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Williams Harvard Yale Barnard Tufts Princeton Swarthmore Middlebury Cornell Dartmouth Brown Vassar| Amherst College | Columbia University in the City of New York | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
Amherst | Columbia | ||
| Location | Amherst, MA | New York, NY | ||
| Setting | Town Fringe | Large City | ||
| Enrollment | 1,898 | 34,782 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #16 | #22 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | amherst.edu | columbia.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Amherst | Columbia | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $63,500 | $62,570 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $63,500 | $62,570 | ||
| Room & Board | $16,750 | $16,286 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $21,367 | $22,058 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $58,693 | $61,061 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 58% | 52% |
Admission |
Amherst | Columbia | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 14,864 | 60,879 | ||
| Admitted | 1,079 | 2,404 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 7.3% | 3.9% | ||
| Enrolled % | 43.3% | 64.1% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.91 | 3.91 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Elite | Elite | ||
| Applicant Competition | Extreme | Extreme | ||
| ACT Range | 32/35 | 34/35 | ||
| SAT Range | 1420/1550 | 1490/1580 | ||
| 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 | Columbia | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 7:1 | 6:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
Amherst | Columbia | ||
| Graduation Rate | 96% | 93% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $82,000 | $107,600 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 83% | 76% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $12,975 | $21,500 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $134 | $222 |
Diversity |
Amherst | Columbia | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 48% | 46% | ||
| % Women | 52% | 54% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 42% | 38% | ||
| % Black | 12% | 8% | ||
| % Hispanic | 13% | 13% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 5% | 5% | ||
| % International | 10% | 15% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 4% | 3% |
Students |
Amherst | Columbia | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 13% | 19% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 74% | 64% | ||
Campus |
Amherst | Columbia | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | No | Yes | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | No | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | No | No | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- Columbia University in the City of New York is larger than than Amherst based on total student enrollment (34,782 students vs. 1,898 students)
Amherst vs. Columbia Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Amherst or Columbia?
- Amherst College is 1.5% more expensive to attend than Columbia for in-state tuition ($63,500.00 vs. $62,570.00)
- Out of state tuition is 1.5% higher at Amherst than Columbia University in the City of New York ($63,500.00 vs. $62,570.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Amherst College than Columbia ($21,367 vs. $22,058)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Columbia University in the City of New York are 2.8% lower than costs at Amherst College ($16,286 vs. $16,750)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Amherst College than Columbia University in the City of New York (58% vs. 52%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Columbia University in the City of New York students is 4% larger than aid received Amherst College ($61,061 vs. $58,693)
Amherst vs. Columbia Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Amherst or Columbia? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Columbia or Amherst .
- The average SAT score at Columbia University in the City of New York (1473) is 22 points higher than at Amherst (1451)
- Incoming Amherst students have at the same average ACT score (33) as students at Columbia (33)
- Accepted freshman Amherst students have at the same average high school GPA (3.91) as students at Columbia (3.91)
- Amherst has a higher acceptance rate (7.3%) than Columbia (3.9%)
Amherst vs. Columbia Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Amherst or Columbia? 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 Columbia and Amherst.
- The graduation rate at Amherst is higher than Columbia University in the City of New York (96% vs. 93%)
- Graduates from Columbia University in the City of New York earn on average $25,600 more per year than Amherst graduates after ten years. ($107,600 vs. $82,000)
- Amherst College students graduate with a $8,525 lower median federal student loan debt than Columbia graduates. ($12,975 vs. $21,500)
- Amherst graduates are paying $88 less per month on federal student loans than Columbia graduates. ($134 vs. $222)
- More Amherst graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Columbia students, three years after graduation. (83% vs. 76%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/