipients.

Among borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $21,974. The median is $1,898 above the $20,076 peer median at comparable institutions (same type and size).

For the separate population of parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS debt is $17,163.

For University of Massachusetts-Boston, earnings beyond expectations stand alongside federal borrowing above the peer median. Among federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled, median earnings are $69,532 four years after completion, in the 75th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Graduates earn about $16,376 more than the model expects for similar students. , the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, are in the 93rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Program-mix earnings scenarios range from $53,122 in the downside scenario to $92,751 in the upside scenario, with $69,532 in the typical scenario. For borrowers, median federal student loan debt at completion is $21,974, $1,898 above the $20,076 peer median at comparable institutions (same type and size).

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $250 a month if repaid over ten years. Above-expected earnings and above-peer borrowing point in different directions.

At University of Massachusetts-Boston, parent borrowing is separate from student federal debt: the median Parent PLUS borrowing for parent borrowers is $17,163. The median federal debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $250 a month if repaid over ten years.

How Financial GPS measures payment burden · The four risk-and-reward zones

Financial GPS

What does repayment look like?

Institution median student debt
$21,974
Institution Parent PLUS debt
$17,163

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

Estimated student payment · monthly
$250/mo
Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
$218/mo

Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.

Payment assumptions

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.

Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS
Read the full cost & aid brief

02 / University of Massachusetts-Boston briefing

University of Massachusetts-Boston career outcomes & earnings[3][8][9]

University of Massachusetts-Boston shows a return picture that is favorable on both model-based and peer measures. Azimuth places its return pillar in the 81st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Graduates earn about $16,376 more than the model expects for similar students, a result in the 93rd percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $8,234.

The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $8,142. Four years after completion, median earnings are $69,532, placing the university in the 75th percentile.

The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions of the same type and size, is $65,610, and the university sits $3,922 above it. Both comparisons point above their reference points.

University of Massachusetts-Boston records a median of $69,532 in earnings four years after completion for federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled, drawn from a cohort of 3,232. That figure lands at the 75th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

It sits $3,922 above the $65,610 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $16,376 more than the model expects for similar students.

That result falls at the 93rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios derived from the program mix show a typical outcome of $69,532, a downside of $53,122, and an upside of $92,751.

These figures represent earnings scenarios, not observed groups. Based on the program mix, an estimated 31.2% of graduates continue to graduate study.

The earnings picture is above the comparable-institution midpoint and ahead of the model’s expectation. At University of Massachusetts-Boston, federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled have median earnings of $69,532 four years after completion, in the 75th percentile.

The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $65,610, leaving the university $3,922 above that mark. Four years after completion, completers earn about $16,376 more than the model expects for similar students.

That earnings-beyond-expectations result—the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students—is in the 93rd percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $8,234.

The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $8,142. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $2,070.

Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix range from $53,122 in the downside scenario to $92,751 in the upside scenario. Azimuth ranks the return pillar #273 among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The peer comparison and model-based result point in the same direction. Nursing is the largest listed program, awarding 483 degrees, and its completers have median earnings of $95,648 four years after completion.

Electrical Engineering awarded 30 degrees and has the highest listed median, $100,902, with a 1.00x benchmark ratio against the national median for its field. Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology awarded 23 degrees, with median earnings of $85,296; Azimuth ranks the program #6 nationally in its field.

These fields show that program-level earnings range well beyond the institution-wide median.

Program choice makes the earnings range wide: earnings scenarios run from $53,122 on the downside to $92,751 on the upside four years after completion. These are scenarios rather than observed groups, across 22 programs with published earnings data.

For aid recipients at University of Massachusetts-Boston, average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $17,707. That is $2,073 above the $15,634 peer median at comparable institutions (same type and size).

Aid covers about 42% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $21,974, compared with $20,076 at comparable institutions (same type and size); the school’s figure is $1,898 above that median.

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $250 a month if repaid over ten years. Graduates earn about $16,376 more than the model expects for similar students.

Higher-than-expected earnings sit alongside an average net price and borrower debt that are both above their peer medians.

What explains value-added earnings?
Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.
+$8,234
Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.
+$8,142
Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.
+$16,376

These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

Read the full outcomes brief

03 / University of Massachusetts-Boston briefing

University of Massachusetts-Boston acceptance rate & admissions[1][10][11]

University of Massachusetts-Boston admitted 83.8% of applicants, a rate above the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size).

