Amherst College
Amherst, Massachusetts · Private · 1,911 undergraduates · amherst.edu
Test policy (fall 2027)
Test optional
Sending scores is your choice
Admit rate
7.7%
of 15,819 applicants
SAT (middle 50%)
1470 to 1540
of enrolled freshmen
Annual cost (2027-28)
$98,690Est.Estimate
before aid
Your chances and merit aid at Amherst College
See where you stand for admission, how much merit aid you could get, and what you'd pay after it.
We started you at a typical enrolled freshman here. Move the sliders to match you.
Your admission chances
7.7% of applicants admitted
Reach
It admits only 7.7% of applicants, so it's a reach for everyone.
Estimated merit aid
a year
Your cost after merit aid
$98,690
a year in 2027-28, from a $98,690 sticker price
What to do with your 1510
Send your score
Your SAT is at or above the median of freshmen who sent scores (1510).
Reach, target and likely are a rough guide from your test score and how selective the college is. Admissions also weigh your courses, grades, essays and activities. Merit aid figures are estimates, before any need-based aid.
Admissions
Test policy for fall 2027
Test optional
You choose whether to send an SAT or ACT score. If you send one, it's considered.
- Superscores: it combines your best section scores from different test dates.
- You can type your scores into the application; official reports come later.
Source: Information about Standardized Testing Policy | First-Year Applicants | Amherst College · Checked October 16, 2026
Application deadlines
- Nov9Early Decision · November 9, 2026Binding: if admitted, you commit to enroll.
- Jan5Regular Decision · January 5, 2027The standard deadline.
Who gets in
7.7%
of applicants were admitted: 1,222 of 15,819 for fall 2025.
Early Decision
Binding. 22% of early applicants were admitted.
Wait list
1,294 students were offered a spot; 44 were later admitted.
Test scores of enrolled freshmen (fall 2025)
The shaded part shows the middle half of enrolled freshmen who sent scores: a quarter scored below it and a quarter above. 40% of them sent SAT scores and 16% sent ACT scores.
SAT total 1470 to 1540
Reading and Writing 730 to 770
Math 730 to 790
ACT composite 33 to 35
How enrolled freshmen scored on the SAT
- 1400 to 160091%
- 1200 to 13999%
- 1000 to 11990%
- 800 to 9990%
- 600 to 7990%
- 400 to 5990%
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
Cost and financial aid
The sticker price is what a year costs before any aid. Most students pay less after grants and scholarships.
Sticker price for 2027-28Estimate
$98,690
a year
- Tuition$76,070
- Fees$720
- Food and housing$20,030
- Transportation and other$1,870
Amherst College published $94,890 for 2026-27. Its 2027-28 prices aren't out yet.
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
What families actually pay
What a year cost on average after grants and scholarships, for freshmen who got federal aid in 2023-24, by family income.
- $0 to $30,000$2,424
- $30,001 to $48,000$3,063
- $48,001 to $75,000$13,814
- $75,001 to $110,000$17,999
- Over $110,000$49,700
Financial aid
100%
of a student's financial need is covered, on average
$76,445
average need-based grant to freshmen, money you don't repay
0.2%
of freshmen got merit aid without financial need, $22,017 on average
- FAFSA
- Required for need-based aid. It's the free federal aid form.
- CSS Profile
- Required. It's a second, more detailed aid form some colleges use for their own grants.
- Aid priority date: January 15th
- Send your aid forms by this date to be first in line for the college's grant money.
- Also asks for
- Income documentation
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
AP credit
AP exams that earn credit can replace college courses, so you pay for fewer of them and may graduate sooner.
AP credit
Not given
AP scores may still place you into higher courses.
Placement for each AP exam
| Exam | Score needed | Places you into |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | 5 | BIOL 191 |
| Calculus AB | 4 | MATH 111 |
| Calculus BC | 3 | MATH-111 |
| Chemistry | 4 | CHEM 151 |
| Statistics | 3 | Students with a 3 (or less) and with some calculus background should take STAT-135 (formerly MATH-135) |
| Statistics | 4 | STAT-230 (formerly MATH-230) |
Source: AP credit policy
After college
Graduate within 6 years
93%
Come back for a second year
97%
Typical earnings
$95,161
a year, 10 years after starting here
- Amherst College$172,920
- All colleges$73,886
Median yearly earnings of graduates five years after finishing a bachelor's in this major. 7 majors here have earnings data.
Keep exploring
Figures marked Estimate are our estimates, not numbers the college published. Check each college's own site before you apply. SAT is a trademark of College Board, and ACT is a trademark of ACT, Inc. Sharp is not affiliated with either, or with Amherst College. The Amherst College logo is a trademark of the college.