1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [Amherst College](/school/amherst-college/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # Amherst College Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated September 30, 2026 [Overview](/school/amherst-college/)[Cost & aid](/school/amherst-college/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/amherst-college/admissions/)[Majors](/school/amherst-college/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/amherst-college/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do Amherst College graduates earn? The reported median is $79,243 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $55,915 as its benchmark; the difference is $23,328 per year. Azimuth places the return pillar at the 84th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $79,243, in the 88th percentile. That is $23,328 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $14,494 less than the model expects for similar students. That puts the gap at the 9th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $3,287. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $17,781. The earnings scenarios show a wide range: from $55,935 on the downside to $138,381 on the upside. These are scenarios estimated from the program mix, not observed groups of graduates. At the upper end, Computer Science graduates earn $142,680 four years after completion, from 55 degrees awarded a year. Economics follows at $141,730, with 91 degrees awarded. Mathematics graduates earn $124,324, from 89 degrees awarded. An estimated 43.3% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix rather than observed enrollment. Because four-year earnings cover completers who are working and not enrolled, those continuing their education are outside that snapshot. **Median earnings · four years after completion** $79,243 **Rank for difference from expectations** 9th percentile Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **Amherst College reported median** $79,243 **Peer schools comparable schools · $23,328 below Amherst College** $55,915 **Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $14,494 above Amherst College** $93,737 School and program earnings use pooled 2017–18 and 2018–19 completion cohorts, measured in 2022 and 2023 and expressed in 2024 dollars. [How the model works](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). ## How could earnings differ from the median? The planning scenarios range from $55,935 to $138,381, around the reported median of $79,243. Compare the lower scenario with [Amherst College borrowing and monthly payments](/school/amherst-college/cost/) to see how a smaller income could change your plan. Modeled from the school’s program mix; not salary percentiles or a forecast for one graduate. Earnings four years after completion Planning rangeReported median **Lower estimate** $55,935 **Median · reported** $79,243 **Higher estimate** $138,381 Downside shows a lower-earning scenario based on the college’s mix of programs; upside shows a higher-earning scenario. Typical is the school’s reported median four years after completion. These are planning scenarios, not a forecast of your salary or percentiles of individual graduates. [Why the downside matters](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) explores the risk hidden by medians, using older ten-year entrant data. [Read about the move to four-year earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). ## Do Amherst College graduates earn more than expected? Azimuth models what we would expect graduates to earn based on who the college enrolls, how selective it is and its local economy. The difference between that expectation and reported earnings is what Azimuth calls [value added](/methodology/#value-added). Amherst College graduates’ reported earnings are $14,494 below that expectation, the 9th percentile for this measure. Unlike a peer comparison, it adjusts for who enrolls. The breakdown separates the contribution attributed to observed factors from the remaining difference. Neither component establishes how much attending Amherst College caused a student to earn. [Read how expected earnings are estimated](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$3,287 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$17,781 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** \-$14,494 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. ## Which fields at Amherst College report the highest earnings? The highest-earning programs at Amherst College are also among its largest. Computer Science graduates earn a median of $142,680 four years after completion, from 55 degrees awarded. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the program #43 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Economics is the largest program, with 91 degrees awarded and median earnings of $141,730. Azimuth ranks it #11 nationally. Mathematics follows closely at 89 degrees awarded and $124,324, ranking #7. At the more moderate end, Political Science awards 61 degrees awarded and its graduates earn $63,754. The earnings spread between the top and the middle of the program list is wide. Amherst College has 4 nationally ranked programs, and the earnings spread across them is wide. The largest program, Economics, awards 91 degrees a year and its graduates earn a median of $141,730 four years after completion. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #11 within its field. Mathematics is nearly as large, with 89 degrees awarded and a median of $124,324. It ranks #7 nationally. Computer Science is smaller at 55 degrees but posts the highest earnings among the largest programs, at $142,680; Azimuth ranks it #43 within its field. Research and Experimental Psychology rounds out the ranked programs, with 61 degrees awarded and median earnings of $69,204. Azimuth ranks it #9 nationally. The gap between the highest- and lowest-earning programs in the top five is substantial, and a student's field of study matters a great deal for the earnings picture here. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Computer Science** $142,680 **Economics** $141,730 **Mathematics** $124,324 **History** $103,601 **Research and Experimental Psychology** $69,204 **Area Studies** $68,618 **English Language and Literature, General** $65,195 **Political Science and Government** $63,754 [Explore Amherst College program cohorts and field ranks](/school/amherst-college/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix range from a downside of $55,935 to a typical outcome of $79,243 and an upside of $138,381. The spread shows that earnings vary substantially by field. At the high end, Computer Science graduates earn $142,680 four years after completion. Among the largest programs, Political Science sits at the lower end at $63,754. Amherst College sits in the 88th percentile for median graduate earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings sample consists of 269 federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled four years after finishing; their median is $79,243. That amount is $23,328 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). The model yields three earnings scenarios: a typical outcome of $79,243, a downside of $55,935, and an upside of $138,381. These are estimates of how different program clusters might pay, not observed paths for actual graduates. An estimated 43.3% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix, not observed enrollment. That figure is not observed enrollment; it reflects what the program mix implies about graduate-school pathways. ## Data & methodology Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/). Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).