Amherst College

www.amherst.edu

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2022 Undergraduate Tuition

$63,500

4.61% growth from 2021

2022 Average Net Price

$21,367

After Financial Aid

2020 Default Rate

on Student Loans

2022 Acceptance Rate

7.26%

14,864 Applicants

2022 Enrolled Students

1,898

100% Full-Time

2022 Graduation Rate

91.9%

433 Graduates

About

Amherst College is a higher education institution located in Hampshire County, MA. In 2022, the most popular Bachelors Degree concentrations at Amherst College were Econometrics & Quantitative Economics (91 degrees awarded), General Mathematics (89 degrees), and Other Research & Experimental Psychology (61 degrees).

In 2022, 759 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Amherst College. 54.9% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 45.1% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (308 degrees), 2.39 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (129 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at Amherst College is $63,500, which is $35,170 more than the national average for Baccalaureate Colleges ($28,330).

In 2020 the default rate for borrower's at Amherst College was 0%, corresponding to 0 out of the 130 total borrowers.

Photo by Thought Catalog

Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts & Sciences Focus Baccalaureate Colleges

Costs

In 2022, the median undergraduate tuition at Amherst College is $63,500, which is $35,170 more than the national average for Baccalaureate Colleges ($28,330).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $21,367.

In 2022, 61% of undergraduate students attending Amherst College received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 11% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$63,500

2022 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2022, the cost of tuition at Amherst College was $63,500. The cost of tuition at Amherst College is $35,170 more than than the overall (public and private) national average for Baccalaureate Colleges ($28,330).

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

Average Net Price

$21,367

2022 Value

13.6%

1 Year Growth

In 2022 Amherst College had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $21,367. Between 2021 and 2022, the average net price of Amherst College grew by 13.6%.

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

$16,100

Room and Board

$1,000

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at Amherst College was of $16,100 in 2022. The cost of room and board increased by 1.19% between 2021 and 2022.

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

61%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

11%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

61% of undergraduate students at Amherst College received financial aid through grants or loans in 2022. This represents a decline of 4.69% with respect to 2021, when 64% 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.

2020 Default Rate

Number of Defaults

In 2020 the default rate for borrower's at Amherst College was 0%, which represents 0 out of the 130 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 14,864 undergraduate applications in 2022, which represents a 6.18% annual growth. Out of those 14,864 applicants, 1,079 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 7.26% acceptance rate.

There were 1,898 students enrolled at Amherst College in 2022. 40% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

Amherst College has an overall enrollment yield of 43.3%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

7.26%

Acceptance Rate in 2022

1,079

Accepted Out of 14,864

In 2022, the undergraduate acceptance rate of Amherst College was 7.26% (1,079 admissions from 14,864 applications). This is lower than the acceptance rate of 2021, which was 8.74%. Between 2021 and 2022, the number of applicants grew by 6.18%, while admissions declined by 11.8%.

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

40%

Submission Percentage (2022)

185

Scores Submitted (2022)

40% of enrolled first-time students at Amherst College in 2022 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 1,898 students in 2022. The full-time enrollment at Amherst College is 1,898 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 38.1% White, 15.9% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 10.8% Black or African American, 7.48% Two or More Races, 0.211% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.211% American Indian or Alaska Native.

Students enrolled at Amherst College in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Male (19.8%), followed by White Female (18.4%) and Hispanic or Latino Female (9.01%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

100%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Amherst College in 2022, both undergraduate and graduate, is 1,898 students. The full-time enrollment at Amherst College is 1,898 and the part-time enrollment is 0. This means that 100% of students enrolled at Amherst College are enrolled full-time compared with 79.6% 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

95%

2022 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 95%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Baccalaureate Colleges (72%), 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 (2022)

White
724 enrolled students
Hispanic or Latino
301 enrolled students
Asian
264 enrolled students

The enrolled student population at Amherst College is 38.1% White, 15.9% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 10.8% Black or African American, 7.48% Two or More Races, 0.211% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.211% American Indian or Alaska Native. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Baccalaureate Colleges is 54.3% White, 13.8% Hispanic or Latino, and 13.1% 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, 36 students (1.9%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2022, 75 more women than men received degrees from Amherst College. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at Amherst College is white (308 degrees awarded). There were 2.39 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (129 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at Amherst College is Econometrics & Quantitative Economics (91 degrees awarded), followed by General Mathematics (89 degrees) and Other Research & Experimental Psychology (61 degrees).

In 2022, 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 (104 degrees awarded), Language & Linguistics (31 degrees), and Philosophy and Religious Studies (18 degrees).

Common Jobs by Major

Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers

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 Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers (370,527 people), Other managers (316,316 people), Postsecondary teachers (249,687 people), Elementary & middle school teachers (185,250 people), and Software developers (148,637 people).

The most specialized majors at Amherst College in 2022 are Math & Statistics (104 degrees awarded), Language & Linguistics (31 degrees), Philosophy and Religious Studies (18 degrees), Social Sciences (170 degrees), and Physical Sciences (39 degrees) (as of 2022).

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, Cardiovascular technologists and technicians, Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents, Nuclear medicine technologists and medical dosimetrists, and Physicians

The most specialized majors at Amherst College are Math & Statistics (104 degrees awarded), Language & Linguistics (31 degrees), Philosophy and Religious Studies (18 degrees), Social Sciences (170 degrees), and Physical Sciences (39 degrees) (as of 2022).

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 (476,745 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (471,120 people), Computer Systems Design (298,231 people), Legal services (294,323 people), and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (211,798 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 (2022)

Econometrics & Quantitative Economics
91 degrees awarded
General Mathematics
89 degrees awarded
Other Research & Experimental Psychology
61 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common bachelors degree concentration at Amherst College was Econometrics & Quantitative Economics with 91 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

342

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2022

417

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2022

In 2022, 342 degrees were awarded to men at Amherst College, which is 0.82 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (417).

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

Most Common Male Majors

In 2022, 54 degrees were awarded to men at Amherst College in Econometrics & Quantitative Economics, which is 1.46 times more than the 37 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2022, 39 degrees were awarded to men at Amherst College in General Mathematics, which is 0.78 times less than the 50 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

85%

100% Completion Time

95%

150% Completion Time

In 2022, 85% of students graduating from Amherst College completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 95% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 96% 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.

Hispanic or Latino Female

Highest Graduation Rate (100%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate in 2022 at Amherst College is Female and Hispanic or Latino (100% graduation rate). Across all Baccalaureate Colleges, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (73.2%).

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, 7.39% of graduates (32 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity (2022)

White
308 degrees awarded
Asian
129 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
88 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at Amherst College is white (308 degrees awarded). There were 2.39 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (129 degrees).

2.37% of degree recipients (18 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic (2022)

White Female
172 degrees awarded
White Male
136 degrees awarded
Asian Female
75 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at Amherst College is white female (172 degrees awarded). There were 1.26 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white male (136 degrees).

Operations

Amherst College has an endowment valued at nearly $3.32B, as of the end of the 2022 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of −397M (−11.9%) compared to the 0.58% average return (286k on 49.3M) across all Baccalaureate Colleges.

In 2022, Amherst College had a total salary expenditure of 259M. Amherst College employs 105 Professors, 87 Assistant professors and 45 Associate professors. Most academics at Amherst College are Male Professor (59), Female Professor (46), and Female Assistant professor (44).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Amherst College are: Service, with 196 employees, Office and Administrative Support, with 125 employees, and Management with 101 employees.

Endowment

$3.32B

2022 Endowment

12%

decline from 2021

Amherst College has an endowment valued at about $3.32B, as of the end of the 2022 fiscal year. The endowment of Amherst College declined 12% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $3.27B 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

$105M

2022 Salaries

6.99%

growth from 2021

In 2022, Amherst College paid a median of $105M in salaries, which represents 40.5% of their overall expenditure ($259M) and a 6.99% growth from the previous year. This is compared to a 0.85% growth between 2020 and 2021, and a 17.5% growth between 2019 and 2020.

The median for similar Baccalaureate Colleges is 15.7M (37.9% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$34.5M

Instructional Salaries

273

Number of Employees

In 2022, Amherst College paid a total of $34.5M to 273 employees working as instructors, which represents 33% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $5.04M (32.1%) for similar Baccalaureate Colleges.

Occupations by Share

Professor

Most Common Instructor

105 Employees

Service

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

196 Employees

In 2022, the most common positions for instructional staff at Amherst College were Professor with 105 employees, Assistant professor with 87 employees, and Associate professor with 45 employees.

In 2022, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Amherst College were Service with 196 employees, Office and Administrative Support with 125 employees, and Management with 101 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Sex

Most Common Demographic (2022)

Male Professor
Female Professor
Female Assistant professor

In 2022, the most common demographic for instructional staff at Amherst College was Male Professor with 59 employees, Female Professor with 46 employees, and Female Assistant professor with 44 employees.

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

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