Liberal arts college
#18 Best colleges in AmericaClaremont McKenna College
Claremont, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $28,849 a year
Median debt at graduation: $13,500 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best colleges for accounting in America#1 of 1,132
- Best small colleges in America#4 of 906
- Best colleges for business in America#8 of 1,563
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in America#8 of 1,238
- Best colleges in America#18 of 1,829
- Best test-optional colleges in America#15 of 1,481
Show 26 more
- Best colleges for psychology in America#15 of 1,418
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#15 of 1,358
- Best colleges for art and design in America#14 of 1,187
- Best colleges for English in America#17 of 1,283
- Best colleges for history in America#17 of 1,247
- Best colleges for mathematics in America#17 of 1,215
- Best colleges for chemistry in America#17 of 1,162
- Best colleges for music in America#16 of 1,063
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in America#17 of 1,116
- Best colleges for computer science in America#12 of 750
- Best colleges for NCAA Division III athletes in America#8 of 430
- Best colleges for engineering in America#15 of 749
- Best colleges for economics in America#17 of 788
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in America#19 of 704
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#64 of 1,829
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in America#30 of 693
- Best colleges in the Los Angeles area#3 of 69
- Most selective colleges in America#31 of 683
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in America#33 of 684
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in America#39 of 690
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in America#45 of 598
- Colleges with the most faculty per student in America#58 of 704
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in America#109 of 681
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in America#122 of 682
- Best value colleges in America#124 of 674
- Best value colleges in the West in America#26 of 103
In California
- Best colleges for business in California#2 of 88
- Best colleges for accounting in California#1 of 42
- Best colleges in California#4 of 128
- Best colleges for art and design in California#3 of 75
- Best test-optional colleges in California#4 of 100
- Best colleges for psychology in California#3 of 74
Show 22 more
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in California#3 of 70
- Best colleges for music in California#3 of 70
- Best small colleges in California#3 of 63
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in California#4 of 69
- Best colleges for English in California#4 of 68
- Best colleges for history in California#4 of 68
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in California#4 of 67
- Best colleges for mathematics in California#4 of 65
- Best colleges for chemistry in California#4 of 63
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in California#4 of 63
- Best colleges for engineering in California#4 of 56
- Best colleges for computer science in California#4 of 54
- Best colleges for economics in California#4 of 54
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in California#5 of 64
- Most selective colleges in California#5 of 57
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in California#6 of 61
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in California#13 of 128
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in California#7 of 63
- Colleges with the most faculty per student in California#10 of 64
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in California#11 of 54
- Best colleges for NCAA Division III athletes in California#3 of 13
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in California#16 of 61
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.91%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.98%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,527 · ACT 34
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.8 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$47,965
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $86,500 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 1,381 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 50% · Women 50% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 56% |
| Total students | 1,384 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $28,849 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $86,500 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $13,500 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 91% |
| First-year retention | 98% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $104,736 |
| Admission rate | 10% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $70 |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 18% |
| Average SAT | 1527 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 720–770 |
| SAT math | 750–790 |
| ACT composite | 33–35 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Very good · Top 22% (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Economics | |
| International relations | |
| Political science |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Accounting, Anthropology, Area studies, Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Classics, Cognitive Science, Communication studies, Computer science, Dance, East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Engineering-Related Fields, English, Ethnic and gender studies, Experimental psychology, Film and video, Fine arts, Geology and earth science, Global studies, History, Human Biology, Human resources, Interdisciplinary studies, Linguistics, Mathematics, Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Music, Natural resources and conservation, Neuroscience, Other engineering, Philosophy, Physics, Pre-law and legal studies, Psychology, Public Policy Analysis, Religious studies, Romance languages, Science, Technology and Society, Sociology, Systems Science and Theory, Theatre.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Social sciences | |
| Interdisciplinary studies | |
| Biology | |
| Psychology | |
| Natural resources |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | Suburb |
| Part-time undergraduates | 1% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 0% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $20,830 |
| Sports | NCAA Division III · Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference |
| ROTC | Army |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 8 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 13%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 90%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $872,987IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 90% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Ontario International Airport (ONT)About 7 miles away · about 20 minutes by car |
| Town population | 36,595Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | AnaheimAbout 17 miles away · about 45 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 56°F in January · 76°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Pomona/fairplex, CA, about 3 miles away |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 2.87 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 1.44 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 9.33 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Claremont McKenna College’s Compass Score?
- Exceptional (grade A+). It ranks in the top 2% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Claremont McKenna College cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $28,849 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Claremont McKenna College?
- Claremont McKenna College admitted 10% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Claremont McKenna College’s graduates do?
- 91% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $104,736; the median federal debt at graduation is $13,500.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 112260
- Carnegie classification: Baccalaureate college (arts & sciences)
- Accreditation: WASC Senior College and University Commission (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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