Is UMass Amherst or Vassar more selective for undergraduate admissions?

Vassar is more selective overall for undergraduate admissions. It is a small, highly selective liberal arts college with a more limited number of seats, and its applicant pool tends to be self-selecting in a way that makes admission tougher. UMass Amherst is a strong public research university, but because it is much larger and enrolls far more undergraduates, it is less selective overall than Vassar.

That said, UMass Amherst can still be quite competitive for certain applicants and certain programs. More selective majors or colleges within UMass, such as business, engineering, or computer science, can be harder to enter than the university as a whole, especially for out-of-state students. So if someone says UMass Amherst is "easy," that is too simplistic.

The two schools also attract somewhat different students, which affects how people perceive selectivity. Vassar tends to appeal to students looking for a smaller, residential liberal arts environment with heavy emphasis on discussion-based classes, close faculty interaction, and a distinctly curated campus culture. That usually means applicants are targeting a narrower kind of academic and social fit, but the bar for admission is still higher overall.

UMass Amherst fits students who want the scale and resources of a large flagship university: more majors, broader course offerings, big school spirit, and the infrastructure of a major public institution. Because it serves a much larger student body, admission is more accessible in general, even though standout programs can be notably competitive.