Amherst vs. BC

Should I go to Amherst College or Boston College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Amherst or BC is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Amherst College vs. Boston College comparison
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Amherst College Boston College
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Overview

Amherst BC
Location Amherst, MA Chestnut Hill, MA
Setting Town Fringe Small City
Enrollment 1,898 15,287
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #16 #45
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website amherst.edu bc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Amherst BC
Tuition (In State) $63,500 $62,950
Tuition (Out of State) $63,500 $62,950
Room & Board $16,750 $16,120
Avg Net Price $21,367 $30,559
Avg Grant Aid $58,693 $49,992
% Receiving Grant Aid 58% 40%

Admission

Amherst BC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 14,864 40,494
Admitted 1,079 6,748
Acceptance Rate 7.3% 16.7%
Enrolled % 43.3% 34.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.91 3.86
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme Very High
ACT Range 32/35 33/35
SAT Range 1420/1550 1435/1540
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 2, 2025 Jan 1, 2025

Academics

Amherst BC
Student to Faculty Ratio 7:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (26%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Business (24%)
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • English and Literature (7%)

Outcomes

Amherst BC
Graduation Rate 96% 91%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $82,000 $90,900
Making Student Loan Payments 83% 90%
Median Student Loan Debt $12,975 $19,000
Median Loan Payment $134 $196

Diversity

Amherst BC
% Men 48% 45%
% Women 52% 55%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 42% 62%
% Black 12% 4%
% Hispanic 13% 10%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 3%
% International 10% 6%
% Unknown Race 4% 6%

Students

Amherst BC
% In-State 13% 21%
% Out-of-State 74% 71%

Campus

Amherst BC
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Boston College is larger than than Amherst based on total student enrollment (15,287 students vs. 1,898 students)

Amherst vs. BC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Amherst or BC?

  • Amherst College is 0.9% more expensive to attend than BC for in-state tuition ($63,500.00 vs. $62,950.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 0.9% higher at Amherst than Boston College ($63,500.00 vs. $62,950.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Amherst College than BC ($21,367 vs. $30,559)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Boston College are 3.9% lower than costs at Amherst College ($16,120 vs. $16,750)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Amherst College than Boston College (58% vs. 40%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Amherst College students is 17.4% larger than aid received Boston College ($58,693 vs. $49,992)

Amherst vs. BC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Amherst or BC? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between BC or Amherst .

  • The average SAT score at Amherst College (1451) is 71 points higher than at BC (1380)
  • Incoming Amherst students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at BC (32)
  • Accepted freshman Amherst students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.91) than students at BC (3.86)
  • BC has a higher acceptance rate (16.7%) than Amherst (7.3%)

Amherst vs. BC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Amherst or BC? 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 BC and Amherst.

  • The graduation rate at Amherst is higher than Boston College (96% vs. 91%)
  • Graduates from Boston College earn on average $8,900 more per year than Amherst graduates after ten years. ($90,900 vs. $82,000)
  • Amherst College students graduate with a $6,025 lower median federal student loan debt than BC graduates. ($12,975 vs. $19,000)
  • Amherst graduates are paying $62 less per month on federal student loans than BC graduates. ($134 vs. $196)
  • More BC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Amherst students, three years after graduation. (90% vs. 83%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/