Liberal arts college
#25 Best small colleges in AmericaPitzer College
Claremont, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $34,191 a year
Median debt at graduation: $16,750 (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#27 of 1,132
- Best small colleges in America#25 of 906
- Best colleges for business in America#55 of 1,563
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in America#51 of 1,238
- Best colleges for education in America#55 of 1,318
- Best colleges in America#97 of 1,829
Show 21 more
- Best colleges for psychology in America#81 of 1,418
- Best test-optional colleges in America#87 of 1,481
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#83 of 1,358
- Best colleges for English in America#83 of 1,283
- Best colleges for history in America#86 of 1,247
- Best colleges for art and design in America#83 of 1,187
- Best colleges for mathematics in America#86 of 1,215
- Best colleges for chemistry in America#86 of 1,162
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in America#86 of 1,116
- Best colleges for music in America#82 of 1,063
- Best colleges for computer science in America#59 of 750
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#154 of 1,829
- Best colleges for engineering in America#64 of 749
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in America#61 of 690
- Best colleges for NCAA Division III athletes in America#39 of 430
- Best colleges for economics in America#85 of 788
- Most selective colleges in America#86 of 683
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in America#89 of 704
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in America#88 of 684
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in America#106 of 693
- Best colleges in the Los Angeles area#11 of 69
In California
- Best colleges for education in California#5 of 56
- Best colleges in California#14 of 128
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in California#7 of 63
- Best colleges for business in California#10 of 88
- Best colleges for accounting in California#5 of 42
- Best small colleges in California#8 of 63
Show 17 more
- Best test-optional colleges in California#13 of 100
- Best colleges for psychology in California#10 of 74
- Best colleges for art and design in California#11 of 75
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in California#11 of 70
- Best colleges for music in California#11 of 70
- Most selective colleges in California#9 of 57
- Best colleges for English in California#11 of 68
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in California#22 of 128
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in California#12 of 69
- Best colleges for history in California#12 of 68
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in California#12 of 67
- Best colleges for mathematics in California#12 of 65
- Best colleges for chemistry in California#12 of 63
- Best colleges for engineering in California#12 of 56
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in California#14 of 64
- Best colleges for computer science in California#12 of 54
- Best colleges for economics in California#12 of 54
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.83%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.94%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.Not reported
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.10 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$26,633
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: $86,466 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) | 1,204 |
|---|---|
| Men and women Undergraduates, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) | Men 41% · Women 59% |
| First-generation students Share of students who are first-generation, by the College Scorecard’s definition | 23% |
| Total students | 1,204 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $34,191 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $86,466 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $16,750 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 83% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years Borrowers who repaid at least $1 of principal within 3 years (College Scorecard) | 84% |
| First-year retention | 94% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $69,512 |
| Admission rate | 25% |
| Application fee Undergraduate application fee, 2023–24 (IPEDS) | $70 |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 11% |
Value: Good (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 |
|---|---|
| Human resources | |
| Political science |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Accounting, Agriculture, Anthropology, Area studies, Biochemistry, Biological and physical sciences, Biology, Chemistry, Classics, Cognitive Science, Communication studies, Computer science, Dance, Ecology and evolutionary biology, Economics, Educational leadership, English, Entrepreneurship, Ethnic and gender studies, Experimental psychology, Fine arts, General studies, Geography, Geology and earth science, Global studies, History, Human Biology, Interdisciplinary studies, International relations, Liberal arts, Linguistics, Manufacturing Engineering, Mathematics, Music, Natural resources and conservation, Neuroscience, Other education, Other foreign languages, literatures, and linguistics, Other visual and performing arts, Philosophy, Physics, Pre-law and legal studies, Psychology, Public Policy Analysis, Public health, Religious studies, Romance languages, Science, Technology and Society, Sociology, Sustainability Studies, Systems Science and Theory, Theatre, Writing and rhetoric.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Social sciences | |
| Natural resources | |
| Interdisciplinary studies | |
| Psychology | |
| Biology |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | Suburb |
| Part-time undergraduates | 3% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 1% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $22,150 |
| Sports | NCAA Division III · Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 10 to 1 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 80%Of instructional faculty, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) |
| Endowment per student | $143,339Endowment at the end of fiscal year 2023, per full-time-equivalent student (IPEDS) |
| Dorm space | For about 82% of studentsCampus beds divided by undergraduate enrollment. Not how many students live on campus (IPEDS) |
| Nearest airport with scheduled flights | Ontario International Airport (ONT)About 7 miles away in a straight line (OurAirports) |
| Town population | 36,5952020–2024 five-year estimate (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | AnaheimAbout 17 miles away in a straight line (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Average temperature in January | 56°F1991–2020 normal, from POMONA/FAIRPLEX, CA US, about 4 miles away (NOAA) |
| Average temperature in July | 76°F1991–2020 normal, from POMONA/FAIRPLEX, CA US, about 4 miles away (NOAA) |
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 | 1.61 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.00 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 4.83 | 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 Pitzer College’s Compass Score?
- Exceptional (grade A). It ranks in the top 6% 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 Pitzer College cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $34,191 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 Pitzer College?
- Pitzer College admitted 25% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Pitzer College’s graduates do?
- 83% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $69,512; the median federal debt at graduation is $16,750.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 121257
- Carnegie classification: Baccalaureate college (arts & sciences)
- Accreditation: WASC Senior College and University Commission (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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Colleges like this one
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