The University of Massachusetts Amherst(UMass Amherstor simplyUMass) is a public land-grant research university in Amherst, Massachusetts. It is the oldest, largest, and 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 is the largest university in Massachusetts by campus size and undergraduate enrollment. The university offers academic degrees in 109 undergraduate, 77 master's, and 48 doctoral programs. Programs are coordinated in nine schools and colleges. As of Fall 2022, UMass Amherst has an annual enrollment of more than 32,000 students, along with approximately 1,900 faculty members. The University of Massachusetts Amherst is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity". According to the National Science Foundation, the university spent $211 million on research and development in 2018.
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.
