Amherst College

www.amherst.edu/

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2020 Undergraduate Tuition

$59,890

3.9% growth from 2019

2020 Average Net Price

$18,832

After Financial Aid

2020 Acceptance Rate

11.8%

10,603 Applicants

2020 Enrolled Students

1,745

100% Full-Time

2020 Graduation Rate

94.7%

444 Graduates

About

Amherst College is a higher education institution located in Hampshire County, MA. In 2020, the most popular Bachelor's Degree concentrations at Amherst College were Econometrics & Quantitative Economics (74 degrees awarded), General Mathematics (68 degrees), and Other Research & Experimental Psychology (55 degrees).

In 2020, 641 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Amherst College. 52.3% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 47.7% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (280 degrees), 2.92 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (96 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at Amherst College is $59,890, which is $31,490 more than the national average for Baccalaureate Colleges ($28,400).

Photo by Thought Catalog

Costs

The median undergraduate tuition at Amherst College is $59,890, which is $31,490 more than the national average for Baccalaureate Colleges ($28,400).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $18,832.

In 2020, 60% of undergraduate students attending Amherst College received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 15% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$59,890

2020 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2020, the cost of tuition at Amherst College was $59,890. The cost of tuition at Amherst College is $31,490 more than than the overall (public and private) national average for Baccalaureate Colleges ($28,400).

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

Average Net Price

$18,832

2020 Value

15.3%

1 Year Growth

In 2020 Amherst College had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $18,832. Between 2019 and 2020, the average net price of Amherst College grew by 15.3%.

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

$15,310

Room and Board

$1,000

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at Amherst College was of $15,310 in 2020. During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,000. The cost of room and board increased by 3.87% between 2019 and 2020. 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

60%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

15%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

60% of undergraduate students at Amherst College received financial aid through grants or loans in 2020. This represents a growth of 0% with respect to 2019, 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.

Student Loan Default Rate

Cohort default rates only account for borrowers who default in the first three years, and some schools only have a small proportion of borrowers entering repayment. These rates should be interpreted with caution, as they may not be reflective of the entire school population.

2018 Default Rate

Number of Defaults

In 2018 the default rate for borrower's at Amherst College was 0%, which represents 0 out of the 145 total borrowers.

A cohort default rate is the percentage of a school's borrowers who enter repayment on certain Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans during a particular federal fiscal year (FY), October 1 to September 30, and default or meet other specified conditions prior to the end of the second following fiscal year.

Admissions

Amherst College received 10,603 undergraduate applications in 2020, which represents a 0.322% annual growth. Out of those 10,603 applicants, 1,254 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 11.8% acceptance rate.

There were 1,745 students enrolled at Amherst College in 2020, and 59% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

Amherst College has an overall enrollment yield of 34.6%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

11.8%

Acceptance Rate in 2020

1,254

Accepted Out of 10,603

In 2020, the undergraduate acceptance rate of Amherst College was 11.8% (1,254 admissions from 10,603 applications). This is higher than the acceptance rate of 2019, which was 11.3%. Between 2019 and 2020, the number of applicants grew by 0.322%, while admissions grew by 4.94%.

This chart compares the acceptance rate of Amherst College (in red) with that of other similar universities.

SAT Scores

59%

Submission Percentage

258

Scores Submitted

59% of enrolled first-time students at Amherst College in 2020 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

This chart shows the SAT scores for the 25th and 75th percentile of applicants broken out into each section of the test that their are evaluated on.

Enrollment

Amherst College has a total enrollment of 1,745 students. The full-time enrollment at Amherst College is 1,745 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 40.4% White, 15.5% Asian, 14% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Black or African American, 7.05% Two or More Races, 0.573% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.172% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

Students enrolled at Amherst College in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Male (20.2%), followed by White Female (20.2%) and Asian Female (8.65%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly N/A, followed by N/A and N/A.

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

100%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Amherst College, both undergraduate and graduate, is 1,745 students. The full-time enrollment at Amherst College is 1,745 and the part-time enrollment is 0. This means that 100% of students enrolled at Amherst College are enrolled full-time compared with 80.1% 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

91%

2020 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 91%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Baccalaureate Colleges (73%), 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

White
705
Asian
270
Hispanic or Latino
244

The enrolled student population at Amherst College is 40.4% White, 15.5% Asian, 14% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Black or African American, 7.05% Two or More Races, 0.573% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.172% 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 54.8% White, 13.8% Black or African American, and 13.4% Hispanic or Latino.

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, 30 students (1.72%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2020, 29 more women than men received degrees from Amherst College. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at Amherst College is white (280 degrees awarded). There were 2.92 times more white graduates than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (96 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at Amherst College is Econometrics & Quantitative Economics (74 degrees awarded), followed by General Mathematics (68 degrees) and Other Research & Experimental Psychology (55 degrees).

