University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth is not a university you talk about at the dinner table as though it were a familiar name. It is a midsize public university in Massachusetts that offers doctoral degrees, with a numerical story worth reading in full before deciding whether it stays on or comes off your child’s list. I am not going to tell you whether it is “good” or “bad.” No federal file can tell you that. I am going to show you what the data do say, so you can decide with your eyes open.
What Kind of University It Is
University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth is in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts, in Bristol County and the Providence-Warwick metropolitan area. Its census code places it in a suburban setting: within the urbanized area but outside the principal city’s center. If your child plans to live at home and drive every day, do not rely on what the map says. Make the trip on a weekday at the exact time of your child’s classes. Actual traffic almost never matches the digital estimate.
It is a four-year public institution, and the federal system records a doctorate as the highest degree level it reports offering. Carnegie, the system that classifies the nation’s universities by what they do, places it among doctoral universities with high research activity. That is an institutional fact, not a promise about the specific program that interests your child. Graduate programs exist, but determining whether the program your child wants connects undergraduate study with a master’s degree or doctorate is a separate task, not something that can be inferred from the general classification.
One fact that helps illustrate daily life: in the Carnegie classification based on 2019-20, it appears as a highly residential school. At that time, at least half of degree-seeking undergraduate students lived in institution-owned or affiliated housing, and at least 80 out of every 100 attended full time. Living on campus is not the same as paying tuition: room and board are charged separately, and we will look at them later.
If your child comes here after studying at another institution, there is something you should know now: Carnegie places this university among those that enroll more incoming transfer students. That does not say how many credits they bring or how many are lost in the move. Before enrolling, ask in writing which courses will count and which will not.
And here is a simple clarification that prevents confusion later: University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth has none of these three special designations: it is not a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 universities in this national directory, 138 have at least one of the three. Having none of them says nothing about which communities the university serves today or how your child will feel there. Ask directly which student organizations and cultural centers currently exist and, better yet, speak with someone who already studies there.
The Size of the Community and Who Else Is There
In the official fall count, University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth had 7,759 enrolled students. It is neither a small school nor a huge one: it falls within the 5,000 to 9,999 range, right in the middle compared with similar schools. But that large number includes graduate students: 5,602 are undergraduates and 2,157 are graduate students. If your child is entering a bachelor’s degree program, the number that truly matters is 5,602, not the total.
As for who shares the classroom with your child: 13 out of every 100 undergraduate students are Hispanic or Latino. That is a small minority. Compared with 519 similar selective public schools, the university ranks slightly above the comparison group’s midpoint without reaching the top quartile. That comparison has a real limitation: it does not account for where in the country the school is located, and Massachusetts is not Texas or California. If this number matters to you, ask during your visit what currently exists for Latino students: a student group, a cultural center, or someone in the office who speaks Spanish.
The split between men and women is nearly even: 52 out of every 100 are women. Adults ages 25 to 64 are few, at 13 out of every 100. And the vast majority of first-time students, 84 out of every 100, had a permanent address in the same state. Above all, this is a university of people from Massachusetts.
How the Academic Year Works and What Happens to Credits Already Earned
The academic calendar is semester-based: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. In its official report, the university indicated that it accepts credits from AP exams, but it did not check the box for credit for life experience. It also reports accepting credit for military training. And it enrolls high school students in college courses for credit through a formal dual-enrollment program.
Here is a hard truth that will save you from a surprise: saying that AP credit is accepted does not mean credit is awarded for every exam. The report does not say what scores are required, how many credits are awarded, or whether those credits count toward your child’s specific program. Request the written equivalency evaluation before enrolling. Do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand.
As for what students study there: between July 2022 and June 2023, the university awarded 1,134 bachelor’s degrees across 21 families of fields of study. The largest was business and management, with 27 out of every 100 degrees awarded that year, but no other area accounts for most of the total. The range of offerings is broad. Still, 21 families with at least one reported row does not mean there are 21 active programs today: one family groups several programs, and some may have a row showing no degrees awarded. Verify by name the exact program that interests your child.
The student-to-instructional-staff ratio is 15 to 1, a middle-range figure—neither among the lowest nor among the highest compared with similar schools. This number does not tell you the actual size of a first-year class: it is an institutional average, not a class-size measure.
