Getting in
For Fall 2025, 15,819 first-year students applied to Amherst, 1,222 were admitted and 485 enrolled: an acceptance rate of 7.7%.
Source: Amherst Common Data Set 2025-2026, Section C (opens in a new tab), section C1. Read Oct 1, 2026.
By residency, first-year applicants, Fall 2025
| Applicants | Applied | Admitted | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-state (Massachusetts) | 1,061 | 123 | 11.6% |
| Out-of-state | 8,412 | 1,007 | 12% |
| International | 6,346 | 92 | 1.4% |
Source: Amherst Common Data Set 2025-2026, Section C (opens in a new tab), section C1, residency table. Read Oct 1, 2026.
By school or major. Amherst admits to the college as a whole, and its Common Data Set reports one first-year acceptance rate with no rate by major.
Source: Amherst Common Data Set 2025-2026, Section C (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Early decision. Amherst has an early decision plan and no early action plan. The Common Data Set labels its early decision counts as fall 2024 figures, so it gives no early decision rate for fall 2025.
Source: Amherst Common Data Set 2025-2026, Section C (opens in a new tab), sections C21 and C22. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Majors
42 majors across 1 school. Every major on Amherst's official Majors page. Every Amherst major leads to the Bachelor of Arts, and you may also propose an interdisciplinary major of your own.
Majors42
- American Studies (B.A.)
- Anthropology (B.A.)
- Architectural Studies (B.A.)
- Art and the History of Art (B.A.)
- Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies (B.A.)
- Asian Languages and Civilizations (B.A.)
- Astrophysics (B.A.)
- Biochemistry and Biophysics (B.A.)
- Biology (B.A.)
- Black Studies (B.A.)
- Chemistry (B.A.)
- Classical Civilization (B.A.)
- Classics (B.A.)
- Computer Science (B.A.)
- Economics (B.A.)
- Education Studies (B.A.)
- English (B.A.)
- Environmental Studies (B.A.)
- European Studies (B.A.)
- Film and Media Studies (B.A.)
- French (B.A.)
- Geology (B.A.)
- German (B.A.)
- Greek (B.A.)
- History (B.A.)
- Latin (B.A.)
- Latinx and Latin American Studies (B.A.)
- Law, Jurisprudence and Social Thought (B.A.)
- Mathematics (B.A.)
- Music (B.A.)
- Neuroscience (B.A.)
- Philosophy (B.A.)
- Physics (B.A.)
- Political Science (B.A.)
- Psychology (B.A.)
- Religion (B.A.)
- Russian (B.A.)
- Sexuality, Women's and Gender Studies (B.A.)
- Sociology (B.A.)
- Spanish (B.A.)
- Statistics (B.A.)
- Theater and Dance (B.A.)
Source: Amherst College, Majors (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Deadlines for Fall 2027
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
| Plan | Apply by | Decision | Binding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Decision | November 9 | Early to mid December | Yes |
| Regular Decision | January 5 | Late March | No |
If admitted in Regular Decision, you reply by May 1, 2027. Early Decision applicants are admitted, deferred to Regular Decision, or denied.
Source: Amherst Admission, First-Year Applicants (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Early Decision is binding: you agree not to be an early decision candidate at any other college and, if admitted, to withdraw your other applications and enroll at Amherst.
Source: Amherst Admission, First-Year Applicants (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Testing
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
The SAT or ACT is optional for first-year applicants. If you send scores, you may enter them yourself in the application, and Amherst uses your best combination (superscore). Official scores are needed only if you are admitted and enroll.
Source: Amherst Admission, Standardized Testing Policy (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
The Common Data Set also marks the SAT or ACT as not required for admission, but considered if submitted, with scores due by February 1.
Source: Amherst Common Data Set 2025-2026, Section C (opens in a new tab), section C8. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Applying next year?
For students applying in fall 2027, entering fall 2028
Not announced yet. When we checked Amherst's admission pages on October 1, 2026, we found no announced changes for fall 2028 entry. The deadlines and rules above are for fall 2027 entry.
Source: Amherst Admission, Standardized Testing Policy (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Cost, and what families paid after aid
The published cost of a year at Amherst, 2026-2027:
| Tuition | $75,330 |
|---|---|
| Housing | $10,980 |
| Meals | $9,340 |
| Fees | $710 |
| Personal expenses | $1,800 |
| Travel | not published |
| Total | $98,160 |
Travel varies by where you live, so it is not in the total. Required course materials are included in what Amherst charges, so there is no books line. Amherst lists the items but no total; $98,160 is their sum.
Source: Amherst, Tuition, Fees and Other Costs (2026-2027) (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Average net price per year, by family income, 2023-24:
| Family income | Paid after grants |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $1,086 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $1,570 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $17,478 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $23,639 |
| Over $110,000 | $47,521 |
| All incomes | $23,367 |
What first-year, full-time students who received federal aid paid after grants and scholarships, by family income, in 2023-24, the latest year the Department of Education publishes. Your own price comes from Amherst's aid offer.
Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Similar schools
Chosen for how close each is to Amherst College on acceptance rate, public or private, location and majors offered.
Williams CollegeWilliamstown, MA · Private8.6% admitted$17,716 average net price
Colby CollegeWaterville, ME · Private7.1% admitted$17,180 average net price
Bowdoin CollegeBrunswick, ME · Private6.8% admitted$14,398 average net price
Swarthmore CollegeSwarthmore, PA · Private7.5% admitted$23,149 average net price
Rice UniversityHouston, TX · Private8% admitted$13,370 average net price
Admitted: each school's latest first-year acceptance rate, so the year can differ from school to school; each school's page names its year and source. Average net price: what federal aid recipients paid per year after grants, 2023-24, and the in-state figure for a public university.