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Academics

Amherst College
Academics

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How strong are the academics at Amherst College?

Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.

7:1
Student to faculty ratio
19
Average class size
72%
4-year grad rate

Class Sizes

Class sizes likely stayed the same for you through high school. You'll find that college is much different. Some of the largest universities have classes that can seat hundreds of students in giant lecture halls. Conversely, as they progress and their focus narrows, higher-level courses can sometimes have just a handful of students.

Amherst has an average student-to-faculty ratio of 7:1. The typical school is 14:1. While this ratio is important, what’s more important is how big a typical class is.

Class Sizes
2-9
118
10-19
162
20-29
76
30-39
44
40-49
16
50-99
12

Outcomes

It’s critical to understand a school’s outcomes to understand if your four (or more) years at the school will be worth it. Here are some key statistics about the outcomes of students who enroll at Amherst College:

97%
First-year retention rate
72%
4-year grad rate
93%
6-year grad rate

Majors

Many students choose a school largely based on the what they want to study. The are Amherst College's most popular majors, ranked by how many people graduated with the concentration in the most recent year:

Econometrics and Quantitative Economics
Computer Science
Research and Experimental Psychology, Other
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Other
Mathematics, General
32
36.8
41.6
46.4
51.2
56

The Full List

Major Graduates
Architecture And Related Services
  • Architectural History and Criticism, General 10
Area
  • Asian Studies/Civilization 12
  • African-American/Black Studies 9
  • American/United States Studies/Civilization 5
  • Latin American Studies 1
  • Women's Studies 0
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
  • Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Other 37
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 22
  • Neuroscience 14
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
  • Computer Science 51
Education
  • Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education 5
English Language And Literature/Letters
  • English Language and Literature, General 19
Foreign Languages
  • French Language and Literature 6
  • Spanish Language and Literature 4
  • Russian Language and Literature 1
  • German Language and Literature 1
  • Ancient/Classical Greek Language and Literature 0
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 0
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 0
History
  • History, General 17
Legal Professions And Studies
  • American/U.S. Law/Legal Studies/Jurisprudence 17
Mathematics And Statistics
  • Mathematics, General 36
  • Statistics, General 4
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 1
Natural Resources And Conservation
  • Environmental Studies 14
Philosophy And Religious Studies
  • Philosophy 8
  • Religion/Religious Studies 1
Physical Sciences
  • Chemistry, General 13
  • Geology/Earth Science, General 7
  • Astronomy 4
  • Physics, General 2
Psychology
  • Research and Experimental Psychology, Other 39
Social Sciences
  • Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 56
  • Political Science and Government, General 17
  • Anthropology, General 7
  • Sociology, General 1
Visual And Performing Arts
  • Art/Art Studies, General 10
  • Music, General 6
  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 3
  • Film/Cinema/Media Studies 1

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