General Information
Established: 1821
Undergraduates: 1700+
Location: Amherst, MA
Campus: Suburban
Colors: Purple and White
Mascot: Lord Jeffrey Amherst
Overview
Founded in 1821 as a nonsectarian institution for “the education of indigent young men of piety and talents,” Amherst College is now widely regarded as oneof the premier liberal arts colleges in the nation, enrolling a diverse group of approximately 1,700 young men and women.
Academic
Renowned for its talented students, committed faculty, and rigorous academic life, Amherst offers the B.A. degree in 35 fields of study. With a faculty-student ratio of 1 to 8, Amherst’s classes are characterized by spirited interchange among students and acclaimed faculty skilled at asking challenging questions. Students participate in sophisticated research, making use of state-of-the-art equipment and facilities. And Amherst’s open curriculum allows each student—with the help of faculty advisers—to chart an individual course through the more than 800 courses offered at the college; there are no distribution requirements. Honors work is encouraged and in recent years has been undertaken by nearly half of the graduating class.
Diversity
Diversity, defined in its broadest sense, is fundamental to Amherst’s mission. The college enrolls students from nearly every state and from more than 40 countries, and for the past several years more than 35 percent of Amherst's students have been students of color. Since its founding, Amherst has remained one of the few truly need-blind colleges in the nation; students are admitted without regard to financial aid, and each admitted student is guaranteed financial aid equal to financial need. The college’s financial aid packages are consistently the most generous in the nation, and among its peer universities and colleges Amherst has the most economic diversity. By any measure of accessibility and quality Amherst is consistently ranked among the top schools in the country. Its outstanding resources, dedicated faculty and rigorous academic life allow the college to enroll students with an extraordinary range of talents, interests and commitments.
Student Life
Amherst students have countless opportunities to enrich their educations through co-curricular and extracurricular activities. A student might go to hear a guest speaker in anthropology, take a karate class, sing in an a cappella concert and then help paint a house with Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity—all in a single week!
Student Groups & Publications
Students lead over 100 different autonomous organizations, including groups for activism and community service, religious and cultural affinity groups, intramural sports teams, clubs for various arts and crafts, student newspapers and journals, a debate team, a radio station and more. If you have an interest that’s not represented in the 100 groups already on campus, you can start your own group or join a student organization at one of the other colleges in the Five College consortium. Representatives of Amherst’s student government, not college administrators, decide how to allocate about $250,000 among student organizations.
Residential Life
All first-year Amherst students live in new or newly renovated residences on the Main Quad. These residences feature well-designed living spaces, along with common spaces for studying, socializing, playing music and performing. Ninety-seven percent of students live on campus, and housing is guaranteed for all four years. When hunger pangs hit, check the menu at Valentine Dining Hall, which offers an extraordinary range of food options.
Athletics
At Amherst, academics come first. But athletics are a vibrant part of the living and learning experience, too. Most students take part on some level, from informal recreation to intramural and club sports to the 27 NCAA Division III teams. The extensive athletic facilities—open to all students—include excellent playing fields, an 8,000-square-foot fitness center, pool, courts and an ice rink. Beyond Amherst, you can jog the Norwottuck Trail that borders campus, kayak on the Connecticut River or mountain bike the Robert Frost Trail.
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