Amherst College: Statistics

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Position Category
#908 of 14,131 In the World
#276 of 2,597 In North America
#245 of 2,496 In the United States
#14 of 88 In Massachusetts
#2 of 3 In Amherst
#465 of 1,002 For Genealogy
Top50% For 105 other topics
Subject rankings

Quick Review

Acceptance rate
9%
Average SAT
1535
Average ACT
34
Avg. cost to attend
$19,049 /y
Aid receiving
66%
Undergraduates
1,914
Male:Female Ratio
44:56
Control
Private
not-for-profit
Highest Degree
Bachelor's degree
Website
www.amherst.edu

Amherst College Acceptance rate and admissions statistics

Amherst College has an acceptance rate of 9% and is among the top 2% of the most difficult universities to gain admission to in the United States. The university reports the admission statistics without distinguishing between local and international students.

Total Men Women
Acceptance Rate 9% 8% 10%
Applicants 13,743 6,121 6,776
Admissions 1,238 508 652
Freshmen enrolled full time 480 196 255

SAT scores

Among admitted applicants
187 or 39%
submitted SAT

25% of them
had 1490
or below

75% of them
had 1580
or below

Typical SAT scores of first-years in Amherst College are 1490-1580 (middle 50% range).

ACT scores

Among admitted applicants
105 or 22%
submitted ACT

25% of them
had 33
or below

75% of them
had 35
or below

Typical ACT scores of first-years in Amherst College are 33-35 (middle 50% range).

Admissions requirements

Recommendations Required
Secondary school record Required
TOEFL Required
College-preparatory program Considered but not required
Formal demonstration of competencies Considered but not required
SAT/ACT Considered but not required
Secondary school GPA Considered but not required
Secondary school rank Considered but not required
Other Tests Neither required nor recommended

Enrollment demographics by race or ethnicity

White 696 (36%)
Asian 315 (16%)
Hispanic 264 (14%)
Nonresident Alien 254 (13%)
Black or African American 170 (9%)
Two or more races 165 (9%)
Race or Ethnicity unknown 47 (2%)
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander 1 (0.1%)

Costs per year: Tuition, Housing, Fees

The average net cost to attend Amherst College is $19,049 per year, calculated as the sum of the average cost of tuition, room and board, books, and supplies, reduced by the amount of average financial aid received.

The final cost of attendance varies for each student based on household income, residency, program, and other factors.

Net average cost to attend
$19,049/year
Average aid awarded
$68,591
Students receiving aid
66%

Average costs by household income

<$30K $1,086
$30-48K $1,570
$48-75K $17,478
$75-110K $23,639
$110K+ $47,521

Tuition and fees

Undergraduates
Tuition in-district $69,820
Tuition in-state $69,820
Tuition out-of-state $69,820
Fee in-district $660
Fee in-state $660
Fee out-of-state $660

Room and board costs

Dormitory capacity 1,932
Combined charge for room and board $18,390
Room charge $9,940
Meal charge $8,450

Amherst College majors

Amherst College has granted 486 bachelor's degrees across 37 programs. Below is a table with majors that lead to degrees at Amherst College.

Major Bachelor
Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 78
Computer Science 48
Mathematics, General 35
Biology & Biological Sciences, General 33
English Language and Literature, General 26
Research and Experimental Psychology, Other 26
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Other 24
American & U.S. Law & Legal Studies & Jurisprudence 23
Chemistry, General 20
Neuroscience 20
Art & Art Studies, General 16
Political Science and Government, General 16
History, General 14
African-American & Black Studies 11
Environmental Studies 11
Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education 9
Asian Studies & Civilization 7
Astronomy 7
Anthropology, General 6
French Language and Literature 6
Physics, General 6
Geology & Earth Science, General 5
Multi- & Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 5
Philosophy 5
Statistics, General 5
Architectural History and Criticism, General 4
Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 4
German Language and Literature 3
American & United States Studies & Civilization 2
Film & Cinema & Media Studies 2
Religion & Religious Studies 2
Spanish Language and Literature 2
European Studies & Civilization 1
Latin American Studies 1
Latin Language and Literature 1
Music, General 1
Women's Studies 1
Grand Total 486

Amherst College has a graduation rate of 94%, which is among the 3% highest for universities in the US.

Total Men Women
Graduation rate 94% 91% 97%
  • Full-time retention rate - 97%

Publications & Citations

Amherst College has published 11,252 scientific papers with 273,826 citations received. The research profile covers a range of fields, including Liberal Arts & Social Sciences, Biology, Environmental Science, Physics, Computer Science, Engineering, Political Science, Chemistry, Philosophy, and Law.

