Amherst CollegeFacts & Information

Amherst College is one of the nation''s premier private, national liberal arts and sciences colleges. The student body of 1,650 includes students from 50 states and 30 countries - 30% are students of color, 46% receive need-based aid, and 5% are non-U.S. citizens. Two distinctive features of an Amherst education are its open curriculum (no core or distribution requirements) and its membership in a five-college consortium of nearby schools (providing students with the resources of a much larger institution). Founded in 1821 as an educational institution for men, it began admitting women in 1975. Its 978-acre campus is located close to the center of Amherst, 55 miles west of Worcester, Massachusetts, 90 minutes west of Boston and three hours north of New York City.