Private nonprofit · College

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, California · Large suburb

9.6%
Admit rate
$28,849
Avg net price
91%
Graduation rate
$104,736
Median earnings

Claremont McKenna College is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Claremont, California (large suburb setting), enrolling 1,388 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitSmall · 1,388 undergradsLarge suburbHighly selective · 10% admitNCAA Division III with football · Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Claremont McKenna College's admitted students.

Admit rate
9.6%
SAT (mid 50%)
1470–1560
Avg GPA (est.)
4.00

Enter a test score to see where you land against Claremont McKenna College's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Claremont McKenna College's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Claremont, California

Claremont is a suburban city in eastern Los Angeles County, California, United States, 30 miles (48 km) east of Los Angeles. Prior to the establishment of the city of Claremont, the area was frequented by the Serrano, Cahuilla, and Tongva for thousands of years. Each year, Claremont holds a springtime folk music festival, hosted by the Folk Music Center Store and Museum. The 35th event took place in May 2018. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large suburb
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
34 miles
Nearest airport
7 miles to Ontario (ONT) · major hub

How Claremont McKenna College compares

Selectivity9.6%

More selective than 98% · #6 most selective of 107 in California

SAT average1527

Higher than 98%

Graduation rate91%

Higher than 96% · #15 of 122 in California

First-year retention98%

Higher than 96%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$104,736

Higher than 99% · #8 of 130 in California

Average net price$28,849

Cheaper than 18% · #69 cheapest of 118 in California

Median debt at graduation$13,500

Lower than 93%

Student–faculty ratio8 : 1

Lower than 89%

Undergraduate enrollment1,388

Larger than 47%

Percentiles compare Claremont McKenna College with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in California.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

1,391students
  • Undergraduate1,388100%
  • Graduate30%

Undergraduates by gender

1,388undergrads
  • Women67849%
  • Men71051%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White36%
  • Black4.1%
  • Hispanic15%
  • Asian17%
  • Other or multiracial28%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,388
Graduate enrollment
3
Student–faculty ratio
8 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
18%
First-generation students
Students over 25
0%
Median family income
$71,150
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$150,309
Endowment
$1,319,992,000

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 321 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From California36%
  • Other U.S. states46%
  • International18%

A national draw — only 36% of first-years come from California; 46% arrive from other states.

18% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
9.6%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1470–1560
SAT average
1527
SAT reading
720–770
SAT math
750–790
ACT composite
33–35
Average GPA (estimated)
4.00

Cost

In-state tuition
$67,980
Room & board
$20,830
Books & supplies
$1,200
Total cost of attendance
$86,500
Average net price
$28,849

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
91%
Graduated on time (4 years)
75%
First-year retention
98%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$87,603
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$104,736
Median debt at graduation
$13,500
Students with federal loans
21%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
88%

About 16% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
1,244
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
90%
Housing charge (year)
$10,560
Meal plan (year)
$9,090
Application fee
$70
Athletics
NCAA Division III with football
Football conference
Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Varsity athletes
705 (381 men · 324 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (14)

Track and Field (Indoor)103
Track and Field (Outdoor)103
Football83
Swimming and Diving (combined)70
Soccer58
Cross Country49
Baseball44
Water Polo42
Lacrosse35
Basketball31
Softball23
Tennis23
Golf21
Volleyball20

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
D
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
20.1 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
15
Property offenses (2022–2024)
69

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (1,393 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

28reported offenses a year
5.0 violent a year23 property a year

By offense type, per year

Motor vehicle theft
17
Burglary
5.3
Rape
2.7
Fondling
2.0
Arson
0.7
Robbery
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$15,308
$30–48k
$7,360
$48–75k
$16,389
$75–110k
$19,325
$110k+
$52,295

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$69,875

$16,389/year × about 4.3 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

52%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$48,892
average award, among those who get one

Claremont McKenna College discounts heavily: 52% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $48,892. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 322 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$104,736
Typical debt at graduation
$13,500
Debt vs. one year's pay
13%
Out-earn a HS grad
77%

Typical debt would take roughly 1.3 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Strong value

Graduates here tend to earn well relative to what they borrow — typical debt pays back fast, and most out-earn a high-school graduate.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$91,797
Men
$132,084

Men out-earn women by $40,287 (44%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
92°F
Winter low
42°F
Annual rain
14.5″

Average temperature

HighLow
30°70°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.14.2JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Pomona/Fairplex, CA US station (3.4 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Claremont McKenna College

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Claremont McKenna College side by side →

Colleges near Claremont McKenna College

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.