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BU Villanova Northeastern Williams Tufts Babson Swarthmore Colgate Middlebury Dartmouth Brandeis University Brown| Amherst College | Boston College | College 3 | College 4 | |
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| Remove | Remove | +Add | +Add | |
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 | ||
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| 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 | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 7:1 | 12:1 | ||
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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/