Amherst College

Basic Information

Type Private, Liberal Arts
Geographical Reach National
Population 250,000

Weather

Comfortable Days 110 (71%)
Sunshine Hours 2,350 (21%)
Days Without Precipitation 231 (21%)

Demographics

Total Undergraduates 2,033
Men / Women 45% / 55%
From State 13%
From Region 20%
Athletes 622 (32.5%)

Racial/Ethnic

White 36%
Asian 16%
Hispanic 14%
International 13%
Black 9%
Mixed 9%
Native American 0%

Schools & Majors

⇅ Ranked Trends Degrees Male White Asian Black Hispanic Intl Earnings Earn % Earn z ROI Employment Debt-to-Earn Accept SAT p25 SAT p75
Amherst College 537 46% 36% 15% 11% 17% 12% $105,660 96 +1.45 91 94%
Computer Science 59 +6 59% 20% 17% 5% 17% 36% $187,721 93 +1.84 100 94% — — — —
Astronomy 1 — 0% 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% $103,653 92 +1.45 90 — — — — —
Chemistry 24 +3 38% 29% 17% 12% 21% 8% $76,716 78 +0.50 56 — — — — —
Geosciences 3 +4 0% 33% 0% 33% 33% 0% $73,135 84 +0.73 47 — — — — —
Mathematics 38 +54 58% 42% 13% 8% 16% 8% $166,587 98 +3.07 100 91% — — — —
Physics 5 +14 60% 60% 0% 0% 20% 20% $103,979 92 +1.47 90 — — — — —
Statistics 4 +15 50% 50% 25% 0% 0% 25% $156,751 89 +1.52 100 — — — — —
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology 27 +1 26% 30% 37% 7% 19% 4% $61,319 11 -0.91 17 — — — — —
Biology 20 +1 35% 45% 10% 5% 20% 0% $62,239 26 -0.49 19 — — — — —
Neuroscience 18 +2 33% 28% 28% 0% 17% 17% $53,613 9 -1.17 6 92% — — — —
Environmental Studies 15 +3 27% 33% 7% 7% 20% 7% $59,450 58 +0.10 13 — — — — —
Economics 81 +8 69% 49% 16% 4% 12% 14% $168,538 99 +2.65 100 97% — — — —
African-American Studies 12 — 33% 0% 0% 83% 0% 0% $55,924 45 -0.26 8 90% — — — —
American Studies 8 — 12% 25% 12% 0% 50% 0% $64,645 70 +0.43 25 95% — — — —
Asian American Studies 2 — 0% 0% 100% 0% 0% 0% $63,792 69 +0.36 22 — — — — —
Asian Languages 7 +1 57% 14% 14% 14% 0% 29% $64,645 73 +0.59 25 95% — — — —
Classics 5 +1 20% 40% 0% 20% 0% 20% $77,123 95 +1.97 57 — — — — —
English 29 +16 31% 31% 28% 21% 17% 0% $70,325 97 +2.18 40 93% — — — —
European Studies 3 +1 0% 67% 33% 0% 0% 0% $64,645 70 +0.43 25 95% — — — —
French 10 +1 50% 30% 10% 0% 10% 20% $77,996 96 +1.78 59 80% — — — —
German 1 +2 100% 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% $76,877 96 +1.68 57 — — — — —
History 25 +12 60% 48% 12% 20% 4% 8% $98,995 99 +4.11 87 100% — — — —
Interdisciplinary Studies 2 +2 100% 50% 0% 0% 50% 0% $82,221 97 +2.39 68 — — — — —
Latin 1 — 100% 0% 0% 100% 0% 0% $77,568 96 +1.74 58 — — — — —
Latin American Studies 3 +3 33% 0% 0% 0% 100% 0% $64,645 70 +0.43 25 95% — — — —
Philosophy 3 +11 67% 0% 0% 33% 33% 33% $72,320 82 +0.82 45 — — — — —
Religious Studies 2 +4 100% 50% 0% 0% 0% 0% $67,764 97 +2.09 33 — — — — —
Russian — +1 — — — — — — $78,015 96 +1.78 59 — — — — —
Sexuality, Women's, and Gender Studies 5 +7 20% 40% 0% 40% 20% 0% $55,924 51 -0.04 8 90% — — — —
Spanish 3 +16 67% 33% 0% 0% 33% 0% $77,996 96 +1.78 59 80% — — — —
Anthropology 5 +1 20% 0% 60% 0% 40% 0% $79,920 97 +2.09 63 — — — — —
Political Science 17 +26 47% 41% 6% 6% 12% 12% $94,260 93 +1.62 83 87% — — — —
Psychology 39 +39 36% 36% 18% 23% 18% 0% $70,876 90 +1.05 41 95% — — — —
Sociology 2 +8 50% 0% 50% 50% 0% 0% $81,261 98 +2.21 66 — — — — —
Education Studies 6 +3 33% 67% 17% 0% 17% 0% $59,613 79 +0.53 14 — — — — —
Architectural History and Criticism 7 — 14% 14% 0% 14% 29% 43% $64,285 29 -0.43 24 — — — — —
Art 17 +3 12% 41% 6% 18% 18% 6% $61,548 96 +1.58 17 — — — — —
Drama and Theatre Arts 1 +4 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% $57,841 98 +1.98 11 — — — — —
Film Studies 7 +2 71% 43% 0% 0% 29% 14% $61,509 97 +1.82 17 — — — — —
Music 1 +8 0% 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% $59,008 96 +1.32 12 — — — — —
Law, Jurisprudence, and Social Thought 19 +10 47% 42% 5% 0% 21% 16% $66,470 84 +0.91 29 — — — — —

Financial

Tuition & Fees $76,040
ROI Percentile 91th

Retention & Graduation

Full-Time Retention 97%
4-Year Graduation Rate 75%
6-Year Graduation Rate 94%
Transfer-Out Rate 3%

Earnings by Major Category

Each major category's degree-weighted estimated median 5-year earnings at this college, expressed as a z-score against the national degree-weighted distribution for that category. 0 is the national average. The shaded band between +1.28 and −1.28 marks the central 80% of the national distribution (10th–90th percentile).

