University of Massachusetts Amherst sits in Amherst, Massachusetts, USA, the flagship public research campus of the UMass system. It ranks #5 globally in Linguistics in QS 2026, a subject placement 255 places ahead of its overall #260 standing in QS World University Rankings 2027, and lands at #125 globally on Collegedunia Study Abroad 2026.
- QS World University Rankings 2027: #260 globally, #41 in USA
- Collegedunia Study Abroad 2026: #125 globally, #45 in USA
- THE World University Rankings 2026: #112 globally, #37 in USA
- U.S. News Best Global Universities 2026-2027: #162 globally, #46 in USA
What this means for Indian applicants: THE places UMass Amherst at #112 while QS sets it at #260, a 148-place gap that signals stronger research output than reputation-survey weight. Collegedunia Study Abroad lands in between at #125, closer to THE than to QS. For Indian students choosing a major, the campus’s #1 USA hold in Food Science and Agricultural Sciences carries more weight than the overall number on either body.
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University of Massachusetts Amherst Overall Rankings 2026
The five global bodies covering University of Massachusetts Amherst cluster between #112 and #260, a 148-place spread that points to stronger research-side scoring than overall academic reputation.
| Ranking Body (Latest Edition) | Global Rank |
|---|---|
| THE World University Rankings 2026 | #112 |
| Collegedunia Study Abroad 2026 | #125 |
| U.S. News Best Global Universities 2026-2027 | #162 |
| ARWU Shanghai 2025 | #201-300 |
| QS World University Rankings 2027 | #260 |
The two India-relevant bodies, Collegedunia Study Abroad and U.S. News, sit within 37 places of each other. QS lags both by about 100 places, so the CD-plus-US-News read is the closer benchmark for Indian applicants weighing subject strength.
University of Massachusetts Amherst Rankings: Bottom Line for Indian Students
For Indian applicants the rank pattern delivers stronger value at the subject level than at the overall level, anchored by food sciences, linguistics and computing.
| Signal | UMass Amherst Read | What it means for Indian applicants |
|---|---|---|
| Strongest subject | Linguistics #5 global, #2 USA (QS 2026) | Top global pick for language and cognitive science MS |
| #1 USA subject hold | Food Science and Agricultural Sciences (US News 2026-27) | Best-in-country choice for food tech and ag majors |
| Engineering position | Engineering & Tech #231 in QS 2025 | Mid-tier engineering value for the fee level |
| Indian alternative for engineering | IIT Bombay sits at #134 in QS 2027 | IIT Bombay outranks for engineering, UMass wins on subject diversity |
| Overall-vs-subject gap | QS overall #260 vs Linguistics #5 (255-place delta) | Brand value comes from subjects, not the overall list |
The 255-place QS gap between Linguistics and the overall position is wider than any single peer the campus competes against. That gap reframes the application math for Indian students: pick by major and the campus reads as a top-10 global choice in three fields.
Key insight
- Subject-over-overall: Three top-10 global subject ranks against an overall QS rank of #260 set the real signal for Indian applicants.
- Stability: QS has kept the campus inside a #245 to #275 band for five years, with a 13-place slip into 2027.
- USA standing: #45 USA on CD and #41 USA on QS land it in the top quarter of American universities.
University of Massachusetts Amherst QS World University Rankings 2027
QS, which ranks universities on academic reputation, employer opinion and research, places UMass Amherst at #260 in QS World University Rankings 2027. That is a 13-place slip from the #247 standing the year prior, while the five-year average sits at #256.
| Year | University of Massachusetts Amherst QS World Rank |
|---|---|
| 2027 | #260 |
| 2026 | #247 |
| 2025 | #275 |
| 2024 | #245 |
| 2023 | #253 |
The 30-position window between the five-year peak of #245 (2024) and trough of #275 (2025) is narrow for a public university of this size. The 13-place slip from 2026 to 2027 does not move the campus out of the QS top 41 in the USA, so alumni brand value Indian recruiters reference stays intact.
