Founded in 1863 as an agricultural college, UMass Amherst was originally called the Massachusetts Agricultural College.

UMass Amherst is the flagship and the largest campus in the University of Massachusetts system, as well as the first established.

The official college color is maroon.

The White House has named UMass Amherst to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for four consecutive years, in recognition of its commitment to volunteering, service-learning, and civic engagement.

UMass is part of the Five Colleges Consortium, which comprises four liberal arts colleges and one university. Its students can attend classes, work with professors, check out resources, and more from other campuses. Check out which campuses are part of the five.

The Minuteman Marching Band is from UMass Amherst, and it is the largest marching band in New England, consisting of more than 390 members.

Notable alumni include Serena Williams (tennis player who won 4 Olympic Gold Medals) and Steve Sinofsky (former president of Windows at Microsoft)

The UMass Amherst campus is known for its sustainability. In fact, this is one of the only public universities to use the fresh fruits and vegetables in the dining commons from its very own permaculture gardens. (Read more here)

Residential Life at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is one of the largest on-campus housing systems in the United States. Over 14,000 students live in 52 residence halls! (Learn more here)

Learn more about UMass Amherst on social media! Check out their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more!