Why Pursue Degree at Amherst College?

  • Campus: Amherst is a member of the Five Colleges consortium. At Amherst College’ campus, there are over 100 autonomous Registered Student Organisations. The university also provides affordable accommodation to its students through its 34 residence halls.
  • Programs: The Amherst College offers 42 programs at UG level in the arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences, with more than 850 majors and 11 certificate programs through the Five College Consortium. Also Check: Programs at Amherst College.
  • Admission Requirements: To be admitted to Amherst College, international applicants must have a minimum 75 percent or 2.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale, as well as a TOEFL iBT 100. Also Check: Admission to Amherst College.
  • Cost of Attendance: The average cost of attendance at Amherst College is USD 83,526 to USD 85,976 which is equivalent to 63.04 lakhs to 64.89 lakhs including tuition, accommodation and other expenses. Check: Cost of Living in USA.
  • Financial Aid: The average financial award for the 2021 session was more than 59,000 USD. 61% of students received financial aid in 2021. The college had provided more than 60 million USD in scholarship aid to the students. Explore! Amherst College Financial Aid

Rankings of Amherst College

  • #22 US College Rankings 2022 by THE
  • #2 in National Liberal Arts Colleges by US News & World Reports 2022
  • #42 in Most Innovative Schools by US News & World Reports 2022

Highlights

Type of University Private
Faculty Members 209
Total Enrollment 1850
Percentage of International Students 10%
Annual Acceptance Rate 11.8%
Basic Tuition Fee for International Undergraduate Students 30,350 USD
Test Scores Accepted TOEFL, IELTS
Graduation Rate 95%
Employment Rate 82%
Application fee 65 USD
Official Website https://www.amherst.edu/

Amherst College Campus

Amherst College has a massive campus situated in Hampshire County, Amherst, Massachusetts. The location is advantageous for students as there are numerous attractions all around and near the campus. Students can visit The Pioneer Valley, Amherst Cinema Arts Center, the Town of Amherst, the City of Northampton and some of the most important museums- Emily Dickinson Museum, Mead Art Museum and Beneski museum of Natural History.

  • Amherst College has established its own Wildlife Sanctuary which has 500 acres of open fields, wetlands, flood plain woods, river, upland woods, plantation pines, and ponds.
  • Over 100 autonomous Registered Student Organisations operate on-campus which take part in activism, religious and cultural affinity, intramural sports, arts, clubs, debate, radio, etc., providing an almost endless opportunity for students to explore their passions and hone their skills
  • The College has its fitness centres, with facilities for recreation, club sports, athletics departments, HIIT classes, yoga, gymnasium, and swimming, to name a few. The Health Center looks after the physical and mental well-being of the students.
  • The College has one of the oldest Athletics programs in the country, that has won several reputed awards and championships
  • The Amherst College Library, titled the Robert Frost Library, holds a large collection of resources and records in the fields of arts, humanities, and social sciences, to help students through their academic life at the College. There are also numerous general interest science materials, like books on computer science.

Amherst College Accommodation

Amherst College provides affordable accommodation to its students through its 34 residence halls. The occupancy of these houses and halls ranges from 10 to approximately 125.

  • Seven halls are for first year students and the remaining 26 halls are for returning students. 3 of these buildings offer women-only housing.
  • On-campus residence is heavily encouraged by the College and 98% of the students live on-campus.
  • As far as off-campus accommodation is concerned, only 50 students are permitted by the college to live off-campus each academic year.
  • Students need to apply separately for off-campus residence, although approval is not guaranteed. However, students with certain specific needs can apply for Automatic Approval for off-campus residence.
  • The average cost of accommodation is as follows:
    • Room- 4,350 USD
    • Board - 3,700 USD

Also Check:

Off-campus housing in US Best student cities in USA
Amherst College Programs

Amherst College offers 41 majors at the undergraduate level in the form of 4-year long courses. The popular fields include arts, humanities, sciences, mathematics, computer sciences, social sciences, foreign languages, classics, and several other interdisciplinary fields.

  • Over 850 courses are offered at Amherst College in different study areas.
  • Through its participation in the Five College Consortium, Amherst also offers 11 certificate programs, supervised independent and mentored language programs and various seminars.
  • The college follows an open curriculum, so students can opt for more than one major. The students are also given the liberty to even create their own individualized program that best suits their interests.
  • Some of the more popular programs chosen by students are Mathematics, English Literature, Research and Experimental Psychology, Political Science, Economics, etc.
  • A major in creative writing is not available at Amherst. However, The Creative Writing Center at Amherst College works in conjunction with various departments to provide courses in the writing of fiction, poetry, plays, non-fictional prose and translation.
  • The college also offers the Independent Scholar Program, where the students are allowed to plan their personal study programs under the duration of a tutor.