Key insight: Across five QS editions the rank has stayed inside a 30-place band, which keeps the QS brand value of a UMass Amherst degree for Indian applicants unaffected by the latest dip.
Read More: University of Massachusetts Amherst Courses and Fees 2026 for Indian Students
Collegedunia Study Abroad Rankings of University of Massachusetts Amherst
Collegedunia Study Abroad 2026 ranks the campus at #125 globally and #45 in the USA, with Engineering pulling 58 places ahead of the overall global number.
| Category | Collegedunia Rank 2026 |
|---|---|
| Global Overall | #125 |
| USA Overall | #45 |
| Engineering | #67 |
| Medicine | #217 |
| Law | #239 |
The CD Engineering rank of #67 outpaces the CD Global rank of #125 by 58 positions, a subject-vs-overall gap Indian engineering applicants can use to justify the fee level. Medicine #217 and Law #239 are weaker, so Indian aspirants in those streams will find sharper picks on CD’s top-100 lists for those disciplines.
India-relevance: CD’s #125 sits closer to THE’s #112 than to QS’s #260, giving Indian applicants two corroborating reads from the bodies that weigh research and teaching most.
University of Massachusetts Amherst Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings 2026
THE, which weighs teaching, research and citations heaviest, ranks University of Massachusetts Amherst at #112 globally and #37 in the USA in its 2026 edition. That is the highest position the university holds on any major global ranking body this year.
| Edition | University of Massachusetts Amherst THE Rank |
|---|---|
| 2026 World | #112 globally, #37 USA |
The 148-place gap between THE’s #112 and QS’s #260 is the widest cross-body divergence for UMass Amherst. For Indian applicants who care about research labs and PhD output, the THE read is the more accurate signal of what the campus delivers day-to-day.
What it signals: THE’s #37 USA rank places UMass Amherst inside the top fifth of American universities, a tier that maps to median Indian-applicant picks like Boston University and Northeastern.
University of Massachusetts Amherst ARWU Shanghai Rankings 2025
ARWU, which scores universities on research output and high-cited papers, places UMass Amherst in the #201-300 band in ARWU 2025. That is the same band the campus has held for three of the last five editions.
| Year | University of Massachusetts Amherst ARWU Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | #201-300 |
| 2024 | #201-300 |
| 2023 | #151-200 |
| 2022 | #151-200 |
| 2021 | #201-300 |
The one-band slide between 2023 and 2024 reflects how ARWU weights research publication and citation data, where small shifts in highly cited paper counts can move a campus across a band. For Indian PhD applicants the more useful signal is the ARWU subject side, where Food Science ranks #7 globally and Hospitality & Tourism Management ranks #10 globally.
Trend signal: ARWU’s #201-300 band has held for three of five editions, a stability that matters more to Indian applicants than the single-band downgrade in 2024.
University of Massachusetts Amherst U.S. News Best Global Universities 2026-2027
U.S. News, which ranks universities on global research reputation and publication impact, places UMass Amherst at #162 globally and #46 in the USA in the 2026-2027 edition. The four-year window holds the campus inside a 15-point band.
| Edition | University of Massachusetts Amherst U.S. News Rank |
|---|---|
| 2026-2027 | #162 |
| 2025-2026 | #160 |
| 2024-2025 | #175 |
| 2023-2024 | #160 |
The 13-place climb from 2024-2025 to 2026-2027 closes the gap with Penn State and Michigan State, the two public-flagship peers Indian applicants often hold UMass Amherst against. U.S. News also gives the campus its strongest subject reads of any body, with Food Science at #4 globally and Agricultural Sciences at #8 globally, both #1 in the USA.
Key insight: U.S. News rank moves track research investment more than admissions selectivity, which is why the rank climbs while acceptance rates stay near 60 percent.
