Amherst vs Lehigh for business: which is better for finance and internships?

For finance and internship access specifically, Lehigh is usually the more direct path. It has an actual business school, a larger built-in finance and accounting ecosystem, and recruiting that is more naturally oriented toward students who already know they want business. Amherst can still work very well for finance, especially for high-performing students who want a broader liberal arts education, but it is not organized around business in the same way.

Lehigh tends to fit the student who wants structured preparation for finance from the start. You would have access to business coursework early, more classmates pursuing similar goals, and alumni networks that are very used to helping with internships in finance, consulting, and related fields. That matters because internship pipelines often depend on repetition: employers know where to recruit, student clubs are career-focused, and upperclassmen can pass down recruiting knowledge.

Amherst makes more sense for the student who wants finance without committing to an undergraduate business environment. Firms do recruit liberal arts students, and Amherst’s reputation, strong academics, and alumni loyalty can absolutely open doors. But the path is more self-directed. You would likely major in economics, math, or a related field, build finance experience through clubs and internships, and explain clearly why you want business. For some students, that broader training is a real advantage, especially if they like writing, discussion-based classes, and intellectual range.

If your main priority is the most straightforward business and finance runway, I’d lean Lehigh. If you are excited by a liberal arts college first and are comfortable building your own finance path through economics, quantitative work, and networking, Amherst can be excellent, but it is the less pre-professional route.