Amherst vs. Harvard

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

Amherst Harvard
Location Amherst, MA Cambridge, MA
Setting Town Fringe Midsize City
Enrollment 1,898 30,631
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #16 #4
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website amherst.edu harvard.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Amherst Harvard
Tuition (In State) $63,500 $52,659
Tuition (Out of State) $63,500 $52,659
Room & Board $16,750 $19,502
Avg Net Price $21,367 $19,491
Avg Grant Aid $58,693 $61,801
% Receiving Grant Aid 58% 56%

Admission

Amherst Harvard
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 14,864 61,221
Admitted 1,079 1,984
Acceptance Rate 7.3% 3.2%
Enrolled % 43.3% 83%
Avg High School GPA 3.91 4.0
Typical High School Grades A- A/A+
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme Extreme
ACT Range 32/35 34/36
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 Harvard
Student to Faculty Ratio 7:1 7:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (26%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Social Sciences (32%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • History (9%)
  • Mathematics (6%)

Outcomes

Amherst Harvard
Graduation Rate 96% 97%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $82,000 $136,700
Making Student Loan Payments 83% 70%
Median Student Loan Debt $12,975 $6,500
Median Loan Payment $134 $67

Diversity

Amherst Harvard
% Men 48% 46%
% Women 52% 54%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 42% 44%
% Black 12% 6%
% Hispanic 13% 10%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 6%
% International 10% 11%
% Unknown Race 4% 3%

Students

Amherst Harvard
% In-State 13% 15%
% Out-of-State 74% 69%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Harvard University is larger than than Amherst based on total student enrollment (30,631 students vs. 1,898 students)

Amherst vs. Harvard Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Amherst or Harvard?

  • Amherst College is 20.6% more expensive to attend than Harvard for in-state tuition ($63,500.00 vs. $52,659.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 20.6% higher at Amherst than Harvard University ($63,500.00 vs. $52,659.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Harvard University than Amherst ($19,491 vs. $21,367)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Amherst College are 16.4% lower than costs at Harvard University ($16,750 vs. $19,502)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Amherst College than Harvard University (58% vs. 56%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Harvard University students is 5.3% larger than aid received Amherst College ($61,801 vs. $58,693)

Amherst vs. Harvard Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Harvard University (1497) is 46 points higher than at Amherst (1451)
  • Incoming Harvard students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at Amherst (33)
  • Accepted freshman Harvard students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at Amherst (3.91)
  • Amherst has a higher acceptance rate (7.3%) than Harvard (3.2%)

Amherst vs. Harvard Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Harvard is higher than Amherst College (97% vs. 96%)
  • Graduates from Harvard University earn on average $54,700 more per year than Amherst graduates after ten years. ($136,700 vs. $82,000)
  • Harvard University students graduate with a $6,475 lower median federal student loan debt than Amherst graduates. ($6,500 vs. $12,975)
  • Harvard graduates are paying $67 less per month on federal student loans than Amherst graduates. ($67 vs. $134)
  • More Amherst graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Harvard students, three years after graduation. (83% vs. 70%)

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