Safety Score
1.79 /1K students
incidents per 1,000 enrolled
Amherst, MA · Clery Act 2023 · Public
University of Massachusetts-Amherst
According to the U.S. Department of Education's Clery Act filings, this profile covers campus safety, crime statistics, fire-safety data, and peer comparison for this 31,810-student campus.
- 1.79
- Incidents / 1k students
- #1,919
- Rank of 3,050
- #40
- MA rank
- 31,810
- Enrolled students
Data updated June 2026
The verdict
University of Massachusetts-Amherst reports 1.79 on-campus Clery incidents per 1,000 enrolled students, ranking #1,919 of 3,050 ranked U.S. campuses - with more reported incidents than 61% of ranked campuses its size.
- 1.79
- incidents / 1,000 students
- #1,919
- of 3,050 ranked nationally
- 61%
- report fewer incidents than this campus
- 46
- on-campus incidents, 2023
Safety score = reported on-campus Clery incidents per 1,000 enrolled students (lower is safer).
Reporting-period change
What changed in 2023
University of Massachusetts-Amherst increased from 39 to 46 reported on-campus incidents between the 2022 and 2023 reporting years in the U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey.
This is a change in reported incidents, not a measure of individual safety. Enrollment, reporting practice, and category coverage can affect the count.
See national reporting-year changesUniversity of Massachusetts-Amherst is a Public institution located in Amherst, MA, enrolling approximately 31,810 students. Clery Act data spanning 2021–2023 records 130 total on-campus incidents across all reported crime categories. Within MA, it ranks #40 by safety score. Verify with the U.S. Department of Education Clery Act database →
With 31,810 enrolled students, this campus sits in the large research university bracket, which shapes how raw incident counts should be interpreted.
The most frequently reported category at University of Massachusetts-Amherst is "Rape" with 44 cumulative incidents across the reporting window. Compared to 5 peer institutions of similar enrollment size in MA averaging 1.97 incidents per 1,000 students, University of Massachusetts-Amherst reports 9% fewer incidents per student.
Fire safety data covers 1 reporting year for on-campus residential facilities, logging 11 total fires, 1 injuries. Arrests and disciplinary actions span 9 category-year records, covering liquor law violations, drug law violations, and weapons possession on-campus. No Department of Education Clery Act enforcement actions are recorded against this institution.
National Rank
#1919
See peer comparison
State Rank (MA)
#40
within state peers
Incidents (2023)
46
across 11 crime categories
Where University of Massachusetts-Amherst sits among ranked U.S. campuses
On-campus Clery incidents per 1,000 students, every ranked campus with 2,000+ students
2 safer than 39% of 1,807 ranked campuses
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more ranked campuses. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, Campus Safety & Security Survey (Clery Act) · 2023
Safety percentile vs. peers
University of Massachusetts-Amherst percentile rank 37.1%
National median
Higher percentile = safer than more peers. Rank #1919 out of 3,050 ranked institutions (enrollment >= 500) in the OPE Campus Safety Survey.
Reporting density vs peer median
University of Massachusetts-Amherst reports 9% fewer incidents per student than the median of 5 peer institutions.
Academic & Financial Profile
Tuition & Costs
- In-State Tuition
- $17,772
- Out-of-State Tuition
- $40,449
- Avg Net Price
- $22,383
- Median Debt
- $22,763
- Pell Grant Recipients
- 20%
Admissions
- Acceptance Rate
- 60%
- SAT Average
- 1423
- SAT Math Range
- 660–770
- ACT Average
- 31
- ACT Range
- 30–33
Outcomes
- 4-Year Graduation Rate
- 83%
- Retention Rate
- 92%
- Median Earnings (6yr)
- $60,347
- Median Earnings (10yr)
- $71,631
- Loan Repayment (3yr)
- 84%
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard. Methodology.
Enrollment scale
How campus size shapes the safety figures
With 31,810 enrolled students, University of Massachusetts-Amherst is in the largest 2% of the 5,673 institutions in this dataset with a reported enrollment. The safety score above already normalizes reported on-campus incidents per 1,000 students, so compare it with similarly sized campuses instead of treating a higher raw count as evidence that a campus is less safe. Use the annual crime table to see what was reported, then use the peer comparison to judge the rate against schools of a similar scale. A lower reported rate is not a guarantee of individual safety or a measure of reporting quality.
