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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
18
Average class size
75%
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
135
10-19
172
20-29
96
30-39
25
40-49
24
50-99
7

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
75%
4-year grad rate
94%
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
Mathematics, General
Mathematics, General
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
24
34.8
45.6
56.4
67.2
78

The Full List

Major Graduates
Architecture And Related Services
  • Architectural History and Criticism, General 4
Area
  • African-American/Black Studies 11
  • Asian Studies/Civilization 7
  • Women's Studies 4
  • African-American/Black Studies 2
  • European Studies/Civilization 2
  • American/United States Studies/Civilization 2
  • European Studies/Civilization 1
  • Latin American Studies 1
  • Women's Studies 1
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 33
  • Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Other 24
  • Neuroscience 20
  • Neuroscience 5
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 1
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
  • Computer Science 48
  • Computer Science 4
Education
  • Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education 9
  • Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education 3
English Language And Literature/Letters
  • English Language and Literature, General 26
  • English Language and Literature, General 9
Foreign Languages
  • Spanish Language and Literature 7
  • French Language and Literature 6
  • Russian Language and Literature 6
  • French Language and Literature 5
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 4
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 4
  • German Language and Literature 3
  • German Language and Literature 2
  • Spanish Language and Literature 2
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 1
  • Latin Language and Literature 1
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 1
  • Ancient/Classical Greek Language and Literature 0
  • Russian Language and Literature 0
History
  • History, General 14
  • History, General 9
Legal Professions And Studies
  • American/U.S. Law/Legal Studies/Jurisprudence 23
  • American/U.S. Law/Legal Studies/Jurisprudence 9
Mathematics And Statistics
  • Mathematics, General 46
  • Mathematics, General 35
  • Statistics, General 14
  • Statistics, General 5
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 5
Natural Resources And Conservation
  • Environmental Studies 11
  • Environmental Studies 4
Philosophy And Religious Studies
  • Philosophy 6
  • Religion/Religious Studies 6
  • Philosophy 5
  • Religion/Religious Studies 2
Physical Sciences
  • Chemistry, General 20
  • Physics, General 18
  • Astronomy 7
  • Physics, General 6
  • Geology/Earth Science, General 5
  • Geology/Earth Science, General 3
  • Chemistry, General 1
Psychology
  • Research and Experimental Psychology, Other 26
  • Research and Experimental Psychology, Other 26
Social Sciences
  • Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 78
  • Political Science and Government, General 16
  • Political Science and Government, General 14
  • Sociology, General 11
  • Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 10
  • Anthropology, General 6
  • Sociology, General 0
Visual And Performing Arts
  • Art/Art Studies, General 16
  • Music, General 7
  • Film/Cinema/Media Studies 5
  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 5
  • Film/Cinema/Media Studies 2
  • Art/Art Studies, General 1
  • Music, General 1
  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 0
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