UMass Lowell acceptance rate and admissions profile
With an acceptance rate near 83%, UMass Lowell is an accessible public university in Massachusetts. Because it admits most qualified applicants, admission turns on the strength of your whole profile rather than any one number.
Use this page to see what UMass Lowell weighs, where it ranks among Massachusetts schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1320, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
Will I get into UMass Lowell?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into UMass Lowell, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into UMass Lowell?
UMass Lowell admits most qualified applicants (around 83%), but that overall rate is not your personal chance. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for UMass Lowell in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is UMass Lowell hard to get into?
UMass Lowell is accessible: it admits most qualified applicants, with about a 83% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
What GPA do you need to get into UMass Lowell?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at UMass Lowell, but admitted students span a wide GPA range, with many in the 2.8 to 3.5 band. UMass Lowell reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
What SAT score do you need for UMass Lowell?
UMass Lowell does not publish a required score, but the admitted-student 75th-percentile SAT is around 1320. A score at or above that range strengthens your application, while a lower score puts more weight on your rigor, activities, and essays. CollegeCalcAI shows how your exact score shifts your odds at UMass Lowell.
What UMass Lowell looks for
What UMass Lowell weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
In its review, UMass Lowell leans most on rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from UMass Lowell's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at UMass Lowell
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability — your full profile determines the real estimate.
How UMass Lowell compares in Massachusetts
UMass Lowell ranks #32 most selective of 36 schools in Massachusetts in our database.
Among the 36 Massachusetts schools we track, UMass Lowell ranks #32 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like Harvard University (4%) and Northeastern University (5%) sit nearby, which makes Massachusetts a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list. As a public university, residency matters: in-state applicants generally see meaningfully better odds than the headline rate suggests.
Similar to UMass Lowell
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Build around UMass Lowell with peers at a comparable selectivity, such as South Carolina State University, Angelo State University, and Eastern Connecticut State. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What does UMass Lowell value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, UMass Lowell weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does UMass Lowell favor in-state applicants?
As a public university, UMass Lowell generally admits in-state applicants at a higher rate than out-of-state applicants, so your home state affects your odds. CollegeCalcAI applies an in-state residency boost when you select your state.
How can I improve my chances at UMass Lowell?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at UMass Lowell specifically.
How does residency affect admission to UMass Lowell?
As a public university, UMass Lowell typically admits in-state students at a higher rate, and tuition differs sharply by residency. Select your home state in the calculator to fold the in-state effect into your estimate.
What are the admission requirements for UMass Lowell?
UMass Lowell reviews GPA, course rigor, test scores (where submitted), activities, and essays. With a more accessible acceptance rate, meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
Acceptance rate and admitted test ranges reflect publicly reported data (U.S. Department of Education / NCES IPEDS / Common Data Sets). Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.