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George Washington Williams Tufts Swarthmore Middlebury Dartmouth Brown Vassar Georgetown Harvard Hamilton College Fordham| American University | Amherst College | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
AU | Amherst | ||
| Location | Washington, DC | Amherst, MA | ||
| Setting | Large City | Town Fringe | ||
| Enrollment | 13,885 | 1,898 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #93 | #16 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | United Methodist | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | american.edu | amherst.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
AU | Amherst | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $53,070 | $63,500 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition (Out of State) | $53,070 | $63,500 | ||
| Room & Board | $15,706 | $16,750 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $41,369 | $21,367 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $27,138 | $58,693 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 66% | 58% |
Admission |
AU | Amherst | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 19,510 | 14,864 | ||
| Admitted | 7,926 | 1,079 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 40.6% | 7.3% | ||
| Enrolled % | 22.2% | 43.3% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.7 | 3.91 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Very High | Elite | ||
| Applicant Competition | Low | Extreme | ||
| ACT Range | 29/32 | 32/35 | ||
| SAT Range | 1290/1430 | 1420/1550 | ||
| Submit Test Scores | Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) | Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) | ||
| Application Deadline | Jan 15, 2025 | Jan 2, 2025 |
Academics |
AU | Amherst | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 11:1 | 7:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
AU | Amherst | ||
| Graduation Rate | 77% | 96% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $64,800 | $82,000 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 80% | 83% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $24,250 | $12,975 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $250 | $134 |
Diversity |
AU | Amherst | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 37% | 48% | ||
| % Women | 63% | 52% | ||
| Racial Diversity | High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 58% | 42% | ||
| % Black | 7% | 12% | ||
| % Hispanic | 12% | 13% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 5% | 5% | ||
| % International | 7% | 10% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 4% | 4% |
Students |
AU | Amherst | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 2% | 13% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 94% | 74% | ||
Campus |
AU | Amherst | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | No | No | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | Yes | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | Yes | No | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- American University is larger than than Amherst based on total student enrollment (13,885 students vs. 1,898 students)
AU vs. Amherst Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, AU or Amherst?
- Amherst College is 19.7% more expensive to attend than AU for in-state tuition ($63,500.00 vs. $53,070.00)
- Out of state tuition is 19.7% higher at Amherst than American University ($63,500.00 vs. $53,070.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Amherst College than AU ($21,367 vs. $41,369)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at American University are 6.6% lower than costs at Amherst College ($15,706 vs. $16,750)
- More students receive financial grant aid at American University than Amherst College (66% vs. 58%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Amherst College students is 116.3% larger than aid received American University ($58,693 vs. $27,138)
AU vs. Amherst Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, AU or Amherst? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Amherst or AU .
- The average SAT score at Amherst College (1451) is 199 points higher than at AU (1252)
- Incoming Amherst students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at AU (28)
- Accepted freshman Amherst students have a 0.21 point higher average high school GPA (3.91) than students at AU (3.7)
- AU has a higher acceptance rate (40.6%) than Amherst (7.3%)
AU vs. Amherst Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, AU or Amherst? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Amherst and AU.
- The graduation rate at Amherst is higher than American University (96% vs. 77%)
- Graduates from Amherst College earn on average $17,200 more per year than AU graduates after ten years. ($82,000 vs. $64,800)
- Amherst College students graduate with a $11,275 lower median federal student loan debt than AU graduates. ($12,975 vs. $24,250)
- Amherst graduates are paying $116 less per month on federal student loans than AU graduates. ($134 vs. $250)
- More Amherst graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former AU students, three years after graduation. (83% vs. 80%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/