Amherst College (Amherst, MA, United States)

University overview

Editorial View

Location, editorial summary, and verified institutional context.

Located in the rolling Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts, Amherst College might be the perfect example of a small, residential college in a quaint New England town. Founded over 200 years ago, Amherst delivers a world-class liberal arts education. Students enjoy the "o...

Campus culture

- Political climate: 1-40 - Party scene: 30-60 - Athletics culture: 10-30 - Greek life: 90-100 - Housing experience: 90-100 - Student activism: 1-35 - Alternative / creative vibe: 40-70 - Career focus: 40-70 - Scholarly intensity: 80-90

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Admissions

Verified Data

Selectivity, enrollment funnel, and reported test score ranges from verified federal data.

Institution type

Private nonprofit

Carnegie

A Liberal Arts College or College with an Arts & Sciences focus

Setting

Large suburb

Admit rate (9%)

Yield estimate (42%)

Applicants

13,999

Admits

1,224

Enrolled

515

SAT ERW: 680–760

SAT Math: 690–790

ACT: 32–34

Academics

Verified Data

Enrollment scale, calendar structure, and outcome-linked academic signals.

Total students

515

515 students

Calendar

semester

Academic calendar

Graduation rate

92%

Reported outcomes

Retention rate

98%

First-year retention

Carnegie classification

A Liberal Arts College or College with an Arts & Sciences focus

Cost and affordability

Verified Data

Tuition, net price, and aid signals sourced from federal reporting where available.

Average net price

N/A

After grants and scholarships for in-state students where reported.

In-state tuition$10

Out-of-state tuition$63,950

Institutional grant aid$60

Pell share21%

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Campus life

Verified Data

Culture percentile bands describe student life intensity across common fit dimensions.

Political climate

1-40

Percentile

Party scene

30-60

Percentile

Athletics

10-30

Percentile

Greek life

90-100

Percentile

Housing

90-100

Percentile

Activism

1-35

Percentile

Arts & quirky culture

40-70

Percentile

Career oriented

40-70

Percentile

Scholarly intensity

80-90

Percentile

Rankings and recognition

Verified Data

CollegesRef does not invent magazine-style ranks. This section surfaces verified classification data and editorial context only.

Carnegie classification

A Liberal Arts College or College with an Arts & Sciences focus

Institutional classification used for academic peer grouping.

Athletics

NCAA Division III

NCAA division where available from verified imports.

Editorial spotlight

Amherst College — editorial overview (Amherst, MA)

Outcomes and after college

Verified Data

Verified outcomes from imported federal datasets. Editorial interpretation may supplement these facts elsewhere on the profile.

Median earnings

N/A

Median earnings where reported by federal outcomes data.

Retention rate

98%

First-year student retention.

Graduation rate

92%

Students graduating within 150% of normal time.

Student reviews

Editorial View

User-submitted reviews are not fabricated for launch. This report card summarizes verified data signals until moderated student voices are available.

Data report card

Admissions selectivityA

Graduation outcomesA

RetentionA

Editorial depthB+

Amherst College

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Special features

Verified Data

Curated theme attributes and athletics context that distinguish campus character.

Historically Leans Liberal (relative to other American colleges)Need-Blind in AdmissionA Liberal Arts College Like a "Little Ivy"Is a QuestBridge Campus

Athletics

NCAA Division III

Sources and data freshness

Verified Data

Legacy CLGS import

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