SAT: approximate enrolled-student range
Admission rate
83.8%
Approximate lower endpoint
1070
Reported average
1194
Approximate upper endpoint
1290

Enrolled students who submitted scores. This range is not an admission cutoff. The endpoints add section percentiles; they are not verified composite-score percentiles. A separate SAT-equivalent average is not plotted as a median. Source: College Scorecard; sum of section 25th/75th percentiles; enrolled score-submitters.

Read the full admissions brief

04 / University of Massachusetts-Boston briefing

What are the largest majors at University of Massachusetts-Boston?[12]

University of Massachusetts-Boston pairs a large Nursing program with markedly different earnings across other fields. Nursing recorded 483 degrees awarded and median earnings of $95,648 four years after completion.

Electrical Engineering, a smaller program with 30 degrees awarded, posted $100,902 at the same point. These higher-earning fields sit well above the school’s more moderate program outcomes.

Business Administration and Management awarded 433 degrees and had median earnings of $72,746 four years after completion. Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology awarded 23 degrees, with median earnings of $85,296; Azimuth ranks it #6 nationally within its field among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The contrast shows that program choice accompanies a wide range of four-year earnings.

Of the 20 nationally ranked bachelor’s programs, one is Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, though larger offerings shape much of the degree output. Azimuth places Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology at #6 nationally in its field among nonprofit four-year institutions. The larger programs therefore span a wide range of earnings outcomes.

The bachelor's degrees at University of Massachusetts-Boston are concentrated in health and business, with Health Professions accounting for 17.0% of degrees awarded and Business for 15.3%. Psychology is the third-largest family at 10.4%.

Across 22 programs with published four-year earnings data, 20 holds an Azimuth national rank. The largest program is Nursing, at 483 degrees awarded, followed by Business Administration and Management with 433 and Psychology with 274.

The highest-earning program is a much smaller one: Electrical Engineering graduates earn a median of $100,902 four years after completion, from 30 degrees awarded. Nursing, the largest program, has median earnings of $95,648.

Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, the highest-ranked program, sits at #2 in Massachusetts within its field and has median earnings of $85,296. Computer and Information Sciences graduates earn $83,405 from 137 degrees awarded.

The pattern is a university where the largest programs also report strong median earnings, with Nursing and Business Administration and Management both appearing among the top earners. The highest earnings come from a small engineering program, while the highest-ranked program, Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, earns less than the highest-earning programs. 22.5% of degrees awarded are in STEM fields.

Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 483 degrees awarded
$95,648
Business Administration, Management and Operations 433 degrees awarded
$72,746
Psychology, General 274 degrees awarded
$52,200
Biology, General 222 degrees awarded
$65,815
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness 170 degrees awarded
$64,665
Criminal Justice and Corrections 145 degrees awarded
$62,222

Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings.

Read the full majors brief

05 / University of Massachusetts-Boston briefing

How does University of Massachusetts-Boston serve students from different backgrounds?

Mobility is a particular strength at University of Massachusetts-Boston. Azimuth places the mobility pillar in the 91st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The six-year graduation rate for the first-time full-time cohort is 49.4%, while Pell recipients complete at 50.1%, above the overall rate by 0.7 percentage points. Graduates earn about $16,376 more than the model expects for similar students.

That earnings-beyond-expectations measure, the gap between graduate earnings and what the model expects for similar students, sits in the 93rd percentile. Strong Pell completion alongside higher-than-expected earnings points in the same direction.

At University of Massachusetts-Boston, 41.5% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, a financial-access measure, within an undergraduate enrollment of 11,512. Azimuth puts its access pillar in the 88th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Admission stands at 83.8%, and an estimated 34.9% of undergraduates enter as transfers or part-time students. That mix of Pell participation, transfer entry, and broad admission describes several routes into the university for prospective applicants, aid recipients, and transfers.

06 / University of Massachusetts-Boston briefing

What colleges are similar to University of Massachusetts-Boston?[15]

Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. How matching works.

A shortlist for different decisions

Choose a row to compare the figures with University of Massachusetts-Boston.

