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Amherst, MA · History

History at Amherst College

Amherst College graduates about 28 history majors a year, 6% of its graduating class. That puts it 9th of 692 schools we score for history, a standout program at 94 out of 100. Its current catalog lists 161 undergraduate courses in the field, more than 90% of the schools we've counted. Graduates in the major earn a median $104,000 four years out, 2.04× what the same major pays nationally. Research spending in the field runs about $1 million a year, a rough guide to how many labs and projects undergraduates can join.

94/100Standout#9 of 692 for history →
Graduates a year286% of the class
Courses in the catalog161more than 90% of schools
Median pay 4 years out$104,0002.04× the same major nationally
Research in the field$1Ma year, NSF
Admit rate9%whole school
SAT middle 50%1420–1550whole school

Around Amherst College

Frost Library, Amherst College. Its groundbreaking in 1963 was attended by Presi
Frost Library, Amherst CollegePhoto: Kenneth C. Zirkel · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Johnson Chapel at the Amhest College Main Quad.
Johnson Chapel at the Amhest College Main Quad. - panoramioPhoto: olekinderhook · CC BY 3.0 · source
Built 1870-73. Designed by William Appleton Potter. Preserved from the now-demol
Victorian Gothic - Amherst, MA - Amherst College (Stearns Steeple) (2)Photo: Bmzuckerman · CC BY 4.0 · source
Scanned 35 mm color slide film from a small red box (RB) labeled "PKG#9" in a st
RB-Pkg9-014 (49719462773)Photo: Massachusetts Dept. of Environmental Protection · CC BY 2.0 · source

Where history happens

Buildings on campus that fit the field: Robert Frost Library.

Named buildings on the campus map: Dorm 31 · Academic 13 · Offices 2 · Arts 2 · Athletics 1 · Dining 1.

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Nearby in the history ranking

  1. Duke University 95
  2. University of Pennsylvania 94
  3. Vanderbilt University 94
  4. Georgetown University 94
  5. Williams College 93
  6. Bowdoin College 93
  7. Boston College 92
  8. Wake Forest University 92

Other strong majors at Amherst College

How the score works

The score is out of 100 and compares Amherst College with every school we score in history. It weighs the school's overall strength; how many students graduate in the major and what share of the class they are; research spending in the field (NSF); early pay against the same major nationally; how many courses the catalog lists; and test scores. 80+ is a standout program, 65+ strong, 45+ solid. Sources: US Department of Education (College Scorecard, IPEDS), NSF HERD, each school's current course catalog, OpenStreetMap and Wikimedia Commons.

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