Amherst vs. Penn State

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

 Amherst Penn State
Location Amherst, MA University Park, PA
Setting Town Fringe Small City
Enrollment 1,910 50,399
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #15 #171
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website amherst.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Amherst Penn State
Tuition (In State) $66,650 $19,672
Tuition (Out of State) $66,650 $39,626
Room & Board $17,560 $13,030
Avg Net Price $17,965 $27,450
Avg Grant Aid $65,623 $11,577
% Receiving Grant Aid 58% 36%

Admission

 Amherst Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 12,727 85,956
Admitted 1,250 46,605
Acceptance Rate 9.8% 54.2%
Enrolled % 39% 19.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.91 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Elite Very High
Applicant Competition Very High Low
ACT Range 31/35 27/32
SAT Range 1360/1550 1220/1400
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, 2026

Academics

 Amherst Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 7:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (26%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 Amherst Penn State
Graduation Rate 96% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $82,000 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 83% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $12,975 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $134 $277

Diversity

 Amherst Penn State
% Men 0% 8%
% Women 0% 8%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 42% 69%
% Black 12% 4%
% Hispanic 13% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 3%
% International 10% 11%
% Unknown Race 4% 2%

Students

 Amherst Penn State
% In-State 9% 51%
% Out-of-State 77% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than Amherst based on total student enrollment (50,399 students vs. 1,910 students)

Amherst vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Amherst or Penn State?

  • Amherst College is 238.8% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($66,650.00 vs. $19,672.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 68.2% higher at Amherst than Penn State Main Campus ($66,650.00 vs. $39,626.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Amherst College than Penn State ($17,965 vs. $27,450)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 34.8% lower than costs at Amherst College ($13,030 vs. $17,560)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Amherst College than Penn State Main Campus (58% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Amherst College students is 466.8% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($65,623 vs. $11,577)

Amherst vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Amherst College (1451) is 249 points higher than at Penn State (1202)
  • Incoming Amherst students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at Penn State (27)
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (54.2%) than Amherst (9.8%)

Amherst vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Amherst or Penn State? 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 Penn State and Amherst.

  • The graduation rate at Amherst is higher than Penn State Main Campus (96% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from Amherst College earn on average $26,700 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($82,000 vs. $55,300)
  • Amherst College students graduate with a $13,843 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($12,975 vs. $26,818)
  • Amherst graduates are paying $143 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($134 vs. $277)
  • More Amherst graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (83% vs. 69%)

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