AMHERST — Members of what the University of Massachusetts says is its most diverse class in school history began moving into campus dormitories this week, with classes to begin after Labor Day.
The 5,300 first-year students, also drawn from the largest application pool ever, include 42% who identify as African Latino/ Hispanic, Asian, Hawaiian/ Pacific Islander or Native American. This ALANA representation exceeds the 39% in those groups last year.
In addition, 19% of the class of 2029, who range in age from 16 to 26, are considered to be from underrepresented minority groups. Of the incoming students, about 3,500 are from Massachusetts, with about 1,800 from outside the state, including 400 international students. Almost all 50 states are represented and about 24 countries.
UMass received 53,040 applications for the fall, the third straight year of receiving more than 50,000 applications for admission.
Academically, the incoming class again ranks among the strongest of the past 10 years, posting high combined optionally submitted SAT scores of 1394 and ACT scores of 31.1, and tying last year’s class for second-highest average high school GPA at 4.06. Students have declared 92 different majors, with the 400 freshmen choosing biology the most popular.
“It’s clear UMass Amherst continues to be a magnet for the talent that will fuel the innovation economy across Massachusetts and beyond, especially during this critical time in higher education,” Fouad Abd-El-Khalick, provost and senior vice chancellor for Academic Affairs, said in a statement. “This group of highly capable students will have a rich educational experience as they meet peers from across the commonwealth, country and the world from all walks of life.”
More than 1,000 new transfer students, including nearly 300 from MassTransfer program, have the the second-highest transfer GPA score, at 3.46, in the university’s history.
Projected undergraduate enrollment at UMass this fall is just under 23,000, with 71% being Massachusetts residents.
Meanwhile, Commonwealth Honors College will welcome approximately 640 first-year students. The incoming class has a high school GPA of 4.42 and SAT scores at 1432 and ACT scores at 32.7. Like the make-up of the rest of the class, the honors students have 53% ALANA students and more than a quarter from underrepresented groups.
In the 19th year UMass has offered an Early Action admission program, with students being notified about their acceptance by mid-December, nearly 33,000 applications were received, more than four times the Early Action 8,000 applicants in 2009.