How this school serves students from different economic backgrounds, including Pell students, first-generation pathways, and long-term mobility outcomes.
Amherst College admits about 9.0% of applicants. The middle range of SAT scores for admitted students falls between 1,490 and 1,580, and ACT scores typically fall between 33 and 35. Among enrolled undergraduates, 19.8% receive Pell Grants and 20.8% are first-generation college students. Transfer enrollment is limited, at 6.1%. Azimuth ranks Amherst College #602 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. The access ranking reflects a fundamental constraint: at a 9.0% admit rate, Amherst College's admission funnel is highly selective, and the number of low-income and first-generation students it enrolls is limited relative to institutions that admit larger shares of their applicant pools. The six-year graduation rate is 93.9%, and freshman retention stands at 97.3%. Azimuth ranks Amherst College #456 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. The pattern is clear: low-income students who gain admission to Amherst College complete at high rates and achieve strong post-graduation outcomes — but the institution's admission scale limits how many students benefit from that pathway. The gap between what outcomes show the college could deliver for economic mobility and what admission volume does deliver is the structural constraint on the access and mobility profile.
Amherst College admits about 9.0% of applicants. The middle range of SAT scores for admitted students falls between 1,490 and 1,580, and ACT scores typically fall between 33 and 35. Among enrolled undergraduates, 19.8% receive Pell Grants and 20.8% are first-generation college students. Transfer enrollment is limited, at 6.1%. Azimuth ranks Amherst College #602 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. The access ranking reflects a fundamental constraint: at a 9.0% admit rate, Amherst College's admission funnel is highly selective, and the number of low-income and first-generation students it enrolls is limited relative to institutions that admit larger shares of their applicant pools. The six-year graduation rate is 93.9%, and freshman retention stands at 97.3%. Azimuth ranks Amherst College #456 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. The pattern is clear: low-income students who gain admission to Amherst College complete at high rates and achieve strong post-graduation outcomes — but the institution's admission scale limits how many students benefit from that pathway. The gap between what outcomes show the college could deliver for economic mobility and what admission volume does deliver is the structural constraint on the access and mobility profile.
Amherst College admits about 9.0% of applicants. The middle range of SAT scores for admitted students falls between 1,490 and 1,580, and ACT scores typically fall between 33 and 35. Among enrolled undergraduates, 19.8% receive Pell Grants and 20.8% are first-generation college students. Transfer enrollment is limited, at 6.1%. Azimuth ranks Amherst College #602 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. The access ranking reflects a fundamental constraint: at a 9.0% admit rate, Amherst College's admission funnel is highly selective, and the number of low-income and first-generation students it enrolls is limited relative to institutions that admit larger shares of their applicant pools. The six-year graduation rate is 93.9%, and freshman retention stands at 97.3%. Azimuth ranks Amherst College #456 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. The pattern is clear: low-income students who gain admission to Amherst College complete at high rates and achieve strong post-graduation outcomes — but the institution's admission scale limits how many students benefit from that pathway. The gap between what outcomes show the college could deliver for economic mobility and what admission volume does deliver is the structural constraint on the access and mobility profile.
