College Announces Record-Low Admit Rate

In an email to The Student, the college released preliminary admissions data about the Class of 2030, including a record-high number of applicants and a record-low admission rate.

On March 20, the college admitted 1,206 students pre-waitlist to the Class of 2030. Per tradition, admissions decisions were released at 6:21 p.m., in reference to Amherst’s founding in 1821. 

The college received a record-breaking 17,784 applicants this year, with an acceptance rate of 6.78%. This is a 1,966-applicant increase from last year’s 15,818. Ten percent of the admitted class are students from rural areas, the highest proportion of admits in recent years, according to Vice President and Dean of Admission & Financial Aid Matt McGann. This is Amherst’s second year participating in the Small Town and Rural Students (STARS) College Network, which is a coalition of colleges and universities that aim to recruit increased numbers of students from rural areas.

Furthermore, the college saw record-high international applications. Following the Trump administration’s major changes in visa and immigration policy in early 2025, visa revocations nationwide became a major concern for international applicants and students. Despite shifting policies, McGann said nearly half of this year’s first-year applicants were international students.

Amherst received 850 transfer student applications for the fall 2026 semester, setting yet another record, according to McGann. The pre-waitlist admission rate was 5%, with over half of admitted students coming from two-year colleges. 

The college will release its enrollment profile this fall, once admitted student numbers are finalized. All admitted students were invited to campus to attend one of two “Be A Mammoth” programs on April 6 and April 14-15, and will have until May 1 to respond to their offers of admission.