Amherst vs. Fordham

Should I go to Amherst College or Fordham University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Amherst or Fordham 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. Fordham University comparison
Amherst College Fordham University College 3 College 4
Amherst College Fordham University
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Overview

Amherst Fordham
Location Amherst, MA Bronx, NY
Setting Town Fringe Large City
Enrollment 1,898 16,556
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #16 #118
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website amherst.edu fordham.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Amherst Fordham
Tuition (In State) $63,500 $56,920
Tuition (Out of State) $63,500 $56,920
Room & Board $16,750 $21,060
Avg Net Price $21,367 $43,943
Avg Grant Aid $58,693 $33,129
% Receiving Grant Aid 58% 96%

Admission

Amherst Fordham
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 14,864 47,203
Admitted 1,079 25,550
Acceptance Rate 7.3% 54.1%
Enrolled % 43.3% 10.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.91 3.67
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Elite Exceptional
Applicant Competition Extreme Low
ACT Range 32/35 30/33
SAT Range 1420/1550 1320/1480
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 Fordham
Student to Faculty Ratio 7:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (26%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Business (26%)
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Communication (13%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (6%)

Outcomes

Amherst Fordham
Graduation Rate 96% 78%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $82,000 $64,200
Making Student Loan Payments 83% 77%
Median Student Loan Debt $12,975 $26,000
Median Loan Payment $134 $268

Diversity

Amherst Fordham
% Men 48% 38%
% Women 52% 62%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 42% 59%
% Black 12% 4%
% Hispanic 13% 14%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 3%
% International 10% 7%
% Unknown Race 4% 2%

Students

Amherst Fordham
% In-State 13% 35%
% Out-of-State 74% 56%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Fordham University is larger than than Amherst based on total student enrollment (16,556 students vs. 1,898 students)

Amherst vs. Fordham Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Amherst or Fordham?

  • Amherst College is 11.6% more expensive to attend than Fordham for in-state tuition ($63,500.00 vs. $56,920.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 11.6% higher at Amherst than Fordham University ($63,500.00 vs. $56,920.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Amherst College than Fordham ($21,367 vs. $43,943)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Amherst College are 25.7% lower than costs at Fordham University ($16,750 vs. $21,060)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Fordham University than Amherst College (96% vs. 58%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Amherst College students is 77.2% larger than aid received Fordham University ($58,693 vs. $33,129)

Amherst vs. Fordham Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Amherst College (1451) is 178 points higher than at Fordham (1273)
  • Incoming Amherst students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at Fordham (29)
  • Accepted freshman Amherst students have a 0.24 point higher average high school GPA (3.91) than students at Fordham (3.67)
  • Fordham has a higher acceptance rate (54.1%) than Amherst (7.3%)

Amherst vs. Fordham Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Amherst is higher than Fordham University (96% vs. 78%)
  • Graduates from Amherst College earn on average $17,800 more per year than Fordham graduates after ten years. ($82,000 vs. $64,200)
  • Amherst College students graduate with a $13,025 lower median federal student loan debt than Fordham graduates. ($12,975 vs. $26,000)
  • Amherst graduates are paying $134 less per month on federal student loans than Fordham graduates. ($134 vs. $268)
  • More Amherst graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Fordham students, three years after graduation. (83% vs. 77%)

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