Amherst College: Cost, Graduate Salary, Acceptance Rate and Return on Investment
Amherst College is a private nonprofit college in Amherst, MA. Students pay about $23,367 a year in net price, and the median graduate earns $77,644 ten years after enrolling. By our Degree-ROI measure the degree pays back in about 3.5 years and adds $202,232 over a decade, ranking it #80 of 918 (top 10%) by value added.
What is Amherst College's acceptance rate?
Amherst College has an acceptance rate of 9.0%, which makes it highly selective. It is a private nonprofit institution in Amherst, MA enrolling about 1,911 students, with a 93.7% graduation rate.
How much does Amherst College cost?
Amherst College costs about $23,367 per year in average net price, what a typical student actually pays after grants and scholarships. Over four years, including typical borrowing, that totals roughly $107,208. Published sticker cost of attendance is $87,640 per year.
How much do Amherst College graduates earn?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Amherst College student earns $77,644 per year. That is $30,944 more than the $46,700 that the typical worker with only a high-school diploma earns.
Is Amherst College worth it? Degree ROI and payback period
Amherst College pays back its roughly $107,208 cost in about 3.5 years, then keeps returning the earnings premium. Over the first decade the degree adds about $202,232 net of cost, a 2.89x return on the money invested. That ranks it #80 of 918 (top 10%) by value added. Its top-tier value is driven mainly by strong graduate earnings and a high graduation rate.
Top 10% value
Amherst College graduation rate and student debt
93.7% of Amherst College students complete their degree, and the median graduate leaves with $13,740 in federal student debt. That debt is about 18% of one year of median graduate earnings.
Amherst College by the numbers (vs the typical college)
How Amherst College compares to the median four-year college in our snapshot. Percentile is its rank among the 918 colleges that report both earnings and cost (higher is better).
| Metric | This school | Median college | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg net price / yr | $23,367 | $20,299 | cheaper than 37% |
| Median earnings (10 yrs) | $77,644 | $54,768 | 89th |
| Graduation rate | 93.7% | 57.0% | 98th |
| Acceptance rate | 9.0% | 75.7% | more selective than 98% |
| 10-yr value added | $202,232 | -$28,192 | 91th |
| ROI multiple (per $1) | 2.89x | 0.73x | 90th |
| Payback period | 3.5 yrs | 8.8 yrs | faster than 87% |
How Amherst College compares with its nearest rivals
Amherst College ranks #80 of 918 by ten-year value added. The five profiled colleges closest to it in that ranking are compared below on the same federal data: none of them costs less per year and 4 of them produce higher median earnings ten years after entry.
Amherst College is a private nonprofit college in Amherst, MA with 1,911 undergraduates. Its published cost of attendance is $87,640 a year, but the average aided family pays $23,367, a 73% discount from the sticker price. The median borrower leaves owing $13,740, equal to 18% of one year of median earnings ten years out. Getting in is the binding constraint at Amherst College: 9.0% of applicants are admitted.
- New York University (New York, NY; #86 of 918; 88.0% graduate) costs $13,683 more per year ($37,050 net), and its graduates earn $4,865 more ten years out ($82,509). Amherst College adds $12,842 more ten-year value than New York University. New York University pays back its cost in 4.7 years.
- Boston University (Boston, MA; #66 of 918; 89.3% graduate) costs $1,035 more per year ($24,402 net), and its graduates earn $5,594 more ten years out ($83,238). Boston University adds $42,290 more ten-year value than Amherst College. Boston University pays back its cost in 3.3 years.
- Rutgers University-New Brunswick (New Brunswick, NJ; #105 of 918; 84.3% graduate) costs $1,039 more per year ($24,406 net), and its graduates earn $3,165 less ten years out ($74,479). Amherst College adds $43,566 more ten-year value than Rutgers University-New Brunswick. Rutgers University-New Brunswick pays back its cost in 4.3 years.
- George Washington University (Washington, DC; #50 of 918; 84.5% graduate) costs $13,219 more per year ($36,586 net), and its graduates earn $13,229 more ten years out ($90,873). George Washington University adds $72,705 more ten-year value than Amherst College. George Washington University pays back its cost in 3.8 years.
- Trinity College (Hartford, CT; #49 of 918; 83.3% graduate) costs $11,465 more per year ($34,832 net), and its graduates earn $13,135 more ten years out ($90,779). Trinity College adds $76,230 more ten-year value than Amherst College. Trinity College pays back its cost in 3.7 years.
| College | Value rank | Net price / yr | Earnings (10 yrs) | Graduation | 10-yr value added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trinity College | #49 | $34,832 | $90,779 | 83.3% | $278,462 |
| George Washington University | #50 | $36,586 | $90,873 | 84.5% | $274,937 |
| Boston University | #66 | $24,402 | $83,238 | 89.3% | $244,522 |
| Amherst College | #80 | $23,367 | $77,644 | 93.7% | $202,232 |
| New York University | #86 | $37,050 | $82,509 | 88.0% | $189,390 |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick | #105 | $24,406 | $74,479 | 84.3% | $158,666 |
Paying for Amherst College
Net price is what a family pays after grants, so the aid a student qualifies for moves every figure above. Our sister sites cover that side of the decision: the Pell Grant 2026-2027 guide sets out who qualifies and the maximum award, the education grants guide lists federal, state and institutional grants beyond Pell, and the best AI tools for students compares what is worth paying for once enrolled.
Frequently asked
Is Amherst College worth the cost compared to other colleges?
By value added net of cost, Amherst College ranks #80 of 918 (top 10%) of the 918 four-year colleges we rank, and returns about 2.89x the money invested over a decade.
Is Amherst College expensive compared to other colleges?
Its $23,367 average net price is above the $20,299 median for the colleges in this snapshot, making it cheaper than 37% of them.
Do Amherst College graduates earn more than average?
Median earnings of $77,644 ten years out are above the $54,768 median, higher than 89% of the colleges here.
How hard is it to get into Amherst College compared to other colleges?
Its 9.0% acceptance rate is below the 75.7% median, making it more selective than 98% of the colleges in the snapshot.
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Federal data behind this page
What a programme costs, what its graduates earn, and what aid is available are published by federal statistical agencies rather than by any provider's marketing page, and the sources below are the primary ones. They are linked so a reader can check a figure here directly.
- College Scorecard publishes the federal cost, completion and post-enrolment earnings data used to compare programmes.
- National Center for Education Statistics is the federal statistical agency for education and the source most published figures trace back to.
- IPEDS holds the institution-level survey data behind enrolment, price and completion comparisons.
- Federal Student Aid states what aid exists, who qualifies, and what repayment actually obligates a borrower to.
- CFPB paying for college documents how education financing works and where its common traps are.
- US Department of Education sets the policy framework the accreditation and aid systems operate under.
- Department of Education laws and policy carries the rules that decide whether a provider or credential is recognised.
This page compares programmes on published data. Outcomes vary by student, and a reader's own aid package and circumstances decide what a programme actually costs them.