Amherst College Main Navigation Gateways Tools &amp; Resources Search MENU The Amherst Story Our story is your story. Since 1821, we’ve been helping our students find their own voices, discover their own truths and forge their own paths in the world. Our students and alumni are the true authors of the Amherst story. Help write our next chapter. Section Menu A Vibrant Community Amherst is a private, not-for-profit college that for almost two centuries has prepared students to use ideas to make a difference in the world. At Amherst, you are part of a lively, inquisitive, devoted community of students, faculty, staff and alumni who find inspiration in one another and in the process of learning. A Unique Environment Beneski Museum of Natural History Three floors of exhibits and tens of thousands of specimens, including the world’s largest collection of dinosaur tracks and North America’s first confirmed evidence of a dinosaur. THE BENESKI MUSEUM BASSETT PLANETARIUM MEAD ART MUSEUM Menu Amherst Today AMHERST IN PICTURES AMHERST VIDEOS We’re Dedicated To: Amherst College is deeply committed to issues surrounding inclusivity, a sense of belonging, diversity, environmental sustainability and impact, and responsible stewardship. SUSTAINABILITY DIVERSITY & INCLUSION Our Community by the Numbers MORE FACTS 56 Students come to Amherst from 56 countries, including many places that are historically underrepresented in higher education. ENROLLMENT STATISTICS 850+ No distribution requirements. No core curriculum. Only 850+ courses and 1,800 students with the vision and courage to choose courses that matter the most to them. ACADEMICS AT AMHERST $50,255 Amherst’s financial aid program is among the most comprehensive and ambitious in the nation. Our average yearly aid package is $50,255. FINANCIAL AID Celebrating Our Alumni From college presidents to CEOs to Pulitzer Prize winners, our alumni are amazing. There’s no other way to say it. Take some time to read their stories. ALUMNI STORIES ALUMNI & PARENT PROGRAMS Black Women of Amherst: A Storytelling Project Hear the untold stories of Black women of Amherst and tell your own story. This project celebrates alumnae, students, faculty, staff, potential students and future generations. BLACK WOMEN OF AMHERST The President of Amherst Biddy Martin Biddy Martin was elected the 19th president of Amherst College in 2011. She had served as chancellor of the University of Wisconsin—Madison since 2008 and as Cornell University’s provost from 2000 to 2008. BIOGRAPHY Amherst Pride Meet our mascot, learn about our tradition of giving each graduate an Amherst cane, and more. AMHERST PRIDE AMHERST’S MASCOT The Greenway and the Science Center The eastern portion of Amherst’s campus has been transformed by the addition of a 230,000-square-foot science center, which opened in the fall of 2018; four new residence halls; and an expansive greenway for recreation and relaxation running the full length of that landscape. THE NEW SCIENCE CENTER Chapters from our Past From its start, Amherst showed awareness of and support for those who might not commonly have had access to higher education—for example, graduating its first African American student, Edward Jones, in 1826. See a timeline and more on Amherst’s Bicentennial website. Two Roads Diverged: Robert Frost at Amherst Robert Frost taught at Amherst College, off and on, for more than 40 years. READ THE FULL STORY Previous Next Learn More STRATEGIC PLAN FOLLOW US WEBCAMS Amherst College 220 South Pleasant Street Amherst, MA 01002 Contact Us (413) 542-2000 Contact Us Map & Directions Social Links More Navigation CALENDARS DIVERSITY EMPLOYMENT MAJORS TITLE IX TUITION & FEES APPLY GIVE Emergency A-Z Index Accessibility Copyright Terms & Conditions Jump to top of page PERMALINK https://www.amherst.edu/mm/17424