Publications
11,252
Citations
273,826

Publication / Citation count by topic

Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
6,367 / 126,301
Biology
4,588 / 136,823
Environmental Science
4,027 / 103,283
Physics
4,023 / 119,852
Computer Science
3,993 / 108,457
Engineering
3,867 / 103,155
Political Science
3,631 / 73,159
Chemistry
3,490 / 115,905
Philosophy
3,267 / 69,465
Law
3,219 / 70,175
Medicine
2,836 / 75,311
Sociology
2,743 / 65,098
Quantum and Particle physics
2,570 / 73,434
History
2,485 / 36,121
Geography and Cartography
2,260 / 46,660
Psychology
2,161 / 66,392
Genetics
2,080 / 67,102
Biochemistry
2,045 / 74,732
Geology
1,899 / 57,395
Mathematics
1,794 / 54,391
Ecology
1,521 / 51,051
Organic Chemistry
1,510 / 52,533
Business
1,490 / 44,272
Archaeology
1,481 / 29,269
Economics
1,461 / 41,668
Materials Science
1,448 / 51,616
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
1,426 / 41,639
Art & Design
1,397 / 24,464
Linguistics
1,373 / 35,719
Paleontology
1,324 / 43,806
Statistics
1,204 / 40,326
Pathology
840 / 25,567
Botany
831 / 26,481
Optical Engineering
795 / 21,225
Social Psychology
744 / 22,536
Neuroscience
744 / 20,214
Astrophysics and Astronomy
735 / 25,492
Psychiatry
712 / 18,747
Mechanical Engineering
675 / 9,539
Library and Information science
664 / 7,829

Annual publication & citation counts

Year Publications Citations
1993 79 1143
1994 102 1348
1995 91 1269
1996 116 1498
1997 134 1580
1998 83 1833
1999 113 1987
2000 105 2301
2001 114 2514
2002 135 3262
2003 184 3542
2004 129 3658
2005 126 3846
2006 172 4068
2007 187 4455
2008 164 4802
2009 180 5352
2010 209 5867
2011 195 6395
2012 209 6927
2013 294 7445
2014 333 7965
2015 323 8948
2016 381 9535
2017 421 10039
2018 458 11592
2019 604 14015
2020 571 18600
2021 501 22739
2022 495 19651
2023 524 20906
2024 411 19815
2025 307 17021
Academic rankings

Amherst College alumni

  1. Dan Brown

    Dan Brown
    Born in
    United States Flag United States
    Years
    1964-.. (age 62)
    Occupations
    musicianteachernovelistresearcherjournalist
    Biography

    Daniel Gerhard Brown is an American writer best known for his thriller novels, particularly the Robert Langdon series Angels & Demons (2000), The Da Vinci Code (2003), The Lost Symbol (2009), Inferno (2013), Origin (2017) and The Secret of Secrets (2025). His novels are treasure hunts that usually take place over a 24-hour period and center on recurring themes of cryptography, art, and conspiracy theories.

  2. Albert II, Prince of Monaco

    Albert II, Prince of Monaco
    Born in
    Monaco Flag Monaco
    Years
    1958-.. (age 68)
    Enrolled in Amherst College
    1977-1981 graduated with Bachelor of Arts in political science
    Occupations
    bobsledderracing automobile driverfilm actoraristocratenvironmentalist
    Biography

    Albert II is Prince of Monaco, reigning since 2005.

  3. Calvin Coolidge

    Calvin Coolidge
    Born in
    United States Flag United States
    Years
    1872-1933 (aged 61)
    Occupations
    autobiographerstatespersonlawyerpolitician
    Biography

    Calvin Coolidge was the 30th president of the United States, serving from 1923 to 1929. A Republican lawyer from Massachusetts, he previously served as the 29th vice president from 1921 to 1923, under President Warren G. Harding, and as the 48th governor of Massachusetts from 1919 to 1921. Coolidge gained a reputation as a small-government conservative, with a taciturn personality and dry sense of humor that earned him the nickname "Silent Cal".

  4. David Foster Wallace

    David Foster Wallace
    Born in
    United States Flag United States
    Years
    1962-2008 (aged 46)
    Enrolled in Amherst College
    1980-1985 graduated with Bachelor of Arts in philosophy and English studies
    Occupations
    writernovelistessayistuniversity teacher
    Biography

    David Foster Wallace was an American writer and professor who published novels, short stories, and essays. He is best known for his 1996 novel Infinite Jest, which Time magazine named one of the 100 best English-language novels published from 1923 to 2005. In 2008, David Ulin wrote for the Los Angeles Times that Wallace was "one of the most influential and innovative writers of the last twenty years".

All 100 notable alumni

General info

Alternative names AC
Founded 1821
Motto Terras Irradient
Let them give light to the world
Colors purple, white
Academic calendar Semesters
Total FTE staff 1,133
Carnegie classification Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts & Sciences Focus

Location and contacts

Address Boltwood Avenue
Amherst, Massachusetts, 01002-5000
United States
City population 39,000
Phone 4135422000

Amherst College in social media