Amherst College, founded in 1821, is a premier liberal coeducational arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. The non-sectarian education institution sits on a 1000-acre campus adjacent to downtown Amherst. Amherst College was the brainchild of a broad group of people from in and around Amherst, Massachussetts, who wanted to set up an institution for higher learning, for the indigent and those who might not commonly have had access to higher education. Amherst offers BA degrees in 33 disciplines. It has an annual enrollment of about 1,600 students and maintains a faculty-student ratio of 1:8. Each of the students admitted is offered a financial package that corresponds to one’s financial needs. Those packages are considered among the most generous in the country. One feature of the college is the Robert Frost Library, which contains a collection of rare books, historical manuscripts, and other written and printed materials of unique value. Amherst College is a member of a consortium with four other colleges: Smith, Mount Holyoke, Hampshire Colleges, and the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Students are able to take courses in any of these colleges. Amherst has a diverse student base - its student community represents nearly every state in the U.S. and about 40 countries across the globe. It also has a distinguished alumni population, represented in every walk of life. Their participation, in terms of contributions to the college, is considered among the highest in the country.