Admit rate has ranged 7%–12% over the last 5 years. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Amherst College is a fiercely intellectual, open-curriculum liberal arts powerhouse where academic freedom is absolute and competition is internal. It's a place for self-directed polymaths who thrive on rigorous, intimate discussion with leading scholars, supported by a famously generous no-loan financial aid policy. The vibe is less about pastoral idyll and more about intense, sometimes angsty, engagement with ideas and identity, set within a campus pulsing with over 100 student-run clubs and a deep-seated rivalry with Williams.
Admission requirements
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Required
High school transcript
Letters of recommendation
TOEFL (non-native English)
Considered (not required)
Grade point average
Class rank
Test scores (SAT/ACT)
College-prep program
Demonstrated competencies
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
Key deadlines (2026-2027)
Early Decision — Early Decision
November 15, 2026
Regular Decision — Regular Decision
January 3, 2027
Financial Aid — Financial Aid Application Deadline for Regular Decision
January 3, 2027
More details
Undergrad enrollment
1,911
In-state tuition
$70,480
Out-of-state tuition
$70,480
No-Loan Policy
Yes, for all students
Graduation Rate
94%
Meets Full Need
Yes
ED Share of Class
~17% of admits; >1/3 of class filled via ED
First-Year Retention
Data not in provided sources
Demonstrated Interest
Not considered
Median Earnings (10yr)
$77,644
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$77,644
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
3.3×
Median debt at graduation
$13,740
Graduation rate
94%
First-year retention
97%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
80%
Pell (lower-income) share
20%
First-gen share (among federal-aid recipients)
21%
Financial health
2.8 / 3.0Meets the federal financial-responsibility standard
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Economics$74,576
History$74,576
Mathematics$67,660
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics$67,101
Political Science and Government$48,432
Research and Experimental Psychology$46,087
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies
Applicants here also applied to
The schools that most often appear alongside Amherst on applicants’ lists, from our self-reported outcomes corpus.
Co-application frequency from self-reported results — directional peer discovery, not a recommendation.
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
10
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
Pleasant days / yr
88
Summer high
81°F
Winter low
22°F
Annual rain
51.6"
Annual snow
40"
Natural-hazard risk
Relatively Low
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility▾
Research output
Institutional h-index
266
Scholarly works
15,310
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Share of this school’s graduates who go on to earn research doctorates (2010–20), by national rank and per-capita yield (NSF institutional-yield ratio). A signal of a research-oriented student culture — not a causal promise, since it partly reflects who enrolls. Only top producers appear. Source: NSF NCSES, Baccalaureate Origins of U.S. Research Doctorate Recipients.
Economic mobility
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at Amherst College?
Amherst College's acceptance rate is approximately 9% (Amherst, MA), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for Amherst College?
Admitted students at Amherst College typically score 1490–1580 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does Amherst College cost?
At Amherst College, the average net price (after aid) is about $23,367 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Amherst College?
Amherst College enrolls approximately 1,911 undergraduate students.
Where is Amherst College located?
Amherst College is located in Amherst, MA.
Admissions
Gaining entry to Amherst is a feat of academic distinction, with the college admitting only a small fraction of its exceptionally qualified applicant pool. The admissions process is holistic and notably does not consider demonstrated interest, focusing instead on the intrinsic strength of the applicant's record. For the Class of 2029, 93% of admitted students who reported a class rank were in the top 10% of their high school class, with 24% of those ranked students being valedictorians. Test scores are formidable, with mean SAT scores historically around 756 for Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and 771 for Math, and mean ACT Composite scores of 34. The distribution of scores among applicants, admitted students, and enrollees shows the selectivity at play. Applying Early Decision provides a significant statistical advantage; for the Class of 2028, 735 students applied ED and 216 were admitted, resulting in an Early Decision of approximately 29%. About 17% of admitted applicants typically come through the Early Decision round, and it's estimated that Amherst fills over a third of its incoming class via ED. The overall process is need-blind for all students, meaning financial circumstances are not a factor in admission decisions.
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
$37,208
English Language and Literature, General$33,993
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
The academic experience at Amherst is defined by profound freedom and intense rigor. The college offers a Bachelor of Arts degree across 43 majors in the arts, sciences, social sciences, and humanities, with students allowed to pursue more than one major. There is no core curriculum; instead, students design their own course of study in consultation with faculty advisors. This open curriculum demands a high degree of intellectual self-direction and curiosity. The faculty are leading authorities in their fields and are deeply invested in undergraduate teaching and mentorship, fostering a personal and flexible educational environment. Popular majors include Econometrics and Quantitative Economics, Mathematics, Computer Science, and Research and Experimental Psychology, with the Economics department alone boasting 14 faculty covering most major areas of modern economics. The reputation is built on this combination of academic rigor, exceptionally small classes, and close faculty-student relationships, cementing its status as one of the most prestigious undergraduate institutions in the country.
Life on campus is densely packed and self-governed, characterized by a collaborative and non-competitive academic culture that helps students manage stress. The social and extracurricular landscape is almost entirely student-driven, with roughly 100 clubs and organizations covering everything from community engagement and political activism to student publications and performing arts. The campus vibe, as reflected in student discourse, can be intense and introspective, with some students expressing a critical view that the education can feel in service of creating 'well-rounded employees' rather than citizens or leaders. However, the official portrayal highlights a community packed with fun and enriching experiences, from spike ball on the Quad to comedy improv and large art installations. The culture is often discussed in comparison to its arch-rival, Williams College, adding a layer of collegiate tradition and identity to the student experience.
An Amherst degree launches graduates into high-impact trajectories with strong financial returns. Within six months of graduation, the vast majority of students have secured their next step, with 75.5% employed, 15.1% pursuing graduate or professional school, and 5.3% engaged in fellowships or service work. The long-term financial outcome is robust, with median earnings for students ten years after entry placing Amherst graduates in a strong position relative to national averages. The college's six-year graduation rate is exceptionally high, consistently placing it among the top institutions in the country for student completion and success.
Amherst's financial aid program is a cornerstone of its identity, designed to make its education accessible regardless of economic background. The college is need-blind in admission and meets 100% of every admitted student's demonstrated financial need with a no-loan policy. This means initial financial aid offers are composed entirely of grants and scholarships (free money), not loans, allowing students to graduate without the burden of mandatory debt. The college was one of the first in the nation to adopt such a policy. This commitment is substantial: 59% of students receive financial aid, the average financial aid offer is $76,000, and the college awards over $84 million in scholarships annually. The —the actual cost after grants and scholarships—reflects this significant investment, making an Amherst education affordable for a broad range of families.
Amherst distinguishes itself through a potent combination of radical academic freedom and unparalleled financial accessibility. Its open curriculum is a true differentiator—a genuine blank slate that places extraordinary trust in students to architect their own intellectual journey, supported by a faculty dedicated to close mentorship. This creates an environment for fiercely independent thinkers. This elite education is deliberately de-coupled from wealth through its pioneering, robust no-loan financial aid model, which meets full need for all admitted students. The result is a socioeconomically diverse community of scholars united by ability and drive, not means. Furthermore, its identity is sharpened by its historic rivalry with Williams College, a competition that fuels school spirit and defines its place in the constellation of top-tier liberal arts colleges. It's not a place for those who want a prescribed path, but for self-starters who want to own their education entirely, supported by resources that remove financial barriers to full engagement.
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