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Williams Princeton Duke Cornell Harvard Tufts Swarthmore Middlebury Johns Hopkins Georgetown Dartmouth Stanford| Amherst College | University of Pennsylvania | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
Amherst | Penn | ||
| Location | Amherst, MA | Philadelphia, PA | ||
| Setting | Town Fringe | Large City | ||
| Enrollment | 1,898 | 28,201 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #16 | #23 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | amherst.edu | upenn.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Amherst | Penn | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $63,500 | $56,212 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $63,500 | $56,212 | ||
| Room & Board | $16,750 | $17,888 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $21,367 | $26,123 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $58,693 | $57,175 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 58% | 46% |
Admission |
Amherst | Penn | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 14,864 | 54,588 | ||
| Admitted | 1,079 | 3,549 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 7.3% | 6.5% | ||
| Enrolled % | 43.3% | 67.9% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.91 | 3.95 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Elite | Elite | ||
| Applicant Competition | Extreme | Extreme | ||
| ACT Range | 32/35 | 34/35 | ||
| SAT Range | 1420/1550 | 1500/1570 | ||
| 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 5, 2025 |
Academics |
Amherst | Penn | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 7:1 | 8:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
Amherst | Penn | ||
| Graduation Rate | 96% | 96% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $82,000 | $123,600 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 83% | 84% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $12,975 | $20,633 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $134 | $213 |
Diversity |
Amherst | Penn | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 48% | 44% | ||
| % Women | 52% | 56% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 42% | 45% | ||
| % Black | 12% | 7% | ||
| % Hispanic | 13% | 10% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 5% | 4% | ||
| % International | 10% | 11% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 4% | 3% |
Students |
Amherst | Penn | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 13% | 16% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 74% | 67% | ||
Campus |
Amherst | Penn | ||
| 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
- University of Pennsylvania is larger than than Amherst based on total student enrollment (28,201 students vs. 1,898 students)
Amherst vs. Penn Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Amherst or Penn?
- Amherst College is 13% more expensive to attend than Penn for in-state tuition ($63,500.00 vs. $56,212.00)
- Out of state tuition is 13% higher at Amherst than University of Pennsylvania ($63,500.00 vs. $56,212.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Amherst College than Penn ($21,367 vs. $26,123)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Amherst College are 6.8% lower than costs at University of Pennsylvania ($16,750 vs. $17,888)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Amherst College than University of Pennsylvania (58% vs. 46%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Amherst College students is 2.7% larger than aid received University of Pennsylvania ($58,693 vs. $57,175)
Amherst vs. Penn Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Amherst or Penn? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Penn or Amherst .
- The average SAT score at University of Pennsylvania (1457) is 6 points higher than at Amherst (1451)
- Incoming Amherst students have at the same average ACT score (33) as students at Penn (33)
- Accepted freshman Penn students have a 0.04 point higher average high school GPA (3.95) than students at Amherst (3.91)
- Amherst has a higher acceptance rate (7.3%) than Penn (6.5%)
Amherst vs. Penn Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Amherst or Penn? 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 and Amherst.
- The graduation rate at Amherst is the same as at University of Pennsylvania (96% vs. 96%)
- Graduates from University of Pennsylvania earn on average $41,600 more per year than Amherst graduates after ten years. ($123,600 vs. $82,000)
- Amherst College students graduate with a $7,658 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn graduates. ($12,975 vs. $20,633)
- Amherst graduates are paying $79 less per month on federal student loans than Penn graduates. ($134 vs. $213)
- More Penn graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Amherst students, three years after graduation. (84% vs. 83%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/