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Williams Harvard Stanford Tufts Swarthmore Middlebury Princeton Dartmouth Brown Vassar Caltech Yale| Amherst College | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
Amherst | MIT | ||
| Location | Amherst, MA | Cambridge, MA | ||
| Setting | Town Fringe | Midsize City | ||
| Enrollment | 1,910 | 11,920 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #15 | #7 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | amherst.edu | mit.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Amherst | MIT | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $66,650 | $59,750 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $66,650 | $59,750 | ||
| Room & Board | $17,560 | $19,390 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $17,965 | $21,519 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $65,623 | $58,331 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 58% | 58% |
Admission |
Amherst | MIT | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 12,727 | 26,904 | ||
| Admitted | 1,250 | 1,274 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 9.8% | 4.7% | ||
| Enrolled % | 39% | 85.6% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.91 | 3.96 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Elite | Elite | ||
| Applicant Competition | Very High | Extreme | ||
| ACT Range | 31/35 | 34/36 | ||
| SAT Range | 1360/1550 | 1510/1580 | ||
| Submit Test Scores | Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) | Required to be considered for admission | ||
| Application Deadline | Jan 2, 2026 | Jan 1, 2026 |
Academics |
Amherst | MIT | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 7:1 | 3:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
Amherst | MIT | ||
| Graduation Rate | 96% | 93% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $82,000 | $142,100 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 83% | 92% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $12,975 | $17,316 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $134 | $179 |
Diversity |
Amherst | MIT | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 0% | 37% | ||
| % Women | 0% | 25% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 42% | 37% | ||
| % Black | 12% | 6% | ||
| % Hispanic | 13% | 15% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 5% | 6% | ||
| % International | 10% | 10% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 4% | 2% |
Students |
Amherst | MIT | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 9% | 8% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 77% | 81% | ||
Campus |
Amherst | MIT | ||
| 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
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology is larger than than Amherst based on total student enrollment (11,920 students vs. 1,910 students)
Amherst vs. MIT Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Amherst or MIT?
- Amherst College is 11.5% more expensive to attend than MIT for in-state tuition ($66,650.00 vs. $59,750.00)
- Out of state tuition is 11.5% higher at Amherst than Massachusetts Institute of Technology ($66,650.00 vs. $59,750.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Amherst College than MIT ($17,965 vs. $21,519)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Amherst College are 10.4% lower than costs at Massachusetts Institute of Technology ($17,560 vs. $19,390)
- The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Amherst College as Massachusetts Institute of Technology (58% vs. 58%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Amherst College students is 12.5% larger than aid received Massachusetts Institute of Technology ($65,623 vs. $58,331)
Amherst vs. MIT Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Amherst or MIT? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between MIT or Amherst .
- The average SAT score at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1507) is 56 points higher than at Amherst (1451)
- Incoming MIT students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at Amherst (33)
- Accepted freshman MIT students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.96) than students at Amherst (3.91)
- Amherst has a higher acceptance rate (9.8%) than MIT (4.7%)
Amherst vs. MIT Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Amherst or MIT? 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 MIT and Amherst.
- The graduation rate at Amherst is higher than Massachusetts Institute of Technology (96% vs. 93%)
- Graduates from Massachusetts Institute of Technology earn on average $60,100 more per year than Amherst graduates after ten years. ($142,100 vs. $82,000)
- Amherst College students graduate with a $4,341 lower median federal student loan debt than MIT graduates. ($12,975 vs. $17,316)
- Amherst graduates are paying $45 less per month on federal student loans than MIT graduates. ($134 vs. $179)
- More MIT graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Amherst students, three years after graduation. (92% vs. 83%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/