Amherst College, a private liberal arts institution located in Amherst, Massachusetts, was founded in 1821. It began as an effort by Zephaniah Swift Moore, the then-president of Williams College, to relocate that institution. Amherst is the third-oldest college in Massachusetts and takes its name from the town, which itself was named after Jeffery, Lord Amherst, the Commander-in-Chief of British forces in North America during the French and Indian War. Originally a men’s college, Amherst transitioned to coeducation in 1975.
As an exclusively undergraduate, four-year institution, Amherst had an enrollment of 1,971 students in the fall of 2021. The college is known for its highly selective admissions process and offers 42 major programs through an open curriculum. Students are not required to follow a core curriculum or meet distribution requirements, and they also have the option to create their own interdisciplinary major.
Campus
Amherst College, situated in the town of Amherst in Western Massachusetts, offers a variety of residential options for its students. The campus is home to 34 residence halls, seven of which are dedicated exclusively to first-year students. After their first year, sophomores, juniors, and seniors can choose to live off-campus, with options that include Themed Houses like the Arts House, Russian House, and French House. However, students can only take advantage of these themed housing options for two years. First-year students are required to live on campus.
In addition to its academic and residential facilities, Amherst College owns and operates the Emily Dickinson Museum, which is dedicated to the life and history of the famous poet. The college also owns the Inn on Boltwood, located near the main campus.
Ranking
This college has been recognized by the U.S. News & World Report in several ranking categories, showcasing its strengths in various areas. However, its positions in the QS World University Rankings and Times Higher Education rankings have not yet been released.
While other ranking organisations are still to publish their evaluations, the U.S. News & World Report rankings emphasise the university's excellence in multiple fields.
|
Category |
Ranking 2024 |
|---|---|
|
National Liberal Arts College |
2 |
|
Best Value Schools |
2 |
|
Economics |
41 |
|
Learning Communities |
17 |
|
Best Undergraduate Teaching |
1 |
|
Writing in the Disciplines |
10 |
Rivier University Global Rankings
QS World University Rankings (2024)
Amherst College does not appear in the 2024 QS World University Rankings.
Times Higher Education (THE) (2024)
In the 2024 Times Higher Education (THE) global rankings, Amherst College is not listed among the ranked institutions.
U.S. News & World Report (2024)
Amherst College is also not included in U.S. News & World Report's global rankings for 2024. However, the college does receive recognition in specific categories, reflecting its strengths in certain academic or institutional areas, even though it is not featured in the overall global rankings.
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Frequently Asked Questions Amherst College Ranking 2025
1: How does someone access application status portal and financial aid portal?
A: The Application Status Portal and the Financial Aid Portal are secure, password-protected sites. In order to access these portals, you must first establish user credentials for your Amherst online applicant account. Once your application has been submitted, the Office of Admission will begin the process of creating a personalised Application Status Portal for you. Within a week of receiving your application, we will send you a detailed email explaining how you can establish your Amherst user credentials to access your ASP.
2: Where can one expect to hear after submitting an application?
A: We don't begin downloading applications from the Common Application and the Apply Coalition with Scoir platforms until late September or early October, so - if you submitted your application before then - don't worry! Once we begin downloading submitted applications, we send a brief email to each applicant confirming that we've received your application. A few days later, we will send another longer, more detailed email with important instructions on next steps. If your email server uses a filtering system, be sure to add admission@amherst.edu to your list of acceptable email senders, to ensure that you receive these important emails.