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Williams Claremont McKenna HMC Tufts Swarthmore Middlebury Stanford USC Dartmouth Brown Vassar Cal Poly| Pomona College | Amherst College | College 3 | College 4 | |
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| Remove | Remove | +Add | +Add | |
Overview |
Pomona | Amherst | ||
| Location | Claremont, CA | Amherst, MA | ||
| Setting | Large Suburban | Town Fringe | ||
| Enrollment | 1,664 | 1,910 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #20 | #15 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | pomona.edu | amherst.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Pomona | Amherst | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $61,906 | $66,650 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $61,906 | $66,650 | ||
| Room & Board | $20,374 | $17,560 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $17,423 | $17,965 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $63,773 | $65,623 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 56% | 58% |
Admission |
Pomona | Amherst | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 12,121 | 12,727 | ||
| Admitted | 819 | 1,250 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 6.8% | 9.8% | ||
| Enrolled % | 49.8% | 39% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.89 | 3.91 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Elite | Elite | ||
| Applicant Competition | Extreme | Very High | ||
| ACT Range | 33/35 | 31/35 | ||
| SAT Range | 1480/1560 | 1360/1550 | ||
| 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 8, 2026 | Jan 2, 2026 |
Academics |
Pomona | Amherst | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 7:1 | 7:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
Pomona | Amherst | ||
| Graduation Rate | 95% | 96% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $70,500 | $82,000 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | - | 83% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $11,000 | $12,975 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $113 | $134 |
Diversity |
Pomona | Amherst | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 1% | 0% | ||
| % Women | 1% | 0% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 40% | 42% | ||
| % Black | 7% | 12% | ||
| % Hispanic | 15% | 13% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 8% | 5% | ||
| % International | 10% | 10% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 6% | 4% |
Students |
Pomona | Amherst | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 30% | 9% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 51% | 77% | ||
Campus |
Pomona | Amherst | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | No | No | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | No | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | No | No | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- Amherst College is larger than than Pomona based on total student enrollment (1,910 students vs. 1,664 students)
Pomona vs. Amherst Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Pomona or Amherst?
- Amherst College is 7.7% more expensive to attend than Pomona for in-state tuition ($66,650.00 vs. $61,906.00)
- Out of state tuition is 7.7% higher at Amherst than Pomona College ($66,650.00 vs. $61,906.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Pomona College than Amherst ($17,423 vs. $17,965)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Amherst College are 16% lower than costs at Pomona College ($17,560 vs. $20,374)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Amherst College than Pomona College (58% vs. 56%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Amherst College students is 2.9% larger than aid received Pomona College ($65,623 vs. $63,773)
Pomona vs. Amherst Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Pomona or Amherst? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Amherst or Pomona .
- The average SAT score at Amherst College (1451) is 16 points higher than at Pomona (1435)
- Incoming Amherst students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at Pomona (32)
- Accepted freshman Amherst students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.91) than students at Pomona (3.89)
- Amherst has a higher acceptance rate (9.8%) than Pomona (6.8%)
Pomona vs. Amherst Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Pomona 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 Pomona.
- The graduation rate at Amherst is higher than Pomona College (96% vs. 95%)
- Graduates from Amherst College earn on average $11,500 more per year than Pomona graduates after ten years. ($82,000 vs. $70,500)
- Pomona College students graduate with a $1,975 lower median federal student loan debt than Amherst graduates. ($11,000 vs. $12,975)
- Pomona graduates are paying $21 less per month on federal student loans than Amherst graduates. ($113 vs. $134)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/