Amherst vs. Cornell

Should I go to Amherst College or Cornell University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Amherst or Cornell is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Amherst College vs. Cornell University comparison
Amherst College Cornell University College 3 College 4
Amherst College Cornell University
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Overview

Amherst Cornell
Location Amherst, MA Ithaca, NY
Setting Town Fringe Small City
Enrollment 1,898 25,898
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #16 #19
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website amherst.edu cornell.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Amherst Cornell
Tuition (In State) $63,500 $62,456
Tuition (Out of State) $63,500 $62,456
Room & Board $16,750 $16,988
Avg Net Price $21,367 $26,060
Avg Grant Aid $58,693 $54,219
% Receiving Grant Aid 58% 51%

Admission

Amherst Cornell
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 14,864 69,195
Admitted 1,079 5,168
Acceptance Rate 7.3% 7.5%
Enrolled % 43.3% 67.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.91 3.9
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme Extreme
ACT Range 32/35 33/35
SAT Range 1420/1550 1470/1570
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 2, 2024 Jan 2, 2024

Academics

Amherst Cornell
Student to Faculty Ratio 7:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (26%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Engineering (17%)
  • Agriculture (13%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)

Outcomes

Amherst Cornell
Graduation Rate 96% 93%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $82,000 $98,400
Making Student Loan Payments 83% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $12,975 $12,000
Median Loan Payment $134 $124

Diversity

Amherst Cornell
% Men 48% 47%
% Women 52% 53%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 42% 41%
% Black 12% 6%
% Hispanic 13% 12%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 4%
% International 10% 10%
% Unknown Race 4% 8%

Students

Amherst Cornell
% In-State 13% 33%
% Out-of-State 74% 55%

Campus

Amherst Cornell
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Cornell University is larger than than Amherst based on total student enrollment (25,898 students vs. 1,898 students)

Amherst vs. Cornell Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Amherst or Cornell?

  • Amherst College is 1.7% more expensive to attend than Cornell for in-state tuition ($63,500.00 vs. $62,456.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 1.7% higher at Amherst than Cornell University ($63,500.00 vs. $62,456.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Amherst College than Cornell ($21,367 vs. $26,060)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Amherst College are 1.4% lower than costs at Cornell University ($16,750 vs. $16,988)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Amherst College than Cornell University (58% vs. 51%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Amherst College students is 8.3% larger than aid received Cornell University ($58,693 vs. $54,219)

Amherst vs. Cornell Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Amherst or Cornell? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Cornell or Amherst .

  • The average SAT score at Amherst College (1451) is 23 points higher than at Cornell (1428)
  • Incoming Amherst students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at Cornell (32)
  • Accepted freshman Amherst students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.91) than students at Cornell (3.9)
  • Cornell has a higher acceptance rate (7.5%) than Amherst (7.3%)

Amherst vs. Cornell Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Amherst or Cornell? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Cornell and Amherst.

  • The graduation rate at Amherst is higher than Cornell University (96% vs. 93%)
  • Graduates from Cornell University earn on average $16,400 more per year than Amherst graduates after ten years. ($98,400 vs. $82,000)
  • Cornell University students graduate with a $975 lower median federal student loan debt than Amherst graduates. ($12,000 vs. $12,975)
  • Cornell graduates are paying $10 less per month on federal student loans than Amherst graduates. ($124 vs. $134)
  • More Cornell graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Amherst students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 83%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/