University is a Seven-Time Recipient of the HEED Award

UMass Lowell students walk on South Campus in front of O'Leary Library Image by File photo
For the seventh time, Insight Into Academia has named UMass Lowell among the best colleges and universities in the country for its campus environment and commitment to student success.

09/14/2026

Media Contacts: David Joyner, executive director, communications and digital media, David_Joyner@uml.edu and Nancy Cicco, associate director of media relations, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu
LOWELL, Mass. – For the seventh year, UMass Lowell has received a Higher Education Excellence and Distinction (HEED) Award, a national honor that recognizes the university for its outstanding academics and community-building culture across all levels of campus life.

The award is presented by Insight Into Academia, a magazine which promotes best practices in higher education administration. In selecting UMass Lowell, Insight Into America evaluated the university’s academic excellence; commitment to student success, recruitment, hiring and retention practices; leadership; and campus climate. 

“This seventh-time recognition is no small feat, as it speaks to the sustained commitment of our employees to foster student success in every aspect of their UMass Lowell experience and promote community engagement on and beyond campus,” said UMass Lowell Chancellor Julie Chen.  UMass Lowell also received the award in 2015, 2016, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. 

UMass Lowell students hail from all 50 U.S. states and 100 countries. Forty-eight percent of undergraduates identify as students of color, 46% are first-generation college students, nearly a third identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community and an estimated 1,000 are connected to the military.

“We use a detailed scoring process as well as a holistic approach in reviewing each application to determine who will be named a HEED Award recipient. Our standards are high and we look for institutions where academic excellence and belonging are woven into the work being done every day across their campus,” said Lenore Pearlstein, the magazine’s co-publisher.

The HEED Award complements other significant achievements UMass Lowell has attained over the past few years. Classified as a Carnegie Research 1 university, UMass Lowell sits among the nation’s top research institutions. For the second time in three years, The Wall Street Journal has named UMass Lowell the No. 1 public university in the state. The media outlet also ranks UMass Lowell as the top university among all private and public institutions in the state for social mobility, helping students from every background to achieve success. Both The Wall Street Journal and U.S. News & World Report rank UMass Lowell as the best value among public universities in the Bay State. UMass Lowell is also the only institution in Massachusetts – and one of 11 in the country and 20 worldwide – to receive a platinum rating from the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. 

For more information about the award, visit insightintoacademia.com.


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