University of Massachusetts Amherst Subject Rankings
The subject scoreboard is far stronger than the overall standing, with one top-5 global subject rank, two #1 USA holds and three top-10 global subject ranks across QS, ARWU and U.S. News.
Key insight
- Linguistics (QS 2026): #5 globally, #2 in USA, a 255-place gap above overall QS.
- Food Science (US News 2026-27): #4 globally, #1 in USA, the campus’s strongest USA hold.
- Agricultural Sciences (US News 2026-27): #8 globally, #1 in USA, paired with Food Science as a flagship lock.
- Hospitality & Tourism (ARWU 2025): #10 globally, anchors the Isenberg School pull.
- Computer Science (QS 2025): #127 globally, the highest engineering-stream pull for Indian MS applicants.
University of Massachusetts Amherst Linguistics Rankings
QS 2026 ranks UMass Amherst at #5 globally and #2 in the USA in Linguistics, the highest subject placement the campus holds on any global body. The #2 USA position trails only MIT, which gives Indian language-science applicants a clean two-school peer frame.
India-relevance: A #5 global discipline rank often beats a top-100 overall rank as a hiring signal, particularly for Indian applicants targeting computational linguistics and NLP roles.
University of Massachusetts Amherst Food Science Rankings
Food Science holds #4 globally and #1 in the USA on U.S. News 2026-2027 and #7 globally on ARWU 2025. The two-body alignment puts the campus inside the world’s top 10 on both reputation surveys and research output.
The Department of Food Science has stayed at #1 USA across seven consecutive U.S. News editions, a flat-line stability that Indian food-technology applicants should weigh more than the overall #260 QS rank.
University of Massachusetts Amherst Agricultural Sciences Rankings
Agricultural Sciences ranks #8 globally and #1 in the USA on U.S. News 2026-2027, the seventh consecutive year of the #1 USA hold. The discipline pairs with Food Science as the campus’s flagship USA-leading pair and is the primary draw for Indian agri-tech applicants.
What it signals: Two #1 USA disciplines on the same body usually correlate with strong industry research funding, which lifts PhD intake odds for Indian applicants.
University of Massachusetts Amherst Engineering and Computer Science Rankings
QS 2025 ranks Engineering & Technology at #231 globally and Computer Science at #127 globally. The Engineering rank shifted from #207 in 2024 to #231 in 2025, a 24-place slip in one edition.
For Indian MS applicants the Computer Science #127 is the sharper read, since it sits 133 places above the overall QS rank and aligns with the placement strength CD reviews flag for the MS Computer Science program.
University of Massachusetts Amherst Hospitality and Sociology Rankings
ARWU 2025 ranks Hospitality & Tourism Management at #10 globally and Sociology at #42 globally. Both sit far above the campus’s overall ARWU band of #201-300, with hospitality the top-10 global pick for Indian Isenberg-bound applicants.
University of Massachusetts Amherst Physics and Environmental Sciences Rankings
ARWU 2025 ranks Physics at #76-100 globally and Environmental Science & Engineering at #76-100 globally. Nursing, Communication and Psychology each sit in the #101-150 ARWU band, taking the campus’s top-150 footprint to seven research disciplines.
University of Massachusetts Amherst Rankings: Indian Student Outlook
For Indian students the strongest pull is the subject scoreboard, not the overall position. Three top-10 global subjects and #1 USA holds in Food Science and Agricultural Sciences make the campus a sharper pick by major than by reputation.
Indian students most commonly choose the following programs at UMass Amherst, each anchored to a verified rank strength:
- MS Computer Science: Backed by Computer Science #127 globally in QS 2025, the most popular pick for Indian MS applicants.
- MS Business Analytics: Tied to the Isenberg School and the ARWU Hospitality #10 anchor.
- MBA (Isenberg): A USA top-50 public MBA option for Indian early-career applicants.
- MS Food Science: Backed by the world’s #4 rank on U.S. News 2026-2027, the strongest single subject lock.
