Liberal arts college
#4 Best small colleges in AmericaAmherst College
Amherst, MA · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $23,367 a year
Median debt at graduation: $13,740 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best small colleges in America#4 of 906
- Best colleges for education in America#7 of 1,318
- Best colleges in America#18 of 1,829
- Best test-optional colleges in America#15 of 1,481
- Best colleges for psychology in America#15 of 1,418
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#15 of 1,358
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- Best colleges for art and design in America#14 of 1,187
- Best colleges for English in America#17 of 1,283
- Best colleges for history in America#17 of 1,247
- Best colleges for mathematics in America#17 of 1,215
- Best colleges for chemistry in America#17 of 1,162
- Best colleges for music in America#16 of 1,063
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in America#17 of 1,116
- Best colleges for computer science in America#12 of 750
- Best colleges for NCAA Division III athletes in America#8 of 430
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#38 of 1,829
- Best colleges for economics in America#17 of 788
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in America#18 of 690
- Colleges with the most faculty per student in America#21 of 704
- Most selective colleges in America#27 of 683
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in America#37 of 684
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in America#43 of 704
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in America#45 of 693
- Best value colleges in the Northeast in America#19 of 239
- Best value colleges in America#67 of 674
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in America#73 of 682
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in America#116 of 598
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in America#154 of 681
In Massachusetts
- Best small colleges in Massachusetts#1 of 31
- Best test-optional colleges in Massachusetts#3 of 59
- Best colleges for education in Massachusetts#3 of 48
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in Massachusetts#3 of 47
- Colleges with the most faculty per student in Massachusetts#3 of 47
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in Massachusetts#3 of 46
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- Best colleges in Massachusetts#5 of 67
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in Massachusetts#5 of 67
- Best colleges for psychology in Massachusetts#4 of 51
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in Massachusetts#4 of 46
- Best colleges for art and design in Massachusetts#4 of 44
- Best colleges for NCAA Division III athletes in Massachusetts#4 of 38
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in Massachusetts#5 of 47
- Best colleges for English in Massachusetts#5 of 46
- Best colleges for history in Massachusetts#5 of 46
- Best value colleges in Massachusetts#5 of 46
- Best value colleges in the Northeast in Massachusetts#5 of 46
- Most selective colleges in Massachusetts#5 of 46
- Best colleges for mathematics in Massachusetts#5 of 43
- Best colleges for computer science in Massachusetts#4 of 33
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in Massachusetts#5 of 41
- Best colleges for chemistry in Massachusetts#5 of 40
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in Massachusetts#6 of 47
- Best colleges for economics in Massachusetts#5 of 39
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in Massachusetts#7 of 45
- Best colleges for music in Massachusetts#5 of 31
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in Massachusetts#8 of 46
- Most affordable colleges with strong academics in Massachusetts#9 of 47
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.94%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.97%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,533 · ACT 34
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.6 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$36,411
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $87,640 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 1,910 |
|---|---|
| Men and women Undergraduates, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) | Men 45% · Women 55% |
| First-generation students Share of students who are first-generation, by the College Scorecard’s definition | 21% |
| First-year students from another state Of first-time students whose home is a U.S. state, fall 2023 (IPEDS) | 90% |
| Total students | 1,910 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $23,367 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $87,640 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $13,740 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 94% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard) | 84% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years Borrowers who repaid at least $1 of principal within 3 years (College Scorecard) | 80% |
| First-year retention | 97% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $77,644 |
| Admission rate | 9% |
| Application fee Undergraduate application fee, 2023–24 (IPEDS) | $65 |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 20% |
| Average SAT | 1533 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 740–780 |
| SAT math | 750–800 |
| ACT composite | 33–35 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Exceptional · Top 8% (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Computer science | |
| Economics | |
| Mathematics | |
| History | |
| Experimental psychology | |
| Area studies | |
| English | |
| Political science | |
| Romance languages |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Anthropology, Architectural History, Criticism, and Conservation, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Classics, Ethnic and gender studies, Film and video, Fine arts, Geology and earth science, German, Interdisciplinary studies, Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies, Music, Natural resources and conservation, Neuroscience, Philosophy, Physics, Religious studies, Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education, Sociology, Statistics, Theatre.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Social sciences | |
| Biology | |
| Computer and information sciences | |
| Mathematics and statistics | |
| Physical sciences |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 0% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 1% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $18,390 |
| Sports | NCAA Division III · New England Small College Athletic Conference |
| ROTC | Army · Air Force |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 6 to 1 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 97%Of instructional faculty, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) |
| Endowment per student | $1,749,564Endowment at the end of fiscal year 2023, per full-time-equivalent student (IPEDS) |
| Nearest airport with scheduled flights | Bradley International Airport (BDL)About 31 miles away in a straight line (OurAirports) |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | BostonAbout 77 miles away in a straight line (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Average temperature in January | 24°F1991–2020 normal, from AMHERST, MA US, about 1 miles away (NOAA) |
| Average temperature in July | 72°F1991–2020 normal, from AMHERST, MA US, about 1 miles away (NOAA) |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 3.66 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.52 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 1.04 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.00 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 2.61 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Amherst College’s Compass Score?
- Exceptional (grade A+). It ranks in the top 2% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Amherst College cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $23,367 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Amherst College?
- Amherst College admitted 9% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Amherst College’s graduates do?
- 94% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $77,644; the median federal debt at graduation is $13,740.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 164465
- Carnegie classification: Baccalaureate college (arts & sciences)
- Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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