Amherst College and Northwestern University are about equally selective, admitting 7.7% and 7.7% of applicants respectively. For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $11,659 per year at Amherst College versus $14,792 at Northwestern University. Admitted students post SAT middle-50% ranges of 1500–1560 at Amherst College and 1510–1560 at Northwestern University.
| Metric | Amherst College | Northwestern University |
|---|---|---|
| Overall acceptance rate | 7.7% | 7.7% |
| Early acceptance rate | 22.2% | 20.0% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1500–1560 | 1510–1560 |
| Avg unweighted GPA | 3.92 | 3.92 |
| Yield rate | 40.0% | 58.0% |
| Class size | 480 | 2,100 |
| Net price, $48,001–$75,000 income | $11,659 | $14,792 |
| Net price, over $110,000 income | $43,908 | $41,673 |
Admissions and cost data as of July 3, 2026 (CDS 2024–25 cycle), from the most recent Common Data Set, IPEDS, and College Scorecard. Rows appear only where both colleges report the statistic.
The two are about equally selective: Amherst College admits 7.7% of applicants and Northwestern University admits 7.7%, based on the most recent Common Data Set.
For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $11,659 per year at Amherst College and $14,792 at Northwestern University, so Amherst College is the lower-cost option at that income level (source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard/IPEDS data).
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