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Off-Campus Housing Near Amherst College
About Off-Campus Housing Near Amherst College
Amherst College is a small, intensely residential liberal arts school of about 1,745 students set in the heart of Amherst, a classic New England college town in the Pioneer Valley. Almost everyone lives on campus, so the social world centers on the dorms and first-year quad, then spills into a walkable town center built around the common. Amherst sits in the Five College area with UMass, Hampshire, Smith, and Mount Holyoke, and a free bus network ties the campuses together. The campus itself is a draw, with the Mead Art Museum and the Beneski Museum of Natural History to wander. College festivals like Homecoming, with its bonfire on the quad and football at Pratt Field, mark the year. The valley is leafy and bikeable, so students walk, bike, or grab the bus.
Amherst College Housing Requirements
Freshman Live-On Requirement
First-years are required to live on campus on the first-year quad as part of the New Student Experience, so there is no freshman apartment search here. Amherst is about as residential as it gets, and the college guarantees housing for all four years. Plan on living on campus through nearly your entire time at the college.
Off-Campus Eligibility
Moving off campus is the exception, not the norm. First-years cannot apply to live off campus unless they meet narrow automatic-approval criteria, and sophomores, juniors, and seniors may apply only until a capped maximum is reached, with no guarantee of approval. Treat off-campus as a possibility to pursue through the college's process rather than a default.
Lease Timing
If you do get approved, you are renting in the regular Amherst market, which is tight because the Five College student population leans on the same limited supply. Expect year-long leases, often starting June or September, plus a credit and income check, a security deposit, and sometimes a guarantor. Read for occupancy limits and confirm what utilities are included before signing.