For the second time in two years, The Wall Street Journal has named UMass Lowell the No. 1 public university in the Bay State. The ranking, included in the WSJ/College Pulse 2026 Best Colleges report, comes on the heels of other accolades to the university issued by U.S. News & World Report and other institutions.
U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 national rankings of top colleges and universities again this year give high marks to UMass Lowell for the education and economic value it provides to students.
A new Honors College program pairs students with Lowell nonprofits for paid, yearlong internships. The “City-ships” give students valuable career and leadership experience while helping community organizations.
Eleven UMass Lowell students completed National Grid’s Clean Energy Careers Academy, an eight-week program designed to provide college students with a better understanding of career opportunities within the energy sector.
Nine students completed the first semester of a new paid fellowship with the International Institute of New England, supporting immigrant and refugee families in Lowell through education, tutoring and access to essential services.
Environmental Science major Mars Orfanos has found numerous opportunities at UMass Lowell to support his career ambitions of designing environmentally sustainable buildings.
Leonardo Giordano has twice interned for credit through a new program.
River Hawk Racing President Thomas Warren designed precision robotics for semiconductor manufacturing during a pair of summer internships at Brooks Automation.
