Amherst, MA
Amherst College is a private small school in Amherst, MA, enrolling about 1,911 undergraduates. Admissions are highly selective here -- roughly 9% of applicants get in. Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services graduates, especially in Computer Science, report the strongest earnings here: a median of $142,680/year. On-campus housing isn't required, so many students live off campus.
Admissions
Test scores for the Fall 2025 entering class come from Amherst College's own 2025-26 Common Data Set: 40% submitted SAT scores, 16% submitted ACT scores.
Application deadlines for Fall 2027 entry
- Early Decision: Nov 9, 2026
- Regular Decision: Jan 5, 2027
Confirm on Amherst College's own admissions site before you apply.
Cost & outcomes
From the US Dept of Education College Scorecard, most recent year reported. Not every school reports every field. Tuition & fees are the sticker price for a full-time first-year undergrad, before financial aid, and don't include room and board.
Where do you stand against Amherst College's numbers?
Check your chances hereHow Amherst College weighs your application
From Amherst College's own Common Data Set, 2025-26, Section C7 -- not a generic admissions checklist. What is a Common Data Set?
What applicants who posted their results listed
54 self-reported applicant profiles from public posts, 2024–25 and 2025–26 admissions cycles: 15 admitted, 39 rejected or waitlisted. Figures read admitted vs. rejected or waitlisted.
Most common activities
Most common awards among admits
Who posted
How this compares across selective liberal arts colleges: Liberal Arts College Accepted vs. Rejected Applicants →
These are people who chose to post their results publicly, mostly on Reddit -- a group that skews toward high scores and STEM. They describe posters, not Amherst College's admitted class, and recruited athletes are left out. For official numbers, use the admissions figures above.
See full profile -- financial aid, campus life, and what Amherst College weighs in your application
Paying it back
"Still growing" means a borrower's payments aren't yet covering interest 3 years into repayment -- not a default rate. A high number here can mean real repayment difficulty, or just a lot of grads who deferred for graduate school, so read it alongside the school's typical outcomes above.
Majors & earnings
Median earnings 4 years after graduation, by major, from the US Dept of Education. Only shown where the school reports a real figure for that major -- most schools don't report every major they offer, especially smaller programs.
Campus life
Room and board are shown separately from the cost of attendance above -- that total already includes them alongside tuition and fees, this just breaks out the living-cost portion.
What matters in your application
From this school's own reporting to the US Dept of Education on what it formally requires, considers, or doesn't use when reviewing applications.
Frequently asked questions
What does Amherst College look for in applicants?
Per Amherst College's own Common Data Set (Section C7), it rates standardized test scores, application essay, recommendations, extracurricular activities, talent/ability, rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA as "very important" in admissions decisions -- its own stated top factors, not a generic guess.
What is Amherst College's acceptance rate?
Amherst College in Amherst, MA admits approximately 9% of applicants, based on the US Dept of Education's most recently reported figures.
What SAT score do I need for Amherst College?
Per Amherst College's own 2025-26 Common Data Set, the middle 50% of enrolled first-years scored 1470–1540 on the SAT (25th–75th percentile, among students who submitted scores).
What ACT score do I need for Amherst College?
Per Amherst College's own 2025-26 Common Data Set, the middle 50% of enrolled first-years scored 33–35 on the ACT (25th–75th percentile, among students who submitted scores).
How much does Amherst College cost?
Amherst College's total cost of attendance is reported at $87,640 per year, including tuition, fees, and room and board.
When is the application deadline for Amherst College?
Amherst College's deadlines are Early Decision Nov 9, 2026; Regular Decision Jan 5, 2027, per its own published admissions calendar.
Does Amherst College require students to live on campus?
No -- Amherst College doesn't require students to live in on-campus housing.
Related reading
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