College & University of Massachusetts Admissions

Minimum Undergraduate Admissions Requirements for Massachusetts State Colleges and
Universities and University of Massachusetts

The minimum undergraduate admissions standards for the state colleges and universities and UMass 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 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: 4 courses
Mathematics: 4 courses (Algebra I & II and Geometry or Trigonometry, or comparable coursework) including mathematics during the final year of high school.
Sciences: 3 courses (including 3 courses with laboratory work)
Social Sciences: 2 courses (including 1 course of U.S. history)
World Languages: 2 courses (in a single language)
Electives: 2 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, Dual 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; Dual 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 4 year state colleges and universities and UMass

SAT/ACT Score Requirements for Applicants
Several Massachusetts State Colleges and Universities and UMass campuses are participating in a test optional option, 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 in order 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

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