Amherst College

www.amherst.edu

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2024 Undergraduate Tuition

$69,820

4.76% growth from 2023

2024 Average Net Price

$19,049

After Financial Aid

2024 Acceptance Rate

9.01%

13,743 Applicants

2024 Enrolled Students

1,914

100% Full-Time

2024 Graduation Rate

93.9%

462 Graduates

About

Amherst College is a higher education institution located in Hampshire County, MA. In 2024, the most popular Bachelors Degree concentrations at Amherst College were Econometrics & Quantitative Economics (88 degrees awarded), General Mathematics (81 degrees), and Other Research & Experimental Psychology (52 degrees).

In 2024, 732 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Amherst College. 50.1% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 49.9% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (274 degrees), 2.32 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (118 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at Amherst College is $69,820, which is $41,642 more than the national average for Baccalaureate Colleges ($28,178).

Photo by Thought Catalog

Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts & Sciences Focus Baccalaureate Colleges

Costs

In 2024, the median undergraduate tuition at Amherst College is $69,820, which is $41,642 more than the national average for Baccalaureate Colleges ($28,178).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $19,049.

In 2024, 62% of undergraduate students attending Amherst College received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 8% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$69,820

2024 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2024, the cost of tuition at Amherst College was $69,820. The cost of tuition at Amherst College is $41,642 more than than the overall (public and private) national average for Baccalaureate Colleges ($28,178).

This chart compares the tuition costs of Amherst College (in red) with those of other similar universities.

Average Net Price

$19,049

2024 Value

6.03%

1 Year Growth

In 2024 Amherst College had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $19,049. Between 2023 and 2024, the average net price of Amherst College grew by 6.03%.

This chart compares the average net price of Amherst College (in red) with that of other similar universities.

Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

Other Student Expenses

$17,560

Room and Board

$1,000

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at Amherst College was of $17,560 in 2024. The cost of room and board increased by 4.84% between 2023 and 2024.

During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,000. The cost of books and supplies did not change during the same period.

This chart compares the average student costs at Amherst College (in red) with that of similar universities.

Financial Aid by Income Level

62%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

62% of undergraduate students at Amherst College received financial aid through grants or loans in 2024. This represents a growth of 3.33% with respect to 2023, when 60% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

This chart compares the average award discount at Amherst College (in red) with that of other similar universities.

The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

Admissions

Amherst College received 13,743 undergraduate applications in 2024, which represents a 7.98% annual growth. Out of those 13,743 applicants, 1,238 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 9.01% acceptance rate.

There were 1,914 students enrolled at Amherst College in 2024. 39% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

Amherst College has an overall enrollment yield of 38.8%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

9.01%

Acceptance Rate in 2024

1,238

Accepted Out of 13,743

In 2024, the undergraduate acceptance rate of Amherst College was 9.01% (1,238 admissions from 13,743 applications). This is lower than the acceptance rate of 2023, which was 9.82%. Between 2023 and 2024, the number of applicants grew by 7.98%, while admissions declined by 0.96%.

This chart compares the acceptance rate of Amherst College (in red) with that of other similar universities, and the chart below shows the acceptance rate by gender.

SAT Scores

39%

Submission Percentage (2024)

187

Scores Submitted (2024)

39% of enrolled first-time students at Amherst College in 2024 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

The following chart shows the average SAT scores for the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile of applicants for each section of the test that they are evaluated on.

Enrollment

Amherst College had a total enrollment of 1,914 students in 2024. The full-time enrollment at Amherst College is 1,914 students and the part-time enrollment is 0. This means that 100% of students enrolled at Amherst College are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at Amherst College, both undergraduate and graduate, is 36.4% White, 16.5% Asian, 13.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.88% Black or African American, 8.62% Two or More Races, 0.104% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0522% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

Students enrolled at Amherst College in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Male (18.1%), followed by White Female (18%) and Asian Female (9.6%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

100%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Amherst College in 2024, both undergraduate and graduate, is 1,914 students. The full-time enrollment at Amherst College is 1,914 and the part-time enrollment is 0. This means that 100% of students enrolled at Amherst College are enrolled full-time compared with 78.9% at similar Baccalaureate Colleges.

This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at Amherst College (in red) compares to similar universities.

Retention Rate over Time

97%

2024 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at Amherst College was 97%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Baccalaureate Colleges (75%), Amherst College had a retention rate higher than its peers.

This chart shows the retention rate over time at Amherst College (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity (2024)

White
696 enrolled students
Asian
315 enrolled students
Hispanic or Latino
264 enrolled students

The enrolled student population at Amherst College is 36.4% White, 16.5% Asian, 13.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.88% Black or African American, 8.62% Two or More Races, 0.104% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0522% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Baccalaureate Colleges is 50.5% White, 15.6% Hispanic or Latino, and 13.2% Black or African American.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 47 students (2.46%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2024, 2 more women than men received degrees from Amherst College. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at Amherst College is white (274 degrees awarded). There were 2.32 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (118 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at Amherst College is Econometrics & Quantitative Economics (88 degrees awarded), followed by General Mathematics (81 degrees) and Other Research & Experimental Psychology (52 degrees).

