How much money do Amherst College graduates make and which majors earn the most upon graduating? Six years after enrolling, alumni who are working have average earnings of $49,300 per year. After ten years, graduates earn $82,000 on average.
In terms of specific areas of study, the following is a ranking of degree programs by the median first-year starting salaries for Amherst graduates.
The undergraduate degree which initially pays the highest is Economics with a median starting salary of $69,800 followed by Mathematics paying $61,000 and Political Science and Government graduates who have a median starting income of $49,500 .
Note about salary data: First year earnings data are aggregated by the US Department of Education and analyzes IRS reported income for Amherst College graduates who received federal financial aid in the form of grants or loans. Not all graduates or fields of study are represented as data for some degree programs are omitted for privacy purposes.
| Major | Earnings |
|---|---|
| Economics (Bachelor’s Degree) | $69,800 |
| Mathematics (Bachelor’s Degree) | $61,000 |
| Political Science and Government (Bachelor’s Degree) | $49,500 |
| Area Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) | $32,100 |
| English Language and Literature (Bachelor’s Degree) | $31,400 |
Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=164465 IPEDS survey and College Scorecard data for Amherst College.