The university strives to:
  • Promote a campus that is accepting of all differences;
  • Develop a more culturally responsive campus community;
  • Improve campus climate;
  • Strengthen community connections;
  • Increase the recruitment, hiring and retention of a diverse faculty and staff;
  • Increase the recruitment, retention and graduation rates of undergraduate and graduate students from diverse backgrounds;
  • Strengthen pipeline programs; and
  • Integrate a curriculum that fosters cultural competencies.
AACEE Logo
The university is designated as a Minority Serving Institution (MSI) by the Department of Education as an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AAANAPISI).
HEED Award badge recognizing UMass Lowell for outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion

UMass Lowell received the 2022 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine for outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Badge recognizing UMass Lowell as a top diversity employer for 2023
UMass Lowell has been recognized as a Top Employer for 2023 by Diversityjobs.com for dedication and commitment to building a diverse workforce and culture.

By the Numbers

  • 40
    Percent of undergraduate students are students of color
  • 10
    Percentage point increase in faculty diversity in 10 years
  • 29
    Percent of graduate students are students of color
  • 96
    Percent of buildings on campus are accessible
  • 28
    Percent of undergraduate students are first generation
  • 35
    Percent of undergraduate students are LGBTQ

Diversity Events

More Diversity Events

Diversity News on Campus

See all Diversity news
  • 2023 MLK Distinguished Service Award recipients

    UMass Lowell Honors Advocates of Social Change

    UMass Lowell students whose work exemplifies the ideals advanced by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were recognized by the university at a ceremony Wednesday, Jan. 25.
    Press Release
  • A student walks past an educational sign about Indigenous peoples

    New Campus Signs Tell History of Lowell’s Indigenous Peoples

    A group of UMass Lowell students and faculty created educational signs across campus to spread community awareness and knowledge of Indigenous peoples who were originally settled on the local land.
    Featured Story
  • A young man in glasses smiles while listening to someone talk in a conference room

    New Program Helps First-Gen Students Find Career Paths

    The River Hawk Scholars Academy’s new Pathways to Career program helps first-generation college students in their junior year take advantage of resources available to them in the Career and Co-op Center.