Without a Preference, Amherst Legacy Admits Fell From 11% to 6%

Amherst College this year expects to enroll a class that is made up of 6 percent legacy students—those with an Amherst graduate parent. This is the first class that Amherst admitted without a preference for legacies. Last year, and in recent prior years, Amherst classes had an average of 11 percent legacy students. The drop in legacy students is significant and may have something to do with other characteristics of the class of new students. Nineteen percent of new Amherst students are the first in their families to attend college. That’s a record for the college.