How to Get Into Amherst College: Acceptance Rate & Strategies
August 4, 2025
Amherst College is one of the most selective and esteemed liberal arts colleges in the country, in the same league as the likes of Williams, Swarthmore, and Pomona. While lesser-known to the general public than the Ivy League universities, these schools (including Amherst) sport single-digit acceptance rates and present an admissions challenge even for students at the very top of their high school class who possess near-perfect SAT/ACT scores. Yet, unlike many schools, whose hyper-selective admissions practices are a relatively recent phenomenon, gaining acceptance into this institution has been a fierce proposition for decades. While the acceptance rate brushed 20% for a hot minute in the mid-90’s, it’s been in the single digits for the past decade.
To give prospective Amherst applicants a better sense of their admissions chances, this blog will touch on the following topics:
- Amherst College acceptance rate (plus how to predict your chances with our free admissions calculator)
- GPA, SAT, ACT, and class rank of accepted Amherst College applicants
- Amherst admissions trends for the Class of 2029
- Amherst College鈥檚 system for rating applicants
- A look at the demographics of current Amherst College undergraduates
- The percentage of accepted students that attend Amherst College (yield rate)
- Tips for applying to Amherst College
- A look at the Amherst essay prompts
- How to assess whether applying to Amherst College is even worth the $65 application fee (for you)
Amherst College Admissions Calculator
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Amherst College Acceptance Rate
For the Class of 2028, Amherst received a record-high 15,818 applications, of which 1,175 were accepted. That means that the Class of 2028 had an acceptance rate of 7.4%, which is markedly lower than last year’s.
Historical Amherst acceptance rates are as follows:
| Applicants | Admits | Acceptance Rate | |
| Class of 2028 | 13,743 | 1,238 | 9.0% |
| Class of 2027 | 12,727 | 1,250 | 9.8% |
| Class of 2026 | 14,864 | 1,079 | 7.2% |
| Class of 2025 | 13,999 | 1,224 | 8.7% |
Amherst College Early Decision Acceptance Rate
Amherst received 735 ED applicants for the Class of 2028 and accepted 216 of them. Accordingly, the ED acceptance rate for this cohort was an encouraging 29%.
In addition, Amherst usually fills over a third of the incoming class via the ED round鈥攊n the 2024-25 admission cycle, 45% of the class were ED admits.
What GPA do you need to get into Amherst?
Amherst does not report average GPA. However, based on class rank data, you should likely aim for a 3.75 GPA or higher for the best chance at acceptance.
What class rank do you need to get accepted to Amherst?
Among enrolled 2024-25 first-year students, an outstanding 93% hailed from the top 10% of their graduating class, while 99% earned a place in the top quarter. Amazingly, not a single enrolled student graduated in the bottom half of their class.
What is the minimum SAT or ACT score for Amherst?
According to the most recent statistics available (Class of 2028), the mid-50% SAT range for enrolled freshmen was 1500-1560. Additionally, the mid-50% ACT scores were 33-35.
Overall, about half of enrolled first-year students submitted test scores alongside their application.
Admissions Trends & Notes 鈥� Class of 2027 & 2028
- Amherst remains test-optional for 2025-2026 applicants.
- Applications rose 15% from 2023 to 2024, after falling 14% between 2022 and 2023.
- The number of legacy admits continues to decline.
- 38% of admitted Class of 2028 members were domestic students of color.
- 15% of admitted 2024-25 freshmen were first-generation students.
- Class of 2028 students were from 43 states and 31 countries.
How Amherst College Rates Applicants
Utilizing a genuinely holistic admissions process, Amherst College views seven factors as 鈥渧ery important鈥� to the admissions process: rigor of high school course load, GPA, application essays, standardized test scores, recommendations, extracurricular activities, and talent/ability. The four factors labeled as 鈥渋mportant鈥� are class rank, character/personal qualities, first-generation status, volunteer work, and work experience.
Straight from the Amherst admissions office:
- 鈥淎mherst uses a holistic approach to the review of application materials to develop a multi-dimensional perspective of the applicant. We give the greatest weight to your academic transcript.鈥�
- 鈥淭he rigor of the courses you鈥檝e taken, the quality of your grades and the consistency with which you鈥檝e worked over four years give us the clearest indication of how well you will do at Amherst.鈥�
- 鈥淲hile there is no specific set of secondary school classes required for admission, most successful applicants have pursued the strongest program of study available at their secondary school鈥攖ypically including four years of study in English, math, science, social studies and foreign language鈥攁nd have achieved the highest levels of academic performance.鈥�
- 鈥淩ecommendations, the quality of your writing, and extra- and co-curricular accomplishments also help us draw fine distinctions among very talented applicants.鈥�
Amherst College Demographics
Let鈥檚 look at the demographics of Amherst College’s undergraduate student body. For the Class of 2028, the top four geographical regions include:
- New England: 21%
- Mid-Atlantic: 21%
- Southeast: 20%
- International: 13%
In terms of ethnic identity, the Class of 2028 breakdown is as follows:
- White: 37.5%
- Asian: 20%
- Hispanic: 10.4%
- Black or African American: 2.9%
- Two or More Races: 7.7%
A look at the Class of 2028 gender split reveals that the university enrolls a greater number of women than men on campus:
- Men: 41%
- Women: 53%
- Another gender identity: 2.9%
In a recent year, the following percentage of enrolled freshmen attended each type of high school:
- Public: 66%
- Independent: 27%
- Religious: 8%
- Home Schooled: .2% (just 1 student)
Amherst College鈥檚 Yield Rate
Amherst College鈥檚 yield rate鈥攖he percentage of accepted students who elect to enroll, divided by the total number of students who are admitted鈥攊s 38.7%, which is about the same as the previous year. However, this yield rate still places them in the same ballpark as other top liberal arts schools like Williams College, Pomona College, and Swarthmore College.
