Amherst College

Apply for first-year Apply for transfer

Amherst College

Apply for first-year Apply for transfer

Amherst College searches for exceptional students from across the country and around the world. And we offer one of the most comprehensive, ambitious financial aid programs in the country. The liberal arts experience at Amherst is rooted in the flexibility and freedom of our open curriculum, a curriculum that very few other institutions offer. With no distribution or general education requirements, Amherst allows you to choose the courses that define the shape of your education. The breadth and depth of diversity in our student body creates a lively community on our campus and in our surrounding Five College Consortium.

Virtual Tour

Academic Programs

Art & Design
Economics
Education
Government/Political Science
Liberal Arts
Music
Performing Arts
Research
Science
Social Science
Visual Arts

Student experience

Athletics
Co-op/Internship Opportunities
Disability Services
Intramural/Club Sports
LGBTQIA Services
Military/Veteran Services
On-Campus Housing
ROTC Program
Study Abroad
Undergraduate Research
Veteran Fee Waiver

Application information

Find out about requirements, fees, and deadlines

First-year

First-year students may submit applications for admission under either the Early Decision or Regular Decision options. Students who have completed college coursework as part of any program of early graduation from secondary school or other accelerated completion of secondary school are considered first-year applicants. Applicants otherwise eligible for transfer status (see below) may instead elect to apply for first-year admission.

Transfer

A student may apply for transfer admission to Amherst after completing the equivalent of 32 semester hours of transferable liberal arts coursework at another college or university. (Courses in progress at the time of application are included in determining transferable credit.) We do not accept applications from individuals who have already earned a bachelor's degree. Nor do we accept transfer applications from students whose only college coursework was completed as part of any program of early graduation from secondary school.

Additional Information

We’re committed to making an Amherst education affordable to every admitted student. Our admission process is need-blind for all students, domestic and international. The majority of our students pay less—often far less—than the cost of attendance. We meet 100% of our students’ Amherst-calculated need for domestic and international students. We were one of the first colleges in the country to adopt a no-loan policy, replacing loans in our financial aid offers with scholarships. Visit our website to learn more about Amherst financial aid.

Amherst College has formalized a test-optional admission policy for SAT/ACT testing. This test-optional policy applies to all applicants: first-year and transfer, domestic and international. At their own discretion, applicants may still submit SAT or ACT scores for consideration. Visit our website to learn more.

Visit us

We love having visitors on campus! We encourage you to visit Amherst to see the campus for yourself and meet our students, staff and professors. You can find more information on all of our visiting opportunities on our website, and while you’re there, don’t forget to check out our campus tour video.

Amherst College is a place where curiosity, discovery, intellect, and character are highly valued, and where equity and inclusion are a way of life. We search for exceptional students from across the country and around the world, and we offer one of the most comprehensive, ambitious financial aid programs in the country. The liberal arts experience at Amherst is rooted in the flexibility and freedom of our open curriculum, a curriculum that very few other institutions offer.
Michael Elliott, President