It is worth noting that the university reports structured opportunities beyond the classroom: study abroad, undergraduate research, noncredit developmental education, and pathways to teacher certification, including state approval for initial certification. The fact that they are reported does not say how many students participate or how accessible they are in practice. The door exists; you have to knock to find out how open it is.
Getting In: The Application, Selectivity, and What Happens After the Letter
Here we need to separate two questions that people often mix together: how difficult it is to be admitted and how difficult the application itself is.
The application is lengthy. University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth does not have open admission: it reviews the high school record, grade point average, curriculum, letters of recommendation, a formal sample of the student’s work (a portfolio or competency exam), and an English proficiency exam when applicable. All of these are required. It also considers class rank, the personal essay, and work experience if you submit them. The application fee is $60. Letters of recommendation should be requested at least a month in advance, and it helps to give the teacher a sheet listing what your child has done over the years: no one remembers everything when writing twenty letters a month.
Now for observed selectivity: in the 2023 cycle, the university received 9,794 applications from first-time students and offered admission to 9,026. That is 92 out of every 100. Its acceptance rate is on the high side compared with similar selective public schools: seven out of ten schools in that group, or more, admitted an equal or smaller share. Even so, 768 applicants did not receive an offer that year. Admission is likely but not automatic, and submitting a complete application by the deadline remains essential.
Now comes the figure that surprises people most and should be read carefully: out of every 100 admitted students, only 15 enrolled. The remaining 85 had a place here and did not take it. Compared with similar schools, this university ranks on the low side by that measure. Do not read this as a mark against the school’s quality: the federal record does not say why each family made its decision. What it does tell you is useful: other people’s decisions do not predict what your child will be offered. Wait for your letter showing the net price—the amount the year will actually cost—and use that figure to decide whether the school stays on the list.
As for tests, the SAT and ACT are not required. If your child submits them, they are considered; if not, the application remains valid. Of the students who enrolled, only 13 out of every 100 submitted SAT scores, and among them the middle half scored between 520 and 640 in reading and writing and between 520 and 620 in mathematics. That range applies to students who enrolled and submitted scores, not to all applicants. It is neither a minimum nor a guarantee.
And regarding transfers: out of every 100 bachelor’s-degree-seeking students who entered in 2017, 35 transferred to another school without finishing here. This is one of the highest transfer-out rates among similar schools. At the same time, the university enrolls many incoming transfer students: 385 students entered that way in fall 2023. Here is a detail that almost no one checks and that matters greatly: a student who transfers is not counted as a graduate of this school, even if the student completes the degree elsewhere. Keep that in mind when you reach the graduation-rate section a little later.
The Published Price and What Each Family Actually Pays
At University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, among 200 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid, paid the in-state or in-district rate, and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $14,122. Among 191 students in the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $19,022; among 265 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $26,993. For dependent students, the band combines their parents’ income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band (200 students) and the average for the highest-income band (265 students) is $12,871. These are group averages, not a prediction of your family’s price. Among first-year students who received any scholarship or grant, the average was $20,696.
Among the 519 schools of the same type and control included in this census that reported this figure with the same time coverage, this university falls within the most expensive quartile for lower-income families. That does not mean you should rule it out. It means you should request the aid letter before deciding.
Because the price changes so much from one income band to another, identifying the correct one is the first step. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average for students receiving aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional scholarships or grants. The aid letter sent specifically to you is what matters.
The Aid Students Actually Receive and the Debt That Accumulates
Out of every 100 degree-seeking students here, 86 received a scholarship, grant, or other aid that does not have to be repaid. That is a high share compared with similar schools. Among recipients, the yearly average was $9,989. Separately, 37 out of every 100 received a Pell Grant, the federal aid for families with demonstrated financial need. Remember that the percentage and the average should not be multiplied together: they measure different things among different groups.
Now for the other side. Out of every 100 undergraduate students, 66 received a federal student loan during the 2022-23 school year. That is a majority, and it is a high share compared with similar schools: the university is among those with the largest shares of borrowers in its comparison group. Among those who borrowed, the average amount per student that year was $6,453. If your child borrowed a similar amount each year throughout the four-year program, the total would be around $25,812, excluding interest. That number is determined before the first signature, not at the end of the journey.
Here is something that cannot be overlooked: that average covers one year and only federal loans in the student’s name. It does not include PLUS loans that parents sometimes sign for, debt owed to banks, or credit-card debt. Nor is it the total debt with which someone leaves after graduation, because calculating that would require adding all years together, and that figure is not in this report.