Academics

⇅ % Degrees Male White Asian Black Hispanic Intl Earnings Earn % Earn z ROI Employment Debt-to-Earn
Humanities 22.5% 121 42% 31% 14% 22% 15% 7% $74,554 96 +1.83 51 93% —
Business & Economics 15.1% 81 69% 49% 16% 4% 12% 14% $168,538 100 +2.65 100 97% —
Physical Sciences & Math 14.0% 75 48% 40% 13% 9% 17% 9% $128,553 95 +1.94 98 91% —
Life & Natural Sciences 12.1% 65 31% 34% 26% 5% 18% 6% $59,468 16 -0.85 13 92% —
Social Sciences 11.7% 63 38% 33% 19% 17% 17% 3% $78,233 95 +1.32 60 93% —
Computer Science 11.0% 59 59% 20% 17% 5% 17% 36% $187,721 96 +1.84 100 94% —
Arts 6.1% 33 24% 36% 3% 12% 21% 15% $61,931 87 +1.21 18 — —
Professional 3.5% 19 47% 42% 5% 0% 21% 16% $66,470 48 +0.91 29 — —
Agriculture & Food Science 2.8% 15 27% 33% 7% 7% 20% 7% $59,450 45 +0.10 13 — —
Education 1.1% 6 33% 67% 17% 0% 17% 0% $59,613 83 +0.53 14 — —

Research R3

⇅ Research $ Rank Federal Industry $ PhDs Rank PhD students Postdocs
Physical Sciences & Math $3.5M #248 63% $0 — — — —
Humanities & Social Sciences $2.5M #242 1% $0 — — — —
Life & Natural Sciences $1.2M #304 60% $0 — — — —
Computer Science $0.3M #315 44% $0 — — — —
Business & Economics $0.1M #375 0% $0 — — — —
Agriculture & Food Science $0 #318 — $0 — — — —
Education $0 #457 — $0 — — — —
Engineering $0 #449 — $0 — — — —
Health Sciences $0 #441 — $0 — — — —
Total $7.6M #337 41% $0 — — — —

Expenditure and funding source: NSF HERD, FY2024. Degrees: IPEDS completions, 2023–24. Students and postdocs: NSF Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates, fall 2024, which covers science, engineering and selected health fields only. An em dash means the source does not report the figure, which is not the same as zero.

Sports NCAA D3

⇅ Athletes ▼ Revenue Expenses Net
Football 84 $1.1M $1.1M $0
Track & Field (indoor) 59 $138K $138K $0
Track & Field (outdoor) 58 $124K $124K $0
Lacrosse 46 $524K $524K $0
Baseball 33 $381K $381K $0
Soccer 32 $451K $451K $0
Swimming & Diving 27 $239K $239K $0
Ice Hockey 26 $426K $426K $0
Cross Country 25 $83K $83K $0
Squash 16 $214K $214K $0
Basketball 14 $362K $362K $0
Golf 11 $165K $165K $0
Tennis 11 $285K $285K $0
Total 355 $4.5M $4.5M $0
⇅ Athletes ▼ Revenue Expenses Net
Track & Field (indoor) 56 $138K $138K $0
Track & Field (outdoor) 53 $125K $125K $0
Lacrosse 31 $388K $388K $0
Soccer 31 $425K $425K $0
Cross Country 27 $84K $84K $0
Field Hockey 27 $291K $291K $0
Swimming & Diving 26 $256K $256K $0
Ice Hockey 23 $343K $343K $0
Volleyball 20 $277K $277K $0
Softball 15 $289K $289K $0
Squash 14 $216K $216K $0
Tennis 13 $359K $359K $0
Basketball 11 $310K $310K $0
Golf 9 $170K $170K $0
Total 267 $3.7M $3.7M $0
⇅ Athletes ▼ Revenue Expenses Net
Track & Field (indoor) 115 $276K $276K $0
Track & Field (outdoor) 111 $249K $249K $0
Football 84 $1.1M $1.1M $0
Lacrosse 77 $913K $913K $0
Soccer 63 $877K $877K $0
Swimming & Diving 53 $496K $496K $0
Cross Country 52 $167K $167K $0
Ice Hockey 49 $769K $769K $0
Baseball 33 $381K $381K $0
Squash 30 $431K $431K $0
Field Hockey 27 $291K $291K $0
Basketball 25 $672K $672K $0
Tennis 24 $644K $644K $0
Golf 20 $336K $336K $0
Volleyball 20 $277K $277K $0
Softball 15 $289K $289K $0
Total 622 $10.9M $10.9M $0

Source: U.S. Department of Education, Equity in Athletics Data Analysis. Each team's revenue and expenses are what the college attributes to it. The Total view's totals row is the department's grand total, which also includes money not attributed to any team; the Male and Female totals rows only add up their teams.

Admissions

Uses Common App Yes
Acceptance Rate 7.7%
Yield (non-ED) 27%
Early Decision 1 Nov 9
Regular Decision Jan 1

Acceptance Rates

In-State Out-of-State International
Regular Decision 10% 11% 1%
Early Decision 33% 35% 4%
Unhooked Early Decision 23% 23% —

Hooked: recruited athletes, faculty-related, and Questbridge

Standardized Tests

Test Policy optional
Submitted Test Scores 56%
SAT Range 1470 – 1540
SAT Math Range 730 – 790
SAT RW Range 730 – 770