,·Public Research University·Est. 1895
“A public research university on Buzzards Bay with a nationally recognized Marine Science & Technology school and New England's only public law school.”
The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (UMassD) is a public research university on Buzzards Bay in southeastern Massachusetts, roughly an hour south of Boston and an hour east of Providence. It traces its roots to two 1895 textile schools - New Bedford Textile School and the Bradford Durfee Textile School in Fall River - that merged in 1960 as Southeastern Massachusetts University and joined the UMass system in 1991. Today UMassD enrolls about 7,200 students across nine colleges and schools, including a Charlton College of Business (AACSB-accredited), a College of Engineering, a highly regarded College of Visual & Performing Arts, a College of Nursing & Health Sciences, and UMass Law - the only public law school in New England. The flagship academic draw is the School for Marine Science & Technology (SMAST), a nationally recognized research center in New Bedford that partners with NOAA, the National Science Foundation, and the offshore wind industry on fisheries management, ocean modelling, and climate science. The university's 710-acre main campus was designed in 1960s Brutalist style by architect Paul Rudolph and sits minutes from the Atlantic, giving marine-biology and coastal-environment students field access most inland schools cannot match. Other signature programs include a cross-disciplinary Data Science initiative, a well-funded Electrical & Computer Engineering department, and programs in Portuguese Studies that reflect the region's large Azorean-American community. Student life is defined by the coastal location and a Division III athletics program (the Corsairs, competing in the Little East Conference), 100+ student organizations, and strong ties to New Bedford's maritime arts scene. UMassD is test-optional with an acceptance rate near 91%, making it one of the more accessible paths to the UMass system for international students, while in-state and New England Regional Program tuition rates keep costs well below most private universities. For international applicants, UMassD offers a dedicated International Student & Scholar Center (ISSC), CPT/OPT advising, multiple STEM-designated degree programs (Marine Science, Data Science, Engineering, Biology), and a full-service International Undergraduate Admissions office.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
Top Public Schools
US News 2026
Test Optional — You can submit scores if they help your case, but they're not required.
Official SourceThe deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Domestic
$16,000 – $32,000
/yr
Out-of-State / Intl
$35,000 – $38,000
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
AACSB-accredited business school with undergraduate and graduate programs in accounting, finance, marketing, management, business analytics, and an MBA with STEM-designated analytics concentration.
ABET-accredited programs in civil, mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering with strong ties to the regional marine-technology and offshore-wind industries.
Graduate-level marine research school in New Bedford conducting oceanography, fisheries, ocean technology, and offshore-wind research; partners with NOAA and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
One of the larger public arts colleges in the Northeast, offering BFA, BA, MFA, and certificate programs in design, fine arts, music, and textile design. Houses the Star Store campus in downtown New Bedford.
BSN, MSN, DNP, and PhD in Nursing plus programs in public health and medical laboratory science; nationally ranked for its online RN-to-BSN option.
Largest college on campus; houses Biology (with Marine Biology concentration), Chemistry, Physics, Psychology, Data Science, and a strong Portuguese Studies program serving the region's Lusophone community.
4 years
Coastal-location program with direct access to Buzzards Bay, research vessels, and SMAST faculty - one of the few undergraduate marine biology programs in New England with STEM OPT designation.
4 years
Interdisciplinary STEM-designated program blending statistics, computer science, and mathematics with applied capstones in business and ocean modelling.
2 years
Research-intensive MS focused on oceanography, fisheries, and ocean technology. Graduates place at NOAA, state marine agencies, and offshore-wind developers.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $32,567
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