In 2024, the most specialized majors across all degree types at Amherst College, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Math & Statistics (100 degrees awarded), Cultural & Gender Studies (31 degrees), and Language & Linguistics (37 degrees).

Common Jobs by Major

Postsecondary teachers

Most Common Job

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Amherst College are Postsecondary teachers (166,384 people), Other managers (132,885 people), Software developers (117,124 people), Secondary school teachers (107,977 people), and Elementary & middle school teachers (93,680 people).

The most specialized majors at Amherst College in 2024 are Math & Statistics (100 degrees awarded), Cultural & Gender Studies (31 degrees), Language & Linguistics (37 degrees), Physical Sciences (60 degrees), and Philosophy and Religious Studies (19 degrees) (as of 2024).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Magnetic resonance imaging technologists

Highest Paying Job

The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Amherst College are Magnetic resonance imaging technologists, Surgeons, Logisticians, Economists, and Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents

The most specialized majors at Amherst College are Math & Statistics (100 degrees awarded), Cultural & Gender Studies (31 degrees), Language & Linguistics (37 degrees), Physical Sciences (60 degrees), and Philosophy and Religious Studies (19 degrees) (as of 2024).

Common Industries by Major

Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges

Most Common Industry

The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Amherst College are Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (294,825 people), Elementary & secondary schools (269,095 people), Computer Systems Design (165,316 people), General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (125,254 people), and Scientific research & development services (85,533 people).

Majors Awarded

IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by Amherst College.

Most Common (2024)

Econometrics & Quantitative Economics
88 degrees awarded
General Mathematics
81 degrees awarded
Other Research & Experimental Psychology
52 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common bachelors degree concentration at Amherst College was Econometrics & Quantitative Economics with 88 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from bachelors degree programs at Amherst College according to their major.

Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

365

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2024

367

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2024

In 2024, 365 degrees were awarded to men at Amherst College, which is 0.995 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (367).

This chart displays the sex disparity between the top 5 majors at Amherst College by degrees awarded.

Most Common Male Majors

In 2024, 55 degrees were awarded to men at Amherst College in Econometrics & Quantitative Economics, which is 1.67 times more than the 33 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2024, 36 degrees were awarded to men at Amherst College in General Mathematics, which is 0.8 times less than the 45 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

85%

100% Completion Time

92%

150% Completion Time

In 2024, 85% of students graduating from Amherst College completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 92% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 92% within 200%.

The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Baccalaureate Colleges Carnegie Classification group.

Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity (2024)

White
274 degrees awarded
Asian
118 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
103 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at Amherst College is white (274 degrees awarded). There were 2.32 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (118 degrees).

1.23% of degree recipients (9 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic (2024)

White Female
172 degrees awarded
White Male
161 degrees awarded
White Female
157 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at Amherst College is white female (172 degrees awarded). There were 1.07 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white male (161 degrees).

Operations

Amherst College has an endowment valued at nearly $3.55B, as of the end of the 2024 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of 371M (10.4%) compared to the 7.58% average return (3.75M on 49.5M) across all Baccalaureate Colleges.

In 2024, Amherst College had a total salary expenditure of 278M. Amherst College employs 122 Professors, 90 Assistant professors and 38 Associate professors. Most academics at Amherst College are Male Professor (68), Female Professor (54), and Female Assistant professor (49).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Amherst College are: Service, with 197 employees, Management, with 129 employees, and Office and Administrative Support with 123 employees.

Endowment

$3.55B

2024 Endowment

6.22%

growth from 2023

Amherst College has an endowment valued at about $3.55B, as of the end of the 2024 fiscal year. The endowment of Amherst College grew 6.22% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $3.5B higher than than the median endowment of Baccalaureate Colleges according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.

This line chart shows how the endowment at Amherst College (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.

The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts & Sciences Focus Carnegie Classification grouping.

Salary Expenditure

$120M

2024 Salaries

6.47%

growth from 2023

In 2024, Amherst College paid a median of $120M in salaries, which represents 43.3% of their overall expenditure ($278M) and a 6.47% growth from the previous year. This is compared to a 7.84% growth between 2022 and 2023, and a 6.99% growth between 2021 and 2022.

Instructional Salaries

$41.4M

Instructional Salaries

295

Number of Employees

In 2024, Amherst College paid a total of $41.4M to 295 employees working as instructors, which represents 34.5% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $522k (3.48%) for similar Baccalaureate Colleges.

Occupations by Share

In 2024, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Amherst College were Service with 197 employees, Management with 129 employees, and Office and Administrative Support with 123 employees.

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