Amherst College - Diversity Overview

What QB Scholars say about diversity:

"I think the discussions and interactions between students of different races and social classes have increased since I first came to Amherst as a freshman. I’m excited to see what other gaps we can bridge."
- Anonymous, Psychology major, Class of 2008

"I don’t really notice [that I am a low-income student here] except when I see how freely some people spend their money."
- Anonymous, Psychology major, Class of 2008

Socio-economic Make-up of Students

20% of students who applied for financial aid at Amherst have family incomes below $60,000 (college-insight.org)
17% of students at Amherst receive Federal Pell Grants, which mostly go to students whose family incomes are below $40,000 (college-insight.org)
In Amherst’s class of 2009, 12% are first generation college students, meaning that neither of their parents attended a four-year college
See Amherst's profile on college-insight.org

Racial Diversity of Undergraduates:

African American: 12%
Asian American: 17%
Caucasian: 45%
Hispanic: 6%
International: 10%
Native American: >1%
Not Reported: 10%

Articles and Interesting Tidbits

Campus Revolutionary - A profile of Anthony Marx, president of Amherst, highlighting his commitment to socioeconomic diversity.
Business Week, February 27, 2006.
Read about the continuing discussion about diversity in The Amherst Student.
Amherst launches a telementoring program to assist low-income high school students with applying to college.
Amherst receives $13M for public service program - Boston Globe, July 19, 2006.

Relevant Rankings:

Ranked the #1 liberal arts college for percentage of Black freshman enrolled in 2005 by The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education (JHBE).
Hispanic Magazine ranked Amherst 3rd among their Top 25 Colleges for Latinos.

Regional Diversity:

88% of student body from outside the state of Massachusetts
7% of student body from outside the US.

Gender Ratio:

54% Female / 46% Male