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Amherst, MA (cropped) 2Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0
Colleges in and near Amherst Town

Amherst Town is a college town: 60 of every 100 residents are students

The University of Massachusetts-Amherst (28,168 students on campus) and Amherst College (1,910) are inside the city. Across Massachusetts, 8 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town60% of residents are studentsAmherst CollegeUniversity of Massachusetts-Amherst

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Amherst Town. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
6
38,259 students on campus
Nearest college
0.8 mi
Amherst College
Residents in college
60%
Above MA (8%)
Nearest community college
13.8 mi
Holyoke · $5,988 tuition
Nearest public university
1.8 mi
University of Massachusetts-Amherst · $17,772 in-state
Students on campus in Amherst Town
30,795
next to 40,920 residents

What stands out about college in Amherst Town

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town60 of every 100 Amherst Town residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.Two colleges within 1.8 milesAmherst College admits 9% of applicants; University of Massachusetts-Amherst admits 60%. Together they have 30,078 students on campus.In-state price at University of Massachusetts-AmherstLiving in Massachusetts, the University of Massachusetts-Amherst charges $17,772 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $40,449. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 13.8 miles awayHolyoke Community College in Holyoke: tuition and fees $5,988 a year for Massachusetts residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Amherst Town

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

60 of every 100 Amherst Town residents are in college (MA: 8).

30,795students on campus at Amherst Town’s 3 colleges, next to 40,920 residents (dorm students count as residents)
6,255college students live in Amherst Town households rather than dorms
21.4median age · MA 40.0
56%of homes rented · MA 38%
$1,671median rent · 5% below the state
Amherst TownAmherst Town, MA
Cost of living$1,671/mo median rentD−SafetyCrime reported to the FBIA−HealthCDC estimatesAJobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundB+HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Amherst Town’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income B+

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 23.9% of Amherst Town residents are below the poverty line, 10.1% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 6 points either way). 57% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living D−

The Cost grade leaves out the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent wherever students are a quarter of residents or more (60% here): it would mostly measure student incomes.

Health A

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Amherst Town’s median age is 21.4 (Massachusetts 40.0), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety A−

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Amherst Town

Four private colleges within 8.2 miles, one public college within 1.8 miles, and Holyoke Community College 13.8 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miUniversity of Massachusetts-AmherstSmith CollegeHolyokeAmherst Town
University or collegeCommunity college
Amherst CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,910 on campus · In Amherst Town9%admitted$23knet price94%graduate$78kearningsUniversity of Massachusetts-AmherstUniversity or college · Public · 28,168 on campus · In Amherst Town60%admitted$22knet price83%graduate$72kearningsHampshire CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 717 on campus · In Amherst Town75%admitted$24knet price54%graduate$47kearningsSmith CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 2,830 on campus · 7.4 mi · Northampton21%admitted$28knet price89%graduate$64kearningsMount Holyoke CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 2,210 on campus · 8.2 mi · South Hadley36%admitted$26knet price84%graduate$58kearningsHolyoke Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 2,424 on campus · 13.8 mi · Holyoke$8knet price29%graduate$37kearningsTuition and fees: $5,988 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $48–75k, where Amherst Town’s median household income ($66,968) falls.

Smith College7.4 mi · Northampton · sticker $86,030$6,559a year
Holyoke Community College13.8 mi · Holyoke · sticker $15,043 · tuition $5,988$8,688a year
University of Massachusetts-AmherstIn Amherst Town · sticker $34,549$12,932a year
Mount Holyoke College8.2 mi · South Hadley · sticker $84,926$17,394a year
Amherst CollegeIn Amherst Town · sticker $87,640$17,478a year
Hampshire CollegeIn Amherst Town · sticker $74,195$18,165a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Amherst Town: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Amherst CollegeUniversity of Massachusetts-AmherstHampshire CollegeSmith CollegeMount Holyoke CollegeHolyoke
University of Massachusetts-Amherst83% graduate$72k earnings$23k typical debt
Smith College89% graduate$64k earnings$18k typical debt
Holyoke Community College29% graduate$37k earnings$8k typical debt
Mount Holyoke College84% graduate$58k earnings$23k typical debt
Amherst College94% graduate$78k earnings$14k typical debt
Hampshire College54% graduate$47k earnings$27k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in Amherst Town

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field across Amherst Town’s 3 colleges, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Business 16%Biology 9%Social sciences 9%Computer science 8%Interdisciplinary 8%Psychology 7%Everything else 43%

Biggest programs

Psychology, GeneralUniversity of Massachusetts-Amherst · 617 graduates a year
$51k4 yrs out
Computer ScienceUniversity of Massachusetts-Amherst · 498 graduates a year
$124k4 yrs out
EconomicsUniversity of Massachusetts-Amherst · 417 graduates a year
$80k4 yrs out
Biology, GeneralUniversity of Massachusetts-Amherst · 371 graduates a year
$73k4 yrs out
Finance and Financial Management ServicesUniversity of Massachusetts-Amherst · 343 graduates a year
$97k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and OperationsUniversity of Massachusetts-Amherst · 317 graduates a year
$93k4 yrs out
Communication and Media StudiesUniversity of Massachusetts-Amherst · 297 graduates a year
$61k4 yrs out
MathematicsUniversity of Massachusetts-Amherst · 297 graduates a year
$83k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Amherst Town

Is Amherst Town a college town?

Yes. 60 of every 100 Amherst Town residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 8 across Massachusetts. The University of Massachusetts-Amherst has 28,168 students on campus, next to 40,920 residents.

What colleges are in Amherst Town?

The University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Amherst College and Hampshire College are inside the city. Holyoke Community College is 13.8 miles away in Holyoke.

Why is Amherst Town’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 23.9% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 10.1% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 6 points).

What is the closest community college to Amherst Town, and what does it cost?

Holyoke Community College in Holyoke, 13.8 miles away. Tuition and fees are $5,988 a year for Massachusetts residents; the federal net price, $8,068, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into the University of Massachusetts-Amherst?

The University of Massachusetts-Amherst admitted 60% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,310–1,500 on the SAT.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Amherst Town. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →