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Amherst College

Amherst, Massachusetts · Private nonprofit · 4-year · City

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At a glance

Average net price
$23,367What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
Acceptance rate
9%
Graduation rate
94%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
Undergraduates
1,911
In-state tuition
$70,480Published price before aid.
Out-of-state tuition
$70,480
SAT midpoint
1,460
Median earnings, 10 yrs
$77,644Median earnings of former students ten years after they first enrolled.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Data year: 2022-23 academic year. Updated September 2026. Figures are averages across all students and will differ from what any individual pays.

How it compares to similar colleges

Each rating covers one measure against private nonprofit 4-year colleges nationally. Five stars means the top fifth on that measure. There is no overall score, because which of these matters is your call.

Affordability

$23,367

Better than 46% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1092 compared).

Completion

94%

Better than 98% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1063 compared).

Earnings

$77,644

Better than 89% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1087 compared).

Debt at graduation

$13,740

Better than 95% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1020 compared).

What these ratings are based on
Affordability
Based on average net price: what students receiving federal aid actually paid, after grants and scholarships. Your own cost depends on your family's finances.
Completion
Based on the share of first-time, full-time students who graduate within 150% of normal time. It excludes transfer and part-time students, which understates colleges serving many of them.
Earnings
Based on median earnings ten years after students first enrolled. It reflects the subjects a college teaches and the region it sits in as much as its teaching.
Debt at graduation
Based on median federal loan debt among students who completed. Private and parent loans are not included, so real totals are often higher.
Why there is no rating for selectivity
A lower acceptance rate is selectivity, not quality. Awarding stars for it would be us inventing a value judgement and hiding it behind a number.

What it actually costs

Published cost

$87,640

The sticker price: tuition, fees, housing, food and books for one academic year, before any aid.

Average net price

$23,367

What students receiving federal aid actually paid on average, after grants and scholarships. This is the more useful number, though your own figure depends on your family’s finances.

Use this college’s official net price calculator

Outcomes

Graduation, retention, debt and earnings for Amherst College
Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time94%
Retention rateFirst-year students who return97%
Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed$13,740
Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled$77,644

What graduates of each major earn

Median earnings one year after finishing, for people who took that subject here. This is the figure a college-wide median hides: the spread between subjects at one college is usually far wider than the spread between colleges.

Bachelor’s programs at Amherst College by graduate earnings
MajorEarnings, 1 yrDegrees awarded
Computer Science$100,59655
Economics$90,56869
Mathematics$78,50081
Political Science and Government$61,12541
History$56,44428
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics$49,32230
Area Studies$49,14920
Research and Experimental Psychology$45,78666
English Language and Literature, General$41,97925
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies$40,12013
Neurobiology and Neurosciences$38,38717
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular BiologyNot reported37
Legal Research and Advanced Professional StudiesNot reported23
Biology, GeneralNot reported23
Natural Resources Conservation and ResearchNot reported17
PhilosophyNot reported16
PhysicsNot reported16
StatisticsNot reported15
ChemistryNot reported15
MusicNot reported14
Architectural History, Criticism, and ConservationNot reported10
Geological and Earth Sciences/GeosciencesNot reported10
Fine and Studio ArtsNot reported10
Drama/Theatre Arts and StagecraftNot reported9
SociologyNot reported8
Social and Philosophical Foundations of EducationNot reported8
AnthropologyNot reported7
Film/Video and Photographic ArtsNot reported5
Astronomy and AstrophysicsNot reported4
Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and LinguisticsNot reported2
Germanic Languages, Literatures, and LinguisticsNot reported2
Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and LinguisticsNot reported2
Religion/Religious StudiesNot reported2
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, OtherNot reported1

All 34 bachelor’s programs this college reported.

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