Amherst Acceptance Rate and SAT/ACT Scores

Amherst College Admission Requirements and Statistics

[updated for 2024-2025 admission data]

How hard is Amherst College to get into?

This page provides the latest information on Amherst College (Amherst)'s admission process, acceptance rate, and student profile. Amherst's acceptance rate is 9.01% for 2024-2025 admission. A total of 13,743 students applied and 1,238 were admitted to the school. Its acceptance rate is very low, which means it is very hard to get into Amherst.

To apply to Amherst, recommendations and personal statement (or essay) are required to submit. The SAT and ACT score is not required, but considered for admission. In addition, english proficiency test score is also considered (required).

Amherst's acceptance rate is the 5th lowest among 64 Massachusetts colleges with competitive admission.
The median SAT score is 1540 and the ACT score is 34 at Amherst. Amherst's SAT score is 3rd highest among 41 Massachusetts colleges that consider SAT score for admission.
Amherst's yield rate is 38.77%, which is significantly lower by 23.95 percentage points (approximately 38.2% lower) compared to similar colleges with acceptance rates between 0% and 10% (average yield: 62.72%). You can compare colleges with similar acceptance rates to Amherst at colleges with acceptance rates lower than 10%.

Admission Statistics

For the academic year 2024-25, Amherst's acceptance rate is 9.01% and the yield (also known as enrollment rate) is 38.77%. 6,121 men and 6,776 women applied to Amherst and 508 men and 652 women students were accepted.

473 applicants who has another gender applied and 33 were accepted.45 accepted students' gender is unknown.

Among them, 196 men and 255 women were enrolled in Amherst. You can explore the Amherst's admission rates and SAT score trends over the past decade, including year-by-year data and analysis, by visiting Admission Trends page.

Acceptance Rate and Admission Statistics at Amherst
	Total	Men	Women	Another Gender	Gender Unknown
Applicants	13,743	6,121	6,776	473	373
Admitted	1,238	508	652	33	45
Enrolled	480	196	255	14	15
Acceptance Rate	9.01%	8.30%	9.62%	6.98%	12.06%
Yield	38.77%	38.58%	39.11%	42.42%	33.33%

Data source: IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) (Last update: December 11, 2024)

Amherst College 2025 Acceptance Rate By Gender chart

Median SAT and ACT Score

For the academic year 2025, 187 students (39% of enrolled students) submitted SAT scores and 105 students (22% of enrolled students) submitted ACT scores as part of the admission process at Amherst.

The median SAT score for admitted students is 1,540, including 760 in SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) and 780 in SAT Math. The 75th percentile SAT EBRW score is 780 and the 25th percentile is 740. For SAT Math, the 75th percentile score is 800 and the 25th percentile is 750.

The median ACT composite score is 34, with a 75th percentile score of 35 and a 25th percentile score of 33 at Amherst. The median ACT Math score is 34 and the median ACT English score is 35.

How competitive is Amherst's score?

The SAT and ACT scores at Amherst College are competitive and high compared to similar colleges (SAT: 1,295, ACT: 29 - private (not-for-profit) baccalaureate college - arts & sciences).

2025 SAT and ACT Scores at Amherst
	25^th Percentile	50^th Percentile (Median)	75^th Percentile
SAT Total	1,490	1,540	1,580
SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing	740	760	780
SAT Math	750	780	800
ACT Composite	33	34	35
ACT Math	32	34	35
ACT English	34	35	36

Data source: IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) (Last update: December 11, 2024)

Amherst College 2025 SAT and ACT Score Chart

Application Requirements

It requires to submit High School Record (or Transcript), Recommendations, English Proficiency Test, and Personal statement or essay to its applicants.

The SAT and ACT test score is not required, but considered in admission process at Amherst. The english proficiency test is required .

The next table summarizes the application requirements to apply Amherst College.

For more admission information such as minimum GPA and deadlines, see its online application page .

Amherst Admission Requirements
High School GPA	Considered, if submitted
High School Rank	Considered, if submitted
High School Record (or Transcript)	Required
Completion of College Preparatory Program	Considered, if submitted
Recommendations	Required
Formal Demonstration of Competencies	Considered, if submitted
SAT / ACT	Considered, if submitted
English Proficiency Test	Required
Other Test (Wonderlic,WISC-III,etc)	Not Considered
Work experience	Considered, if submitted
Personal statement or essay	Required
Legacy status	Not Considered

General Admissions Information

The following provides general admission information for applying to Amherst:

Open Admission Policy: No
Undergraduate Application Fees: -
Admission Information: www.amherst.edu/admission/
Online Application: https://www.amherst.edu/admission/apply/firstyear
Calendar System: Semester
Course for High School Students: Not Offered
Credits Accepted: No credits accepted
Degree Offered: Bachelor

Get Admission Information

What is the acceptance rate at the Amherst?

Amherst is extremely competitive to get into, with an acceptance rate of 9.01%.

What SAT or ACT scores are required for admission to Amherst?

Amherst recommends submitting SAT or ACT scores, but they are not strictly required for admission. The average SAT score required for admission to Amherst is 1,540, and the average ACT score is 34. Meeting or exceeding these scores will improve your chances of admission.

Does Amherst require essays or personal statements?

Yes, Amherst requires applicants to submit a personal essay or statement as part of the application.

Are recommendation letters required for Amherst admission?

Yes, Amherst requires applicants to submit a recommendation letter as part of the application.

Is there an application fee?

Amherst does not require an application fee for undergraduate or graduate admission.

Do I need to submit my high school transcript?

Yes, Amherst requires applicants to submit high school record or transcript as part of the admission process.

Are there any specific admission requirements for international students?

Yes, Amherst requires international applicants to submit an English proficiency test (like TOEFL or IELTS) as part of the application.

What is SAT code and ACT code for Amherst?

The institutional SAT code for Amherst is 3003 and 4-digit ACT code is 1774.