Amherst College vs Rice University: Acceptance Rate, SAT & Net Price

Amherst College and Rice University are about equally selective, admitting 7.7% and 7.8% 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 $10,283 at Rice University. Admitted students post SAT middle-50% ranges of 1500–1560 at Amherst College and 1510–1560 at Rice University.

Amherst College vs Rice University: admissions and cost statistics from the most recent Common Data Set, IPEDS, and College Scorecard
MetricAmherst CollegeRice University
Overall acceptance rate7.7%7.8%
Early acceptance rate22.2%13.2%
SAT middle 50%1500–15601510–1560
Avg unweighted GPA3.923.96
Yield rate40.0%43.0%
Class size4801,148
Net price, $48,001–$75,000 income$11,659$10,283
Net price, over $110,000 income$43,908$37,756

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.

Frequently asked questions

Is Amherst College harder to get into than Rice University?

The two are about equally selective: Amherst College admits 7.7% of applicants and Rice University admits 7.8%, based on the most recent Common Data Set.

Which is cheaper for a middle-income family, Amherst College or Rice University?

For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $11,659 per year at Amherst College and $10,283 at Rice University, so Rice University is the lower-cost option at that income level (source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard/IPEDS data).

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