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Williams Cal Poly Stanford Tufts Swarthmore Middlebury Dartmouth Brown Vassar MIT Harvard Hamilton College| California Institute of Technology | Amherst College | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
Caltech | Amherst | ||
| Location | Pasadena, CA | Amherst, MA | ||
| Setting | Midsize City | Town Fringe | ||
| Enrollment | 2,401 | 1,898 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #5 | #16 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | caltech.edu | amherst.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Caltech | Amherst | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $58,479 | $63,500 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $58,479 | $63,500 | ||
| Room & Board | $18,606 | $16,750 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $20,755 | $21,367 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $59,192 | $58,693 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 57% | 58% |
Admission |
Caltech | Amherst | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 16,626 | 14,864 | ||
| Admitted | 448 | 1,079 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 2.7% | 7.3% | ||
| Enrolled % | 50% | 43.3% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.97 | 3.91 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Elite | Elite | ||
| Applicant Competition | Extreme | Extreme | ||
| ACT Range | 35/36 | 32/35 | ||
| SAT Range | 1530/1580 | 1420/1550 | ||
| Submit Test Scores | Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) | Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) | ||
| Application Deadline | Jan 3, 2025 | Jan 2, 2025 |
Academics |
Caltech | Amherst | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 3:1 | 7:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
Caltech | Amherst | ||
| Graduation Rate | 87% | 96% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $85,800 | $82,000 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | - | 83% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $14,350 | $12,975 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $148 | $134 |
Diversity |
Caltech | Amherst | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 61% | 48% | ||
| % Women | 39% | 52% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 27% | 42% | ||
| % Black | 2% | 12% | ||
| % Hispanic | 12% | 13% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 5% | 5% | ||
| % International | 8% | 10% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 0% | 4% |
Students |
Caltech | Amherst | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 29% | 13% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 58% | 74% | ||
Campus |
Caltech | Amherst | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | No | No | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | No | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | Yes | No | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- California Institute of Technology is larger than than Amherst based on total student enrollment (2,401 students vs. 1,898 students)
Caltech vs. Amherst Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Caltech or Amherst?
- Amherst College is 8.6% more expensive to attend than Caltech for in-state tuition ($63,500.00 vs. $58,479.00)
- Out of state tuition is 8.6% higher at Amherst than California Institute of Technology ($63,500.00 vs. $58,479.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at California Institute of Technology than Amherst ($20,755 vs. $21,367)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Amherst College are 11.1% lower than costs at California Institute of Technology ($16,750 vs. $18,606)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Amherst College than California Institute of Technology (58% vs. 57%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by California Institute of Technology students is 0.9% larger than aid received Amherst College ($59,192 vs. $58,693)
Caltech vs. Amherst Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Caltech or Amherst? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Amherst or Caltech .
- The average SAT score at California Institute of Technology (1544) is 93 points higher than at Amherst (1451)
- Incoming Caltech students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (35) than students at Amherst (33)
- Accepted freshman Caltech students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.97) than students at Amherst (3.91)
- Amherst has a higher acceptance rate (7.3%) than Caltech (2.7%)
Caltech vs. Amherst Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Caltech or Amherst? 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 Amherst and Caltech.
- The graduation rate at Amherst is higher than California Institute of Technology (96% vs. 87%)
- Graduates from California Institute of Technology earn on average $3,800 more per year than Amherst graduates after ten years. ($85,800 vs. $82,000)
- Amherst College students graduate with a $1,375 lower median federal student loan debt than Caltech graduates. ($12,975 vs. $14,350)
- Amherst graduates are paying $14 less per month on federal student loans than Caltech graduates. ($134 vs. $148)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/