by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is the data on what it actually costs to attend Amherst College, from the published cost of attendance and projected degree cost through to net price, median student debt at graduation, default outcomes, and how aid varies by family income.
If you want to dig into a particular figure, jump to any section below:
Published attendance costs at Amherst College is about $83,650.00 per academic year.
Cost is shown below as the full sticker price, the average net price after aid, and the low-income net price.
| Tuition and fees | $70,480.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $13,170.00 |
| Total cost | $83,650.00 |
| That is 155% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $83,650.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$64,273.00 |
| Net price | $19,377.00 |
| That is 41% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $83,650.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$86,554.00 |
| Net price | $-2,904.00 |
| That is 109% below the national average net price. | |
| Explore each piece on tuition and fees plus living costs. |
Published costs have climbed year over year by roughly 4.8% a year, so a full degree will cost more than a single year — the tables below carry that forward. These tables carry the cost across a degree for three cases: low-income w/ aid, average aid, and no aid. Loan math assumes ten-year repayment at 6.8% interest.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 4.8% | 4.8% | 4.8% |
| Freshman year | $-3,045.00 | $20,315.00 | $87,700.00 |
| Senior year | $-3,509.00 | $23,411.00 | $101,064.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $-13,092.00 | $87,355.00 | $377,107.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $-4,987.00 | $33,279.00 | $143,664.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $-151.00 | $1,005.00 | $4,340.00 |
| Total amount paid | $-18,079.00 | $120,633.00 | $520,772.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 4.8% | 4.8% | 4.8% |
| Freshman year | $-3,045.00 | $20,315.00 | $87,700.00 |
| Senior year | $-3,192.00 | $21,299.00 | $91,946.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $-6,237.00 | $41,614.00 | $179,646.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $-2,376.00 | $15,853.00 | $68,439.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $-72.00 | $479.00 | $2,067.00 |
| Total amount paid | $-8,613.00 | $57,467.00 | $248,084.00 |
For the complete net-price picture, see the Net Price section.
Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the published sticker price. It is usually a better planning number than the sticker cost above.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $23,367.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $18,246.00 |
Net price varies sharply by family income, dropping as need-based aid grows. Below, average net price is broken out by family income:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $1,888.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $1,868.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $6,112.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $20,179.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $50,358.00 |
Estimate your specific net price using the school’s Amherst College Net Price Calculator, or reach out to the financial aid office.
Want to know how that aid is awarded? See the financial aid breakdown.
The median graduating debt at Amherst College amounts to $12,000.00, categorized as a Low ($10-20k) debt-load classification.
The percentile breakdown reveals the full debt landscape:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $3,200.00 |
| 25th | $5,500.00 |
| Median (50th) | $12,000.00 |
| 75th | $19,500.00 |
| 90th | $25,500.00 |
The gap between 10th and 90th percentile borrowers gives a sense of how uneven debt outcomes are.
Read the complete debt breakdown on the student loan debt page.
Family income tracks closely with debt at graduation. The table below divides borrowers into three income tiers:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $9,100.00 |
| Middle income | $11,561.00 |
| High income | $12,718.00 |
First-generation college students often carry different debt loads than their continuing-generation peers.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $11,501.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $12,000.00 |
Pell Grant eligibility is a useful proxy for low-income status among undergraduates. Contrasting Pell and non-Pell borrowers shows how need shapes debt.
The Pell-versus-non-Pell median debt difference at Amherst College stands at $-2,190.00.
The default-rate classification at Amherst College is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 3.0% |
For scale, federal Stafford loan disbursements at Amherst College come to $17,217,489.00 over 1,668 loan recipients.
Veterans and active-duty students can access dedicated federal education aid including the GI Bill and Tuition Assistance from the Department of Defense.
| GI Bill recipients | 12 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $42,760.00 |
Read more about military and veteran aid on the veterans benefits detail.
The data above is a foundation; round it out by asking yourself about Amherst College, the questions below are worth your time:
For a closer look at any of these topics, follow the links below:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.