Amherst vs. Penn

Should I go to Amherst College or University of Pennsylvania? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Amherst or Penn 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. University of Pennsylvania comparison
Amherst College University of Pennsylvania College 3 College 4
Amherst College University of Pennsylvania
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Overview

Amherst Penn
Location Amherst, MA Philadelphia, PA
Setting Town Fringe Large City
Enrollment 1,898 28,201
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #16 #23
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website amherst.edu upenn.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Amherst Penn
Tuition (In State) $63,500 $56,212
Tuition (Out of State) $63,500 $56,212
Room & Board $16,750 $17,888
Avg Net Price $21,367 $26,123
Avg Grant Aid $58,693 $57,175
% Receiving Grant Aid 58% 46%

Admission

Amherst Penn
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 14,864 54,588
Admitted 1,079 3,549
Acceptance Rate 7.3% 6.5%
Enrolled % 43.3% 67.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.91 3.95
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme Extreme
ACT Range 32/35 34/35
SAT Range 1420/1550 1500/1570
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 5, 2024

Academics

Amherst Penn
Student to Faculty Ratio 7:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (26%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Business (26%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Health Professions (7%)

Outcomes

Amherst Penn
Graduation Rate 96% 96%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $82,000 $123,600
Making Student Loan Payments 83% 84%
Median Student Loan Debt $12,975 $20,633
Median Loan Payment $134 $213

Diversity

Amherst Penn
% Men 48% 44%
% Women 52% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 42% 45%
% Black 12% 7%
% Hispanic 13% 10%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 4%
% International 10% 11%
% Unknown Race 4% 3%

Students

Amherst Penn
% In-State 13% 16%
% Out-of-State 74% 67%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Pennsylvania is larger than than Amherst based on total student enrollment (28,201 students vs. 1,898 students)

Amherst vs. Penn Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Amherst or Penn?

  • Amherst College is 13% more expensive to attend than Penn for in-state tuition ($63,500.00 vs. $56,212.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 13% higher at Amherst than University of Pennsylvania ($63,500.00 vs. $56,212.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Amherst College than Penn ($21,367 vs. $26,123)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Amherst College are 6.8% lower than costs at University of Pennsylvania ($16,750 vs. $17,888)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Amherst College than University of Pennsylvania (58% vs. 46%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Amherst College students is 2.7% larger than aid received University of Pennsylvania ($58,693 vs. $57,175)

Amherst vs. Penn Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Pennsylvania (1457) is 6 points higher than at Amherst (1451)
  • Incoming Amherst students have at the same average ACT score (33) as students at Penn (33)
  • Accepted freshman Penn students have a 0.04 point higher average high school GPA (3.95) than students at Amherst (3.91)
  • Amherst has a higher acceptance rate (7.3%) than Penn (6.5%)

Amherst vs. Penn Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Amherst or Penn? 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 Penn and Amherst.

  • The graduation rate at Amherst is the same as at University of Pennsylvania (96% vs. 96%)
  • Graduates from University of Pennsylvania earn on average $41,600 more per year than Amherst graduates after ten years. ($123,600 vs. $82,000)
  • Amherst College students graduate with a $7,658 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn graduates. ($12,975 vs. $20,633)
  • Amherst graduates are paying $79 less per month on federal student loans than Penn graduates. ($134 vs. $213)
  • More Penn graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Amherst students, three years after graduation. (84% vs. 83%)

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