College & University of Massachusetts Admissions

Minimum Undergraduate Admissions Requirements for Massachusetts State Colleges and Universities

The minimum undergraduate admissions standards for UMass and the Massachusetts state universities were established to:  emphasize the importance of successfully completing a rigorous academic course of study in high school, to ensure that students are well prepared to begin college courses and their path to a degree, and to increase consistency of undergraduate admissions across the UMass and state universities and UMass campuses.  

These standards are minimum requirements. Meeting these minimum standards does not guarantee admission, since admissions officers consider a wide range of factors when reviewing students’ applications, and each campus can establish additional requirements.  For more information, please contact the admissions office at the institution(s) to which the student is interested in applying.

Note:  These standards do not apply to the state’s community colleges, which implement open admissions and enrollment policies.

Admissions Standards for First-Year Applicants at Massachusetts 4-Year Institutions

1. Successful completion of required academic courses in specific subjects,  AND
2. A minimum average and weighted grade point average (GPA) earned in high school-level academic courses, AND
3. The submission of SAT or ACT scores (note: several institutions are participating in test-optional pilots).

Academic Course Requirements

Successful completion of seventeen (17) courses in the following academic subjects (each course is equivalent to a year-long high school class):

• English: Four courses
• Mathematics: Four courses (Algebra I & II and Geometry or Trigonometry, or comparable coursework), including mathematics during the final year of high school. 
• Sciences: Three courses (including three courses with laboratory work)
• Social Sciences: Two courses (including one course of U.S. history)
• World Languages: Two courses (in a single language)
• Electives: Two courses (from the above subjects or from the Arts & Humanities or Computer Sciences)

Minimum GPA Requirement

The grades earned in all academic courses will be averaged into a weighted GPA by admissions offices. In calculating the GPA, extra weight is given for accelerated courses (Honors, Concurrent Enrollment, and Advanced Placement).

Grades earned will be converted to a 4.0 grading scale (where A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, D = 1.0, and F = 0.0). Honors-level courses receive an additional .5 points;  Concurrent Enrollment and AP courses receive an additional 1.0 point.  (See online tools) The minimum average GPA for first-year applicants is 3.0 for four-year state colleges and universities and UMass.

SAT/ACT Score Requirements for Applicants

Several Massachusetts State Colleges and Universities and UMass campuses are test-optional, but some programs at these institutions may still require SAT submission.  For further information, contact the admissions office at these institutions. 

If an institution is not participating in the test-optional pilot, all first-year applicants who meet the minimum 3.0 weighted GPA and are within three years of their high school graduation must submit their SAT or ACT scores. For first-year applicants who DO NOT meet the minimum 3.0 weighted GPA, they must earn the following SAT or ACT scores to be eligible for admission.

NOTE:   APPLICANTS WITH A HIGH SCHOOL MINIMUM WEIGHTED GPA BELOW 2.0 

MAY NOT BE ADMITTED TO A STATE UNIVERSITY OR UMASS UNDERGRADUATE CAMPUS.

SAT/ ACT Sliding Scale Table for University of Massachusetts

SAT/ ACT Sliding Scale Table for University of Massachusetts

State Institutions with Test-Optional Programs

This table does not include all test-optional policies at each institution. Some institutions may require test scores from students who are home-schooled or attend a school that issues narrative transcripts in place of letter/number grades. Additionally, some institutions may require test scores for admission to specific majors/programs and for merit aid/scholarship consideration. This table is also not a guarantee of admission to the university under test-optional policies, as the institution may consider other factors.

Further information can be found at 
http://www.mass.edu/forstudents/admissions/admissionsstandards.asp