University of Massachusetts Amherst

Not to be confused with Amherst College.

University of Massachusetts Amherst
Former names
Massachusetts Agricultural College (1863–1931)[1]
Massachusetts State College (1931–1947)
MottoEnse petit placidam sub libertate quietem (Latin)
Motto in English
"By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty."
TypePublic land-grant research university
EstablishedApril 29, 1863; 161 years ago (1863-04-29)[2]
Parent institution
University of Massachusetts
AccreditationNECHE
Academic affiliations
Five Colleges
Endowment$579 million (2024)[3]
ChancellorJavier Reyes
ProvostFouad Abd-El-Khalick[4]
Academic staff
1,550 (2023)[5]
Students31,810 (2023)[6]
Undergraduates23,936 (2023)[7]
Postgraduates7,874 (2023)[8]
Location
Amherst
,
Massachusetts
,
United States

42°23′20″N 72°31′40″W / 42.38889°N 72.52778°W / 42.38889; -72.52778
CampusLarge suburb, 1,463 acres (5.92 km2)
NewspaperThe Massachusetts Daily Collegian
ColorsMaroon and white[9]
   
NicknameMinutemen and Minutewomen[10]
Sporting affiliations
MascotSam the Minuteman[11]
Websitewww.umass.edu

The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst) is a public land-grant research university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system, and was founded in 1863 as the Massachusetts Agricultural College. It is also a member of the Five College Consortium, along with four other colleges in the Pioneer Valley.

UMass Amherst has the largest undergraduate population in Massachusetts with roughly 24,000 enrolled undergraduates.[12] The university offers academic degrees in 109 undergraduate, 77 master's, and 48 doctoral programs. Programs are coordinated in nine schools and colleges.[13] It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity".[14] According to the National Science Foundation, the university spent $211 million on research and development in 2018.[15][13]

The university's 21 varsity athletic teams compete in NCAA Division I and are collectively known as the Minutemen and Minutewomen. The university is a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference while playing ice hockey in Hockey East and football as an FBS independent school.

  1. ^ "UMass Amherst: History of UMass Amherst". Archived from the original on May 16, 2006.
  2. ^ "UMass Amherst Looks to the Past and the Future at Founders Day". University of Massachusetts Amherst. April 29, 2008. Archived from the original on January 10, 2014. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  3. ^ "Endowment Overview". Archived from the original on May 24, 2021. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  4. ^ "UMass Amherst: The Office of the Provost – Meet the Provost". www.umass.edu.
  5. ^ "University of Massachusetts Amherst: At a Glance 2021–2022" (PDF). University of Massachusetts Amherst. December 1, 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 9, 2021. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  6. ^ "2023–2024 Common Data Set" (PDF). University of Massachusetts Amherst. University of Massachusetts. 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  7. ^ "2023–2024 Common Data Set" (PDF). University of Massachusetts Amherst. University of Massachusetts. 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  8. ^ "2023–2024 Common Data Set" (PDF). University of Massachusetts Amherst. University of Massachusetts. 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  9. ^ "University of Massachusetts Amherst Athletics Official Style Guide" (PDF). Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  10. ^ "University of Massachusetts Official Athletic Site – Traditions". umassathletics.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
  11. ^ "Mascots Talk Back: Sam the Minuteman". PATRICK SISSON/patricksisson.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
  12. ^ McFadden, Sean (March 9, 2023). "Largest Colleges & Universities in Massachusetts". Boston Business Journal. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  13. ^ a b "UMass at a Glance". University of Massachusetts Amherst. Archived from the original on April 19, 2015. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  14. ^ "Carnegie Foundation Classifications". carnegiefoundation.org. Archived from the original on September 13, 2018. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
  15. ^ "Table 20. Higher education R&D expenditures, ranked by FY 2018 R&D expenditures: FYs 2009–18". ncsesdata.nsf.gov. National Science Foundation. Archived from the original on September 30, 2020. Retrieved July 25, 2020.