Strong 2025 Ranking Comes on the Heels of the University’s New Research 1 Designation
03/20/2025
Media Contacts: David Joyner, senior director, communications and digital media (email: David_Joyner@uml.edu) and Nancy Cicco, assistant director of media relations (email: Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu).
LOWELL, Mass. – UMass Lowell is the top public research university in the state for students seeking a strong return on their investment (ROI) after graduation, according to a 2025 Georgetown University study.
New college ROI rankings from Georgetown’s Center on Education and the Workforce show UMass Lowell holds the No. 1 spot as a public research university in Massachusetts for return on investment to bachelor’s degree recipients 10, 15 and 20 years into their careers. Using 2021-22 data from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard, the study evaluated ROI for graduates at 4,600 colleges and universities across the country.
Ten years after graduation, the return on a UMass Lowell education is $226,000; at 15 years, $568,000; and at 20 years, $910,000. At 30 years, a graduate’s ROI surpasses $1 million ($1,595,000), according to the report.
“These results confirm what we already know: UMass Lowell offers exceptional value to students seeking a world-class education paired with career-connected experiences that will prepare them for career success,” said Chancellor Julie Chen.
The news comes as UMass Lowell achieves Research 1 status, a prestigious designation that identifies the top U.S. research institutions. Only 7% of four-year universities are designated R1 by the Carnegie Foundation for Teaching and the American Council on Education. The university has pursued research growth through projects with defense, commercial and other academic partners.
“As an R1 institution, UMass Lowell is in a position to provide even more opportunities to our students and faculty through important research and scholarship in many different fields,” said Chen. “What’s more, the value and opportunities created by a UMass Lowell education will continue to expand with the development of the Lowell Innovation Network Corridor, which envisions a vibrant, live-work-learn-play district in the city of Lowell that is also a center of research and scientific discovery for the region.”
The Georgetown center conducts research that seeks to align education and training with workforce and labor-market demand. For its annual ROI analysis, the center considers the median earnings of students six, eight, and 10 years after they enroll at a college or university; the average net price of a university; and the predominant credential awarded at the institution. ROI figures in the study reflect cumulative earnings minus total out-of-pocket costs, based on the average net price of the institution per student, according to the report.