Amherst College Admission Process

International students willing to apply for admissions at Amherst College must be well informed regarding the admission procedure. The important details regarding the same are given below for reference:

Application Portal: Common Application | Coalition Application
Application fee: USD 65
Admission Requirements:

  • Completed Application
  • Amherst College Writing Supplement
  • Application Fee or Fee Waiver Application
  • School Report
  • High School academic transcripts
  • Counselor Recommendation
  • Two Letter of Recommendations
  • Standardized Test Results)
  • English Language Proficiency scores

Amherst College Cost of Attendance

Studying at Amherst College as an international student will require careful financial planning. The approximation of certain expected expenses given below should help towards that end:

Tuition Expense Cost(USD)
Comprehensive fee (including room and boarding) 76,800
Other Student Fees 460

Other Costs

Type of Expense Estimated cost(USD)
Health Insurance (waivable) 2,616
Books and Supplies 1,000
Personal Expenses 1,800
College recess expenses 800
Transportation Costs upto 2,500

Also Check: Cost of living in USA

Amherst College Financial Aid

Amherst College provides financial aid to its students in the forms of scholarships, awards and fee waivers. Amherst College follows need-blind policy in admission for international as well as domestic students.

  • The average financial award for the 2020-21 session was more than 59,000 USD. The college had provided more than 60 million USD in scholarship aid to the students.
  • Amherst College partners with QuestBridge, an organization that connects talented, low-income students to elite colleges and universities. More than 10% of the student body get financial assistance through this partnership.
  • 57% of the student population receives some sort of financial assistance from Amherst College.
  • To be considered for financial aid, students must complete the CSS Profile form and submit it to the College Board.

Also Check: 

Scholarships to study in the USA Education loans to study in USA
Work while you study

International students who are F-1 visa holders can find employment in any position on-campus, but are not eligible for off-campus federal work-study programs. There is an annual Student Employment fair on the first day of classes in the fall semester, where student employment opportunities are offered by the various departments at Amherst College.

Students can not be guaranteed work opportunities. On average, a student works 3-7 hours a week, and the payment is made to them directly, so students can choose whether they want to spend it on paying college bills. International students cannot work more than 20 hours per week while classes are in session, but they can work upto 40 works a week during breaks/vacations.

Also Check: Part time jobs in USA

Amherst College Alumni Network

Amherst College has a strong alumni network with 23000 members spread all across the world. The College organises regular events like Reunions, Family Weekends, Religious events, and other such activities, to help alumni stay in touch with each other. The alumni members are also given benefits like:

  • Career Resources
  • Access to library resources and academic journals
  • Regional Programs
  • Transcript Requests
  • Access to popular college publications
  • Career advising
  • Amherst Merchandise

Notable alumni:

  • David Foster Wallace - American author
  • Edmund Phelps - Nobel Prize-winning economist
  • Jeffrey Wright - Tony and Emmy Award-winning actor
  • David O. Russell - Academy Award-nominated director
  • Stephen Hoge - President at Moderna Inc.

Amherst College Placements

The Loeb Center for Career Planning and Exploration at Amherst College offers several resources and career advising students. It provides services like internships, networking, jobs, resume guides, interview tips and career counselling to students. Furthermore, the college uses Handshake as the major career centre, which acts as the mediator for students and recruiters.

Here are some of the popular jobs for graduates from the Amherst College:

Job Title Average Salary(USD)
Software Engineer 98,710
Senior Software Engineer 158,682
Chief Financial Officer (CFO) 168,181
Business Development Manager 97,000
Research Analyst 76,646

Also Check: High paying jobs in USA

Amherst College is commendable for its teaching environment and exclusive programs. The college has produced several successful students over the years. Overall, it is one of the best options for students to study in the US.

FAQs

Que. Are merit-based scholarships offered at Amherst College?

Ans. No, merit-based scholarships are not offered at Amherst College. The scholarships offered are strictly need-based financial aid programs. Need is the only criterion considered for receiving financial aid.

Que. Is financial aid assured for students?

Ans. Students must re-apply for financial aid every year. Change in the cost of attendance as well as change in the relative need of the student and their family, will be reconsidered for eligibility for the aid.

Que. How long does it take for Amherst to respond after the application has been submitted?

Ans. Amherst College does not start reviewing the applications till September or early October, following which, an email is sent back to the applicant informing the successful receipt of the application. Within a few days, the College should let you know their decision regarding admission, along with further instructions

Que. Can I choose multiple majors at Amherst College?

Ans. Yes, Amherst follows an open curriculum, which means that the students have complete freedom regarding the majors of their choice, and can create their own individual program that best fits their interests.

Que. Does Amherst College accept PTE Academic results for ELP?

Ans. Amherst College only accepts official test scores from TOEFL and IELTS as proof of English language proficiency.

Que. Can I get student employment as an international student?

Ans. F-1 visa holding students can work on-campus only for not more than 20 hours a week when class is in session, and a maximum of 40 hours a week during breaks, according to the USCIS. Students crossing the limit can jeopardise their visa status.