Admissions peerFranklin Pierce University93.5% admitted
Comparison with University of Massachusetts-Boston
MeasureUniversity of Massachusetts-BostonFranklin Pierce University
Peer earnings · 4 years$69,532$66,687-$2,845 vs University of Massachusetts-Boston
Average annual net price$17,707$27,154+$9,447 vs University of Massachusetts-Boston · higher cost
Admission rate83.8%93.5%
Higher-admission alternativeAmerican International College99.6% admitted
Comparison with University of Massachusetts-Boston
MeasureUniversity of Massachusetts-BostonAmerican International College
Peer earnings · 4 years$69,532$71,565+$2,033 vs University of Massachusetts-Boston
Average annual net price$17,707$23,274+$5,567 vs University of Massachusetts-Boston · higher cost
Admission rate83.8%99.6%
Nearby alternativeWorcester State UniversityNearby option · MA
Comparison with University of Massachusetts-Boston
MeasureUniversity of Massachusetts-BostonWorcester State University
Peer earnings · 4 years$69,532$63,801-$5,731 vs University of Massachusetts-Boston
Average annual net price$17,707$13,381-$4,326 vs University of Massachusetts-Boston · lower cost
Admission rate83.8%88.0%
Explore Worcester State University →
Higher-earnings alternativeUniversity of Massachusetts-Lowell$81,163 earnings
Comparison with University of Massachusetts-Boston
MeasureUniversity of Massachusetts-BostonUniversity of Massachusetts-Lowell
Peer earnings · 4 years$69,532$81,163+$11,631 vs University of Massachusetts-Boston
Average annual net price$17,707$17,163-$544 vs University of Massachusetts-Boston · lower cost
Admission rate83.8%83.0%
Explore University of Massachusetts-Lowell →
Lower-cost alternativeRhode Island College$9,478 average net price
Comparison with University of Massachusetts-Boston
MeasureUniversity of Massachusetts-BostonRhode Island College
Peer earnings · 4 years$69,532$59,430-$10,102 vs University of Massachusetts-Boston
Average annual net price$17,707$9,478-$8,229 vs University of Massachusetts-Boston · lower cost
Admission rate83.8%91.8%
Explore Rhode Island College →
Similar profileUniversity of New Hampshire-Main CampusMatched across several measures
Comparison with University of Massachusetts-Boston
MeasureUniversity of Massachusetts-BostonUniversity of New Hampshire-Main Campus
Peer earnings · 4 years$69,532$71,253+$1,721 vs University of Massachusetts-Boston
Average annual net price$17,707$23,805+$6,098 vs University of Massachusetts-Boston · higher cost
Admission rate83.8%88.2%
Explore University of New Hampshire-Main Campus →

Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable.

Read the full similar schools brief

Data scope & methodology

Structured payloads generated Governed hub narrative Governed spoke corpus

Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection.

Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them.

Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects.

Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.

Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations · About College Azimuth

Read the analysis behind value-added earnings and the change to four-year graduate earnings. These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com.

Data notes & source fields

Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation; notes with a different source link it below.

  1. Admission rate. Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability.

    Source fields: ADM_RATE

  2. Six-year completion. First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree.

    Source fields: C150_4

  3. Four-year institutional earnings. Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion.

    Source fields: MD_EARN_WNE_4YR

  4. Median federal student debt. Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students.

    Source fields: GRAD_DEBT_MDN

  5. National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks. Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ.

    Source fields: Azimuth rankings

    College Azimuth · Ranking methodology

  6. Annual net price by family income. Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers.

    Source fields: NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV

  7. Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration. Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance uses the frozen 2024 framework baseline. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations.

    Source fields: PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations

    College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology

  8. Downside and upside earnings; yellow band. The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median.

    Source fields: Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios

    College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology

  9. Value added and its components. Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

    Source fields: Azimuth statistical model

    College Azimuth · Value-added methodology

  10. SAT score range and reported midpoint. Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range.

    Source fields: SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG

  11. First-year retention. Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions.

    Source fields: RET_FT4

  12. Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots. Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity.

    Source fields: EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE

    College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation

  13. Pell recipients. Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year.

    Source fields: PCTPELL

  14. Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group. This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns.

    Source fields: 1 − PFTFTUG1_EF

  15. Peer earnings and signed differences. Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure.

    Source fields: Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR

    College Azimuth · Comparison methodology

How to interpret program rankings