Tips for Applying to Amherst College
If you plan on joining the 13,000+ Amherst College hopefuls for the next admissions cycle, you should know the following:
- If Amherst College is your top choice, you鈥檒l want to strongly consider . The Regular Decision deadline falls in the first week of January, but the acceptance rates are significantly lower in this round.
- This school ended the practice of evaluative interviews roughly a dozen years ago.
- With no interviews, your counselor and teacher recommendations will be key. Visit our blog for tips on requesting high school letters of recommendation.
- Amherst College does not consider 鈥�demonstrated interest鈥� so you will not be judged on whether or not you made a campus visit, contacted an admissions officer, etc.
- You鈥檒l need to submit a Mid-Year Report in late February, so remember to keep those grades up throughout your senior year of high school.
- Make sure to dedicate sufficient time and effort to the supplemental essay prompts offered by Amherst College. In the 2025-26 cycle, there were three choices for the main essay/writing sample.
Amherst Supplemental Essays & Short Answers
Short Answer
Please briefly elaborate on an extracurricular activity or work experience of particular significance to you. (175 words)
Supplementary Writing Requirement
There are three options for satisfying Amherst’s supplementary writing requirement for the first-year application: Options A, B, or C. Applicants may elect only one of those options. Before deciding, you should carefully read the descriptions of all three options (including specific conditions associated with options B and C) to determine which is most appropriate for you.
Option A
Choose one of the following quotations, and respond to the question posed, in an essay of not more than 350 words. It is not necessary to research, read, or refer to the texts from which these quotations are taken; we are looking for original, personal responses to these short excerpts. Remember that your essay should be personal in nature and not simply an argumentative essay.
Prompt 1
“Hope and curiosity 鈥� these are qualities that are the foundation of what Amherst College means, of everything that we do here. Curiosity is at the core of a liberal arts education 鈥� a spirit of inquiry that shapes not only what our students do in the classroom, but also how they learn from and about each other.” 鈥� Michael A. Elliott, 20th President of Amherst College, address at Amherst College鈥檚 203rd Commencement
What does curiosity mean to you? How do you experience curiosity in your own life?
Prompt 2
“We seek an Amherst made stronger because it includes those whose experiences can enhance our understanding of our nation and our world. We do so in the faith that our humanity is an identity forged from diversity, and that our different perspectives enrich our inquiry, deepen our knowledge, strengthen our community, and prepare students to engage with an ever-changing world.”聽– from the Trustee Statement on Diversity and Community
In what ways could your unique experiences enhance our understanding of our nation and our world?
Prompt 3
“We are working together to build a community that makes room for both true disagreement and true connection, one that practices the kind of recognition and robust negotiation that the everyday life of democracy requires, and one that explicitly prepares our students to work for the greater good in their professional and personal endeavors.” 鈥� Presidential Priorities: Serving the Greater Good
Tell us about a time that you engaged with a viewpoint different from your own. How did you enter that engagement, and what did you learn about yourself from it?
Option B
Submit a graded paper from your junior or senior year that best represents your writing skills and analytical abilities. We are particularly interested in your ability to construct a tightly reasoned, persuasive argument that calls upon literary, sociological or historical evidence. You should聽not聽submit a laboratory report, journal entry, creative writing sample or in-class essay. Also, if you have submitted an analytical essay in response to the “essay topic of your choice” prompt in the Common Application or Apply Coalition with Scoir writing section, you should聽not聽select Option B.
Curious about Option B?聽聽….
Option C
If you are/were an applicant to Amherst’s Access to Amherst (A2A) program, you may use your A2A application essay in satisfaction of our Writing Supplement requirement. If you would like to do so, please select Option C. However, if you would prefer not to use your A2A essay for this purpose and you want to submit a different writing supplement, select either Option A or Option B. Option A, Prompt 2 is the same prompt as the A2A application essay; if you would like to submit an updated version of your A2A application essay, please choose Option A, Prompt 2.
Please note that Option C is available only to applicants to Amherst’s A2A program. Non-A2A applicants must choose either Option A or Option B.
Should I apply to Amherst?
Over 95% of those who enrolled at Amherst in 2024-25 possessed an SAT score of 700 or better on the math and reading sections. 98% earned an ACT score of 30 or higher. Just about everyone finished at or near the top of their high school class. If you check these boxes then you鈥檒l certainly be a competitive applicant at Amherst, but those with additional attributes and talents will fare best.
Amherst College Acceptance Rate 2025 – Final Thoughts
Any student applying to a school of Amherst College鈥檚 caliber also needs to have a proper mix of 鈥渢arget鈥� and 鈥渟afety鈥� schools on their college list. More on creating a balanced college list can be found here.
Ready to start crafting your college applications? You might consider checking out the following:
