Student-Faculty Ratio
8:1
Full-Time Student Population
1,750
Part-Time Student Population
0
Full-Time Instructional Faculty
199
Part-Time Instructional Faculty
24
Faculty with Terminal Degree
93%
Average Faculty Salary
$103,909
Full-Time Retention Rate
98%
Programs/Majors Offered
34
Academic/Career Counseling?
Yes
Class Sizes
- Fewer than 20 students: 70%
- 20 to 49 students: 27%
- 50 or more students: 3%
Instructional Programs
Occupational:
NoAcademic:
YesContinuing Professional:
NoRecreational/Avocational:
NoAdult Basic Remedial:
NoSecondary (High School):
NoSpecial Credit Opportunities
Advanced Placement (AP) Credits:
NoDual Credit:
NoLife Experience Credits:
NoDegrees Awarded
Bachelor's degree
Most Popular Majors
- Economics and Econometrics: 6%
- English Language Studies: 6%
- Political Science and Government, General: 5%
- Psychology: 3%
Special Study Options
- Study abroad
- Teacher certification (below the postsecondary level)
Tips to Succeed
- Be ready to live in an environment without any pressure-but with a lot of challenges.
- Become independent and pro-active as quickly as possible.
- Find and acknowledge the people who really respect who you are and what you like.
- Guys: try not to be overly direct with the women.
- Use your time here to figure out what it is you really want to do and what are the things you have the most fun doing.
Did You Know?
- Amherst College sponsors an open curriculum, which literally means that there are absolutely no distribution requirements, and that students can take however many classes they want in any department. The only class that Amherst requires all students to take is the first-year seminar, which is a one-semester course taken in the first semester of freshman year. These classes are small, from 10 to 20 students, and they study a wide array of topics. They are aimed at giving students proper coaching in college-level writing and discussion. Before the school year starts, all freshmen choose what seminars they would like to attend, and the College does its best to satisfy everyone's wishes.
- In cooperation with four nearby schools, Amherst has made it possible for students to take classes at each of these institutions at no extra cost. Amherst College neighbors four other schools: Smith, Holyoke, Hampshire, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst (UMass), and together they formed the Five College Consortium. Some fields of study the other four schools offer are lacking or are found only on a small scale at Amherst. Thanks to this system, students can utilize the overall educational resources of the entire area. Some examples of areas in which students tend to find interest at other schools: exotic foreign languages or jazz and big band music courses at UMass, ecology at Holyoke, and English and political science at Smith.
- You cannot minor in any subject at Amherst College.
- Students have to take from eight to ten courses in a single department in order to major in it. An exception to this is the neuroscience program, which has 16 required courses for the major. Students usually declare their major by the end of sophomore year. Many students choose to double major, and a few even triple major. Students can make their major at Amherst. With faculty approval, they may build their own program of study, taking only classes that fit this program and not being constricted by departmental requirements.
- Many students choose to culminate their studies at Amherst with a thesis, written during senior year. After a student has submitted the thesis, he or she must defend it in front of faculty who have similar research interests as the student. If the student has done so successfully, he or she will receive Latin honors upon graduation. Many students say that writing their thesis was their most rewarding experience at Amherst.