UMBC vs. Amherst

Should I go to University of Maryland Baltimore County or Amherst College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UMBC or Amherst 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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University of Maryland Baltimore County vs. Amherst College comparison
University of Maryland Baltimore County Amherst College College 3 College 4
University of Maryland Baltimore County Amherst College
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Overview

UMBC Amherst
Location Baltimore, MD Amherst, MA
Setting Large Suburban Town Fringe
Enrollment 13,991 1,898
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #303 #16
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website umbc.edu amherst.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UMBC Amherst
Tuition (In State) $9,056 $63,500
Tuition (Out of State) $25,820 $63,500
Room & Board $13,378 $16,750
Avg Net Price $17,692 $21,367
Avg Grant Aid $8,889 $58,693
% Receiving Grant Aid 92% 58%

Admission

UMBC Amherst
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 11,534 14,864
Admitted 9,291 1,079
Acceptance Rate 80.6% 7.3%
Enrolled % 23.1% 43.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.97 3.91
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme
ACT Range 23/29 32/35
SAT Range 1210/1390 1420/1550
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 Feb 1, 2025 Jan 2, 2025

Academics

UMBC Amherst
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 7:1
Popular Majors
  • Computer and Information Sciences (17%)
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (13%)
  • Psychology (12%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Social Sciences (26%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)

Outcomes

UMBC Amherst
Graduation Rate 57% 96%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $59,500 $82,000
Making Student Loan Payments 67% 83%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,197 $12,975
Median Loan Payment $219 $134

Diversity

UMBC Amherst
% Men 53% 48%
% Women 47% 52%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 44% 42%
% Black 17% 12%
% Hispanic 6% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 5%
% International 4% 10%
% Unknown Race 4% 4%

Students

UMBC Amherst
% In-State 90% 13%
% Out-of-State 5% 74%

Campus

UMBC 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

  • University of Maryland Baltimore County is larger than than Amherst based on total student enrollment (13,991 students vs. 1,898 students)

UMBC vs. Amherst Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UMBC or Amherst?

  • Amherst College is 601.2% more expensive to attend than UMBC for in-state tuition ($63,500.00 vs. $9,056.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 145.9% higher at Amherst than University of Maryland Baltimore County ($63,500.00 vs. $25,820.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Maryland Baltimore County than Amherst ($17,692 vs. $21,367)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Maryland Baltimore County are 25.2% lower than costs at Amherst College ($13,378 vs. $16,750)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Maryland Baltimore County than Amherst College (92% vs. 58%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Amherst College students is 560.3% larger than aid received University of Maryland Baltimore County ($58,693 vs. $8,889)

UMBC vs. Amherst Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Amherst College (1451) is 242 points higher than at UMBC (1209)
  • Incoming Amherst students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at UMBC (27)
  • Accepted freshman UMBC students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.97) than students at Amherst (3.91)
  • UMBC has a higher acceptance rate (80.6%) than Amherst (7.3%)

UMBC vs. Amherst Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UMBC 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 UMBC.

  • The graduation rate at Amherst is higher than University of Maryland Baltimore County (96% vs. 57%)
  • Graduates from Amherst College earn on average $22,500 more per year than UMBC graduates after ten years. ($82,000 vs. $59,500)
  • Amherst College students graduate with a $8,222 lower median federal student loan debt than UMBC graduates. ($12,975 vs. $21,197)
  • Amherst graduates are paying $85 less per month on federal student loans than UMBC graduates. ($134 vs. $219)
  • More Amherst graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UMBC students, three years after graduation. (83% vs. 67%)

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