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Amherst College

#3 in Best Liberal Arts Colleges in America
  • A+
    Overall Grade
  • 4 Year
  • Amherst, MA
  • 269 reviews
A+
Overall Niche Grade
How are grades calculated?
  1. Academics
    A+
  2. Value
    A+
  3. Diversity
    A+
  4. Campus
    A-
  5. Athletics
    A
  6. Party Scene
    B
  7. Professors
    A+
  8. Location
    B+
  9. Dorms
    A
  10. Campus Food
    B-
  11. Student Life
    A+
  12. Safety
    A-
View Full Report Card
Amherst is a highly rated private college located in Amherst Center, Massachusetts in the Springfield, MA Area. It is a small institution with an enrollment of 1,836 undergraduate students. Admissions is extremely competitive as the Amherst acceptance rate is 13%. Popular majors include Economics, Research and Experimental Psychology, and Mathematics. Graduating 95% of students, Amherst alumni go on to earn a starting salary of $44,100.
About Amherst College...
Athletic Division
NCAA Division III (with football)
Athletic Conference
New England Small College Athletic Conference
Address
Boltwood Avenue
Amherst, MA 01002
Website
amherst.edu
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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
13%
Application Deadline
January 1
SAT Range
1400-1560
ACT Range
32-34
Application Fee
$60
SAT/ACT
Required
High School GPA
Recommended
Early Decision/Early Action
Yes

Test Prep

SAT and ACT Prep Options
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Cost

Net Price
$19,519/ year
National
$15,523
Average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, as reported by the college.
Net Price by Household Income
  • <$30k
    $5,311/ year
  • $30-48k
    $10,383/ year
  • $49-75k
    $11,372/ year
  • $76-110k
    $19,829/ year
  • $110k+
    $46,118/ year
Student Loan Options from Lenders
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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
89%
of students agree that it is easy to get the classes they want.27 responses
22%
of students agree that the workload is easy to manage.27 responses
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Majors

Most Popular Majors
  • Economics
    77 Graduates
  • Research and Experimental Psychology
    56 Graduates
  • Mathematics
    53 Graduates
  • English
    43 Graduates
  • Political Science and Government
    42 Graduates
  • Biology
    35 Graduates
  • Computer Science
    33 Graduates
  • History
    31 Graduates
  • Environmental Science
    19 Graduates
  • Sociology
    19 Graduates

Students

Full-Time Enrollment
1,836Undergrads
Undergrads Over 25
1%
Pell Grant
22%
Varsity Athletes
32%
Poll
What one word or phrase best describes the typical student at this school?
Based on 17 responses
Report
  • Academic, passionate, open-minded
    82%
  • Critical thinker, disciplined, loving
    12%
  • Diverse
    6%

Campus Life

Freshmen Live On-Campus
100%
Poll
90%
of students say they don't have Greek life.21 responses
Poll
58%
of students say varsity sports are a big part of campus life.31 responses
Poll
What one word or phrase best describes your school?
Based on 19 responses
Report
  • Awesome.
    47%
  • Better than Williams.
    26%
  • You'll know everybody!
    16%
  • Awkward
    5%
  • Home away from home
    5%

After College

Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation
$65,000/ year
National
$33,028
Graduation Rate
95%
National
49%
Employed 2 Years After Graduation
90%
National
83%
82%
of students feel confident they will find a job in their field after graduation.11 responses
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Amherst College Reviews

269 reviews
All Categories
Amherst is simply an amazing institution. The student body here is top notch academically, yet friendly, not cutthroat. The professors are genuinely available, almost 24/7, and have an interest in seeing their students succeed. Make no mistake, the academic environment is rigorous - for the most part the student body is made of of academic "1%-ers," and the pace and expectation is what you'd expect from that.
The town of Amherst is a quintessential beautiful Northeastern college town.
People are super successful coming out of Amherst. The acceptances to top medical, law and other graduate schools each year is mind-blowing. Same with people going into finance/Wall Street.
All in all, Amherst is a magical place to spend 4 years!
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I love Amherst. It’s definitely small and rural, so you have to be prepared to find most of your social life on campus itself. But if you’re ready for that, the academics are great, professors are helpful, people are wonderful, and campus is beautiful! The financial aid packages are amazing, because Amherst intentionally makes the hard part gaining admission—not paying!
I have loved my time at Amherst. Professors go above and beyond to help their students, something that happens because of the small size of the school. Most classes don't have TAs, which means office hours and review sessions are held directly with the professors. Upper-level classes can have fewer than 30 people, which I have found to be a great environment for challenging yourself and growing academically. As a liberal arts college, Amherst also teaches you HOW to think, rather than just what to think. The school is also very helpful with outside opportunities. The alumni network is incredibly supportive, especially for mentoring or networking. I was able to receive funding from the school for my unpaid summer internship, and they also provide research funds for many students. Since there are no graduate students at Amherst, all lab, research, and work opportunities with professors can start early on in your academic career.