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Williams Harvard Yale Penn Duke Cornell Brown Tufts Columbia Swarthmore Stanford Middlebury| Amherst College | Princeton University | College 3 | College 4 | |
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| Remove | Remove | +Add | +Add | |
Overview |
Amherst | Princeton | ||
| Location | Amherst, MA | Princeton, NJ | ||
| Setting | Town Fringe | Large Suburban | ||
| Enrollment | 1,910 | 8,922 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #15 | #1 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | amherst.edu | princeton.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Amherst | Princeton | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $66,650 | $59,710 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $66,650 | $59,710 | ||
| Room & Board | $17,560 | $19,380 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $17,965 | $19,811 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $65,623 | $60,629 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 58% | 60% |
Admission |
Amherst | Princeton | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 12,727 | 39,644 | ||
| Admitted | 1,250 | 1,782 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 9.8% | 4.5% | ||
| Enrolled % | 39% | 76.7% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.91 | 3.93 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Elite | Elite | ||
| Applicant Competition | Very High | Extreme | ||
| ACT Range | 31/35 | 34/35 | ||
| SAT Range | 1360/1550 | 1500/1580 | ||
| 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, 2026 | Jan 1, 2026 |
Academics |
Amherst | Princeton | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 7:1 | 5:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
Amherst | Princeton | ||
| Graduation Rate | 96% | 96% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $82,000 | $113,900 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 83% | 83% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $12,975 | $7,500 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $134 | $77 |
Diversity |
Amherst | Princeton | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 0% | 21% | ||
| % Women | 0% | 16% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 42% | 45% | ||
| % Black | 12% | 8% | ||
| % Hispanic | 13% | 9% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 5% | 4% | ||
| % International | 10% | 11% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 4% | 2% |
Students |
Amherst | Princeton | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 9% | 16% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 77% | 71% | ||
Campus |
Amherst | Princeton | ||
| 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
- Princeton University is larger than than Amherst based on total student enrollment (8,922 students vs. 1,910 students)
Amherst vs. Princeton Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Amherst or Princeton?
- Amherst College is 11.6% more expensive to attend than Princeton for in-state tuition ($66,650.00 vs. $59,710.00)
- Out of state tuition is 11.6% higher at Amherst than Princeton University ($66,650.00 vs. $59,710.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Amherst College than Princeton ($17,965 vs. $19,811)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Amherst College are 10.4% lower than costs at Princeton University ($17,560 vs. $19,380)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Princeton University than Amherst College (60% vs. 58%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Amherst College students is 8.2% larger than aid received Princeton University ($65,623 vs. $60,629)
Amherst vs. Princeton Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Amherst or Princeton? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Princeton or Amherst .
- The average SAT score at Princeton University (1490) is 39 points higher than at Amherst (1451)
- Incoming Princeton students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at Amherst (33)
- Accepted freshman Princeton students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.93) than students at Amherst (3.91)
- Amherst has a higher acceptance rate (9.8%) than Princeton (4.5%)
Amherst vs. Princeton Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Amherst or Princeton? 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 Princeton and Amherst.
- The graduation rate at Amherst is the same as at Princeton University (96% vs. 96%)
- Graduates from Princeton University earn on average $31,900 more per year than Amherst graduates after ten years. ($113,900 vs. $82,000)
- Princeton University students graduate with a $5,475 lower median federal student loan debt than Amherst graduates. ($7,500 vs. $12,975)
- Princeton graduates are paying $57 less per month on federal student loans than Amherst graduates. ($77 vs. $134)
- More Amherst graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Princeton students, three years after graduation. (83% vs. 83%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/