The fact that borrowing is common here does not determine whether your child will need to borrow. That comes from the specific aid letter and the difference between the net price and what the family can contribute. If debt appears in that letter, request an estimated monthly payment before accepting anything. The university also reports offering an installment tuition payment plan, in case that helps organize cash flow during the year.
Campus Life, Learning Formats, and Support
University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth has its own housing, with reported capacity for 3,190 students on or off campus. According to its own report, not all first-time, full-time students are required to live there. That does not say whether a specific program imposes such a requirement. The university also offers meal plans, but the number of meals per week varies by the plan selected. The existence of housing does not guarantee that a bed will be available when your child needs one: request this year’s rate, the housing application deadline, and whether space is guaranteed or there is a waiting list, all in writing.
Regarding ROTC, the university indicated an Army opportunity. It did not indicate Navy or Air Force. If your child is interested in another branch, this report does not confirm it; that does not make it impossible, only something to ask about directly.
In sports, the university competes in the NCAA, with membership reported for football, basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. That information concerns the institution, not your child: if your child is interested in a team, contact the coach directly and ask about availability, division, and whether that sport awards athletic scholarships.
Distance education is available at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Out of every 100 undergraduate students, 16 took their entire course load online, while 84 had at least one in-person class. The university also reports at least one program that can be completed entirely through distance education, although the data do not confirm whether that program is specifically at the bachelor’s level: confirm the exact level and field if this matters to you.
The library has employed staff and physical and digital collections, participates in interlibrary lending, and reported annual spending above the government-recorded threshold of $100,000. That is a floor, not a guarantee that it has the specific databases your child’s program requires. Reported support services include combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, support for veterans and service members—including participation in Yellow Ribbon—and a webpage for services for students with disabilities. The fact that these services are reported does not say how effective they are in practice; ask about them during the visit, using specific names and hours.
How Many Stay and How Many Graduate
This is probably the hardest section to read calmly, so let us take it slowly.
Among the full-time, bachelor’s-degree-seeking cohort that entered in fall 2022, 64 out of every 100 met the official retention criterion: they were still enrolled here or had already graduated one year later. Compared with similar schools, this university ranks among those retaining the smallest share of their first-year cohort. The other 36 did not meet that criterion, and the data do not say where each person went: they may have transferred, paused their studies, or started working. Not appearing as retained does not mean that someone gave up.
As for graduation, of the 1,311 students who entered in 2017, 642 had earned a degree from this school six years later. That is 49 out of every 100, nearly an even split. At the four-year mark, the figure falls to 35 out of every 100. Compared with similar schools, the university ranks below the group’s midpoint. Remember what we saw regarding transfers: a student who changes schools and finishes elsewhere is not counted as a graduate here, even if the student completed the degree. This figure counts outcomes; it does not explain reasons.
There is a third, broader measure that follows students for eight years: from a cohort of 2,209 who entered between July 2015 and June 2016—combining first-time students and students with prior experience, as well as full-time and part-time students—57 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school by the August 2023 cutoff. Among Pell recipients, the figure was 54 out of every 100, five points below the figure for nonrecipients. Compared with similar schools, it also ranks below the group’s midpoint. The enrollment status for 14 out of every 100 was unknown, which does not mean they had stopped studying, only that the report could not determine their status.
None of these three figures predicts what will happen specifically to your child. They describe what happened collectively to complete earlier cohorts. What you can do with this information is ask, during the visit or admissions call, which specific supports help students finish on time and how long your child’s intended program actually takes in practice.
Putting the Pieces Together
This article does not tell you whether your child should attend. That depends on what your child wants to study, what your child has already built, and what your family can and is willing to pay. The numbers in this article are the firm ground on which you can stand while asking those other two questions clearly, without guessing and without being guided only by the name or your first impression.
If this university remains on your child’s list, you now know what to request in writing: the actual equivalency of your child’s AP credits, the aid letter with your family’s specific net price, the exact housing rule for the program, and the actual outcomes for the field that interests your child. None of those answers is in a federal file. They are in an email or a call that you need to make.
Source note: The information in this article comes from data reported by the institution to the U.S. Department of Education’s IPEDS system, corresponding primarily to the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles, along with the 2019-20 and 2021 Carnegie classifications. Best College Aid does not represent University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth or any government agency; this article organizes and explains public data and does not replace the admission or financial aid letter that the university itself sends to each family.