Liberal arts college
#15 Best colleges in AmericaPomona College
Claremont, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $19,285 a year
Median debt at graduation: $11,782 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Upcoming admissions events
- From the Nest: Transfer Student ExperienceOctober 27, 2026 · 5:00–5:45 PM Pacific · VirtualEach fall, Pomona welcomes a new cohort of transfer students to campus.More about From the Nest: Transfer Student ExperienceAdd to calendar
View all upcoming events · From the college's admissions website.
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 small colleges in America#3 of 906
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in America#6 of 1,238
- Best colleges in America#15 of 1,829
- Best colleges for psychology in America#12 of 1,418
- Best test-optional colleges in America#13 of 1,481
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#12 of 1,358
Show 25 more
- Best colleges for art and design in America#12 of 1,187
- Best colleges for English in America#14 of 1,283
- Best colleges for history in America#14 of 1,247
- Best colleges for mathematics in America#14 of 1,215
- Best colleges for chemistry in America#14 of 1,162
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in America#14 of 1,116
- Best colleges for music in America#14 of 1,063
- Best colleges for computer science in America#10 of 750
- Best colleges for engineering in America#12 of 749
- Best colleges for NCAA Division III athletes in America#7 of 430
- Best colleges for economics in America#14 of 788
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in America#14 of 690
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#44 of 1,829
- Most selective colleges in America#17 of 683
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in America#18 of 684
- Best colleges in the Los Angeles area#2 of 69
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in America#25 of 704
- Best value colleges in America#29 of 674
- Best colleges under $20,000 a year in America#10 of 197
- Colleges with the most faculty per student in America#37 of 704
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in America#40 of 693
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in America#79 of 681
- Best value colleges in the West in America#12 of 103
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in America#74 of 598
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in America#128 of 682
In California
- Best colleges in California#3 of 128
- Best colleges for art and design in California#2 of 75
- Best colleges for psychology in California#2 of 74
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in California#2 of 70
- Best colleges for music in California#2 of 70
- Best test-optional colleges in California#3 of 100
Show 23 more
- Best small colleges in California#2 of 63
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in California#2 of 61
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in California#5 of 128
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in California#3 of 69
- Best colleges for English in California#3 of 68
- Best colleges for history in California#3 of 68
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in California#3 of 67
- Best colleges for mathematics in California#3 of 65
- Best colleges for chemistry in California#3 of 63
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in California#3 of 63
- Most selective colleges in California#3 of 57
- Best colleges for engineering in California#3 of 56
- Best colleges for computer science in California#3 of 54
- Best colleges for economics in California#3 of 54
- Colleges with the most faculty per student in California#7 of 64
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in California#8 of 64
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in California#8 of 63
- Best value colleges in California#9 of 59
- Best value colleges in the West in California#9 of 59
- Best colleges for NCAA Division III athletes in California#2 of 13
- Best colleges under $20,000 a year in California#3 of 17
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in California#16 of 62
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in California#14 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.93%
- 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 1,534 · ACT 34
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.7 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$45,049
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: $85,300 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) | 1,664 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 45% · Women 55% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 30% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 63% |
| Total students | 1,664 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $19,285 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $85,300 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $11,782 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 93% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 85% |
| First-year retention | 98% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $77,779 |
| Admission rate | 7% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $70 |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 20% |
| Average SAT | 1534 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 740–770 |
| SAT math | 750–790 |
| ACT composite | 33–35 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Exceptional · Top 3% (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 |
|---|---|
| Computer science | |
| Economics |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Anthropology, Area studies, Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Classics, Cognitive Science, Communication studies, Dance, East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Engineering (general), English, Ethnic and gender studies, Experimental psychology, Fine arts, Geology and earth science, German, History, Interdisciplinary studies, International relations, Linguistics, Mathematics, Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Music, Natural resources and conservation, Neuroscience, Philosophy, Physics, Political science, Psychology, Public Policy Analysis, Religious studies, Romance languages, Science, Technology and Society, Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Sociology, Theatre.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Social sciences | |
| Biology | |
| Computer and information sciences | |
| Interdisciplinary studies | |
| Physical sciences |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | Suburb |
| Part-time undergraduates | 0% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 1% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $21,394 |
| Sports | NCAA Division III · Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 7 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 21%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Disability services | Visit the office’s pageThe college’s own page |
| Faculty who are full-time | 94%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $1,692,088IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 97% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Ontario International Airport (ONT)About 7 miles away |
| Town population | 36,595Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | AnaheimAbout 17 miles away |
| 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 | 0.59 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 4.71 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 22.94 | 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 Pomona College’s Compass Score?
- Exceptional (grade A+). It ranks in the top 1% 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 Pomona College cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $19,285 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 Pomona College?
- Pomona College admitted 7% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Pomona College’s graduates do?
- 93% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $77,779; the median federal debt at graduation is $11,782.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 121345
- 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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