- AcademicsA+
- ValueA+
- DiversityA+
- CampusB-
- AthleticsA-
- Party SceneB-
- ProfessorsA+
- LocationA-
- DormsA-
- Campus FoodC
- Student LifeA-
- SafetyA-
Amherst College is ...
Private not-for-profit
Athletic Division
NCAA Division III (with football)
Athletic Conference
New England Small College Athletic Conference
Address
Boltwood Avenue
Amherst, MA 01002
Website
Amherst College Rankings
Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and millions of reviews.
Admissions
Acceptance Rate
14%
SAT Range
1360-1553
ACT Range
31-34
Application Fee
$60
SAT/ACT
Required
High School GPA
Recommended
Application Website
Students also applied to ...
Will You Get In?
Test Scores and GPA for Amherst College
Cost
Net Price
$16,861/ year
National
$15,403Average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, as reported by the college.
Academics
Professors
A+
Based on faculty accomplishments, salary, student reviews, and additional factors.
Student Faculty Ratio
8:1
Evening Degree Programs
No
- 100%
- of students agree that professors put a lot of effort into teaching their classes.19 responses
- 83%
- of students agree that it is easy to get the classes they want.18 responses
- 22%
- of students agree that the workload is easy to manage.18 responses
Majors
Most Popular Majors
Students
Full-Time Enrollment
1,795Undergrads
Undergrads Over 25
1%
Pell Grant
24%
Varsity Athletes
31%
Campus Life
Freshmen Live On-Campus
100%
Poll
- 83%
- of students say they don't have Greek life.12 responses
Poll
- 50%
- of students say varsity sports are a big part of campus life.22 responses
After College
Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation
$56,800/ year
National
$33,028Graduation Rate
95%
National
48%Employed 2 Years After Graduation
91%
National
83%- 82%
- of students feel confident they will find a job in their field after graduation.11 responses
Amherst College Reviews
250 reviews
All Categories
As a freshman here at Amherst my experience has been nothing but wonderful. Although it has been a shock coming from Houston, Texas, I've acclimated quite well to this new atmosphere. There are a surprisingly large amount of things to do in such a small town and it's a short ways away from both New York and Boston--so the town never feels too small. Rumors about low food quality are false, I'd say it's about average. All the professors sincerely care about their students and I've learned so much in fields that I have a legitimate, vested interest in.
Our sports are very good, often winning national/conference championships, but games are typically not very well attended. I get the sense that people generally only go if they have a friend on the team or if it's a particularly important game (NESCAC finals, Williams game, homecoming). Socially, being on a team, varsity or club (particularly frisbee and crew), is generally very helpful, and a lot of teams seem to exclusively socialize with themselves or other athletes, leading to what some call an athlete-nonathlete divide. There's definitely certain areas of campus that are seen as where athletes hang out, or where athletes live. It will be interesting to see if the demolition of the Socials and decrease of suite-style housing will do anything to bridge that divide. On the administrative side, there's definitely been complaints about lack of funding for club and intramural sports, in which a lot of people participate, particularly when it comes to field time. Club sports are administered and funded by the student government, but people seem to think it would be better to consolidate all athletic activities under the athletic department. Overall, though, Amherst has many opportunities for students to get involved in sports at different levels, and it is easy to start a new intramural league for anything that isn't already available.
The physical condition of most dorms is great. They're well maintained, clean, and usually spacious. The furthest dorms from campus are still only about a 10 minute walk through a safe area. Furthermore, dorm RCs are, at least in my experience, helpful when you need them, but not too nosy or heavy handed. Generally, if you don't regularly make a mess, cause dorm damage, or disturb your hall mates, they will give you a pass on most things. Room draw can be a stressful process, especially if you have a big group, but the college seems to be doing all it can to streamline it and make it as fair as possible. I do think that many of the dorms are lacking in amenities, especially upperclassmen dorms. It seems a little basic to put things like water fountains and vending machines in all dorms. Some of the common rooms are also under furnished and not containing many incentives for students to gather there. Something like a ping pong table or foosball would definitely turn many common rooms into more of a social space rather than a place for one or two people to quietly study. Also, several dorms don't have elevators, so if you suffer an injury during the school year, good luck? Finally, the social atmosphere in dorms can be very hit or miss. Some freshman dorms (particularly when the whole building is sub-free) form close bonds and stay friends throughout their time at Amherst. Others (Pratt) seem to have trouble forming a community.