Crime Statistics by Year
11 categories 3 reporting years on-campus onlyUniversity of Massachusetts-Amherst: on-campus incidents by year
Rising 2% (45 → 46 incidents)
| Crime Type | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aggravated Assault | 6 | 4 | 3 |
| Arson | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Burglary | 5 | 11 | 2 |
| Fondling | 6 | 10 | 16 |
| Incest | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 16 | 0 | 1 |
| Murder / Non-Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rape | 11 | 14 | 19 |
| Robbery | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Statutory Rape | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: US Dept US Dept of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey. Figures show on-campus incidents
Fire Safety
| Year | Fires | Inj. | Deaths | Cat I | Cat II |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Arrests & Disciplinary Actions
9 category-year records| Category | Year | Arrests | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drugs | 2023 | 3 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 73 | 149 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2022 | 1 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2022 | 59 | 92 |
| Weapons | 2022 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2021 | 0 | 2 |
| Liquor | 2021 | 106 | 226 |
| Weapons | 2021 | 1 | 0 |
University of Massachusetts-Amherst vs peer institutions
Side-by-side safety scores for 3 peers of similar enrollment
Scores are incidents per 1,000 enrolled students (lower is fewer).
MA
University of Massachusetts-Amherst
1.79 incidents / 1,000 students
NY
University at Buffalo
2.16 incidents / 1,000 students
TX
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
0.91 incidents / 1,000 students
Similar Institutions
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY · 31,889 enrolled
Safety Score 2.16
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Edinburg, TX · 31,931 enrolled
Safety Score 0.91
San Jacinto Community College
Pasadena, TX · 31,494 enrolled
Safety Score 0.19
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR · 32,140 enrolled
Safety Score 2.21
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC · 32,234 enrolled
Safety Score 4.37
Closest by National Rank
Institutions ranked nearest University of Massachusetts-Amherst nationally (rank #1919), regardless of size or state.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is University of Massachusetts-Amherst safe?
University of Massachusetts-Amherst has a safety score of 1.79 (total on-campus incidents per 1,000 enrolled students) and ranks #1,919 nationally out of 3,050+ ranked institutions. Compare this with peer institutions for context.
What crimes are reported at University of Massachusetts-Amherst?
Aggravated Assault, Arson, Burglary, Fondling, Incest, and other categories, for calendar year 2023.
How does University of Massachusetts-Amherst compare to similar schools?
See the Similar Institutions section below for peers of similar enrollment in MA.
Does University of Massachusetts-Amherst have fire safety data?
Yes. University of Massachusetts-Amherst reports fire safety data for on-campus residential facilities, including total fires, injuries, deaths, and fire damage categories. 11 fires were reported in the most recent year.
Understanding University of Massachusetts-Amherst's Safety Profile
University of Massachusetts-Amherst in Amherst, MA enrolls 31,810 students and has a safety score of 1.79 incidents per 1,000 enrolled students , ranking #1919 nationally. This relatively low score indicates fewer reported on-campus incidents relative to enrollment size.
Reported incidents cover 2021 to 2023. On-campus incidents increased from 39 in 2022 to 46 in 2023.
Fire safety data covers on-campus residential facilities. 11 fires were reported in the most recent year.
What this means for you
University of Massachusetts-Amherst's 1.79 reported on-campus incidents per 1,000 students is a starting point for comparison, not a verdict on any student's safety.
- Weigh University of Massachusetts-Amherst against similar-size campuses, scale changes what the raw count means. Compare campuses
- A higher count can mean stronger reporting, not more danger. How the data works
- Clery covers campus grounds only. Campus vs. city crime
Figures reflect the 2023 Clery Act reporting year as filed with the U.S. Department of Education.
Data sourced from the U.S. Department of Education, OPE Campus Safety & Security Survey (Clery Act). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCampus Editorial
Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal Clery Act source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice; the data describes reported on-campus activity, it is not a complete picture of safety at any campus and cannot predict any individual student's experience. See our appropriate use guidance.