- MS Engineering (Chemical, Mechanical, ECE): Anchored to Engineering & Tech #231 in QS 2025, mid-tier value for the fee level.
| India-relevant Signal | UMass Amherst Read |
|---|---|
| Strongest subject lock | Linguistics #5 global (QS 2026) |
| QS 5-year stability | 30-place band between #245 and #275 |
| CD vs QS gap | 135 places, CD-favorable |
| Closest Indian alternative for engineering | IIT Bombay #134 in QS 2027 |
| USA tier consistency | #41 (QS), #45 (CD), #46 (US News) |
Indian applicants can cross-read campus quality on the UMass Amherst student reviews on Collegedunia alongside the subject ranks above for a fuller picture.
Key insight for Indian applicants
- Subject pull: Five disciplines inside the global top 150 give Indian applicants room to pick by major, not by overall rank.
- USA tier consistency: Three bodies put the campus inside #41 to #46 USA, a tight Indian-relevant range.
- Linguistics anchor: The #5 global Linguistics rank is the single sharpest hiring signal for cognitive-science-bound applicants.
- Versus IIT Bombay: For pure engineering IIT Bombay sits 126 places ahead on QS 2027; for diversified majors UMass Amherst pulls ahead.
The cross-body picture reads steadier than the QS number alone suggests. UMass Amherst has stayed inside the QS band between #245 and #275 for five years, kept #1 USA in Food Science and Agricultural Sciences for seven straight U.S. News editions, and locked Linguistics at #5 globally on QS 2026. For Indian applicants the safer read is by major: the subject scoreboard sets the hiring signal, the overall rank only sets the brand frame.
University of Massachusetts Amherst Ranking FAQs
Ques. What is the QS ranking of University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2027?
Ans. University of Massachusetts Amherst is ranked #260 in QS World University Rankings 2027 and #41 in the USA. The campus has stayed inside the QS band between #245 and #275 for five consecutive editions.
Ques. Is University of Massachusetts Amherst better ranked on QS or THE?
Ans. UMass Amherst ranks higher on THE than on QS, with #112 in THE World University Rankings 2026 against #260 in QS 2027. The 148-place gap signals stronger research and teaching scores than overall academic-reputation surveys.
Ques. What is the Collegedunia Study Abroad ranking of University of Massachusetts Amherst?
Ans. Collegedunia Study Abroad 2026 ranks University of Massachusetts Amherst at #125 globally and #45 in the USA. Engineering pulls ahead at #67 globally, while Medicine sits at #217 and Law at #239.
Ques. Which subject is University of Massachusetts Amherst best known for in global rankings?
Ans. Linguistics is the strongest subject lock, ranked #5 globally and #2 in the USA in QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026. Food Science (#4 global, #1 USA) and Agricultural Sciences (#8 global, #1 USA) on U.S. News 2026-2027 also sit inside the world’s top 10.
Ques. Where does University of Massachusetts Amherst rank in ARWU Shanghai 2025?
Ans. ARWU 2025 places University of Massachusetts Amherst in the #201-300 band, the same band it held in 2024 and 2021. The campus crossed into the stronger #151-200 band in 2022 and 2023 before slipping back.
Ques. Is University of Massachusetts Amherst a top 200 university in the world?
Ans. Yes on THE and U.S. News, no on QS. THE places the campus at #112 in 2026 and U.S. News at #162 in 2026-2027, while QS sets it at #260 in 2027. The cross-body picture puts UMass Amherst inside the world’s top 200 on two of the five major bodies.
Ques. How does University of Massachusetts Amherst compare with IIT Bombay for Indian engineering applicants?
Ans. IIT Bombay ranks ahead at #134 in QS World University Rankings 2027, against UMass Amherst’s #260. For Computer Science MS specifically, UMass Amherst’s #127 global Computer Science rank in QS 2025 closes the engineering-stream gap considerably.










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