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 Cultural & Gender Studies (48 degrees awarded), Math & Statistics (81 degrees), and Philosophy and Religious Studies (18 degrees).

Common Jobs by Major

Elementary & middle school 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 Elementary & middle school teachers (148,817 people), Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers (147,627 people), Postsecondary teachers (125,677 people), Other managers (97,301 people), and Secondary school teachers (96,390 people).

The most specialized majors at Amherst College are Cultural & Gender Studies (48 degrees awarded), Math & Statistics (81 degrees), Philosophy and Religious Studies (18 degrees), History (33 degrees), and Language & Linguistics (32 degrees).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Surgeons

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 Surgeons, Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents, Clinical and counseling psychologists, Aerospace engineers, and Computer hardware engineers

Common Industries by Major

Elementary & secondary schools

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 Elementary & secondary schools (325,112 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (225,763 people), Legal services (115,442 people), Computer Systems Design (114,772 people), and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (72,489 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

Econometrics & Quantitative Economics
74 degree-majorss awarded
General Mathematics
68 degree-majorss awarded
Other Research & Experimental Psychology
55 degree-majorss awarded

In 2020, the most common bachelors degree concentration at Amherst College was Econometrics & Quantitative Economics with 74 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

306

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2020

335

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2020

In 2020, 306 degrees were awarded to men at Amherst College, which is 0.913 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (335).

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

Most Common Male Majors

In 2020, 51 degrees were awarded to men at Amherst College in Econometrics & Quantitative Economics, which is 2.22 times more than the 23 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2020, 35 degrees were awarded to women at Amherst College in Other Research & Experimental Psychology, which is 1.75 times more than the 20 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

85%

100% Completion Time

93%

150% Completion Time

In 2020, 85% of students graduating from Amherst College completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 93% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 93% 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.

Graduation Rate by Race and Sex

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

Two or More Races Male

Highest Graduation Rate (100%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate at Amherst College is Male and Two or More Races (100% graduation rate). Across all Baccalaureate Colleges, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (72.4%).

The department of education defines graduation rate as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within 150% of "normal time" to completion.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) categorizes any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the graduation rate of those students is shown in the chart below. Additionally, 3.6% of graduates (16 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

White
280 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
96 degrees awarded
Asian
94 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at Amherst College is white (280 degrees awarded). There were 2.92 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (96 degrees).

2.96% of degree recipients (19 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic

White Male
142 degrees awarded
White Female
138 degrees awarded
Asian Female
63 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at Amherst College is white male (142 degrees awarded). There were 1.03 times more white male recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white female (138 degrees).

Operations

Amherst College has an endowment valued at nearly $2.57B, as of the end of the 2020 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of $167M (6.52%), compared to the 2.06% average return ($820k on $39.8M) across all Baccalaureate Colleges.

In 2020, Amherst College had a total salary expenditure of $233M. Amherst College employs 100 Professors, 85 Assistant professors, and 38 Associate professors. Most academics at Amherst College are Male Professors (57), Female Assistant professors(45), and Female Professors (43).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Amherst College are: Service, with 161 employees, Office and Administrative Support, with 133 employees, and Management with 95 employees.

Endowment

$2.57B

2020 Endowment

3.71%

growth from 2019

Amherst College has an endowment valued at about $2.57B, as of the end of the 2020 fiscal year. The endowment of Amherst College grew 3.71% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $2.53B 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.

Government Grants and Contracts

Grants & Contracts

$3.19M - Federal
$98.5k - State
$0 - Local

As of 2020, Amherst College received $3.19M in grants and contracts from the federal government, $98.5k from state grants and contracts, and $0 from local grants and contracts.

Salary Expenditure

$97M

2020 Salaries

17.5%

growth from 2019

In 2020, Amherst College paid a median of $97M in salaries, which represents 41.7% of their overall expenditure ($233M) and a 17.5% growth from the previous year. This is compared to a 5.29% growth from 2018 and a 7.95% growth from 2017.

The median for similar Baccalaureate Colleges is 15.4M (40.8% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$30.3M

Instructional Salaries

262

Number of Employees

In 2020, Amherst College paid a total of $30.3M to 262 employees working as instructors, which represents 31.2% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $4.78M (31%) for similar Baccalaureate Colleges.

Occupations by Share

Professor

Most Common Instructor

100 Employees

Service

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

161 Employees

In 2020, the most common positions for instructional staff at Amherst College were Professor with 100 employees; Assistant professor with 85 employees; and Assistant professor with 38 employees.

In 2020, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Amherst College were Service with 161 employees; Office and Administrative Support with 133 employees; and Management with 95 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Sex

Most Common Demographic

Male Professor
Female Assistant professor
Female Professor

In 2020, the most common demographic for instructional staff at Amherst College was Male Professor with 57 employees, Female Assistant professor with 45 employees, and Female Professor with 43 employees.

This chart shows the sex split between each academic rank present at Amherst College.