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Claremont McKenna College

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, CA · Suburb · 1,388 students
WebsiteCommon AppForbes rankingScorecard
Application deadlines: Check the admissions site
$28,849
Average net priceYour net price
2023-24
<30
30–48
48–75
75–110
110+
By household income — tap a bar
93%
Graduation rate
Entered fall 2017 & 2018
69% typical
$104,736
Earnings 10 years on
Measured 2020 & 2021
$58,391 typical
10%
Acceptance rate
Applied for fall 2024
64% typical · not scored
Accredited by Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission
About

Claremont McKenna College is an elite liberal arts institution renowned for its pragmatic, pre-professional ethos and top-tier programs in economics, government, international relations, and finance. As a member of the seven-college Claremont Consortium, CMC offers students the individualized mentorship of a small college alongside the shared academic and social resources of a larger university. Campus culture is driven, socially engaged, and leadership-oriented, with intellectual life anchored by the signature Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum, where students regularly dine and debate with world leaders, scholars, and industry executives.

Wikipedia:Claremont McKenna College (CMC) is a private liberal arts college in Claremont, California. CMC is one of the seven members of the Claremont Colleges consortium.

Location
Claremont, CA, 91711-6400 · Suburb campus
✈
Nearest airport from college
SNA · Orange County
31 mi away
Open in Google MapsView official campus map
Cost & aid
Cost of attendance
YoursEveryone
Tuition & fees$67,980
Housing & food (on campus)$20,830
Books & supplies$1,200
Cost of attendance$101,990
Average net price$28,849
Same price for all students
Tuition & fees$67,980
Housing & food (on campus)$20,830
Books & supplies$1,200
Cost of attendance$101,990
Average net price$28,849
Source: U.S. College Scorecard · published total: www.cmc.edu
How it’s made up · 2026-27
Claremont McKenna College’s own figures for 2026-2027, newer than the 2024-25 federal figures above, so the amounts differ.
Tuition$75,300
Fees$420
Housing$12,490
Food$10,780
Total published by the school$101,990
Net price by family income · 2023-24
$0–30k
$15,308
$30–48k
$7,360
$48–75k
$16,389
$75–110k
$19,325
$110k+
$52,295
Merit aid · 2024-25
Awarded without financial need. Students with financial need can get merit awards too; they're counted as need-based aid.
Average award$23,300
First-years who got one24
Source: Claremont McKenna College's Common Data Set — the school's own yearly report of its admissions and aid figures (PDF).
Outcomes
Completion
Within 6 yrs
93%
Entered 2017–18
Within 4 yrs
75%
Back for yr 2
98%
Transferred
0%
8 yrs after starting · first-time, full-time students
92% graduated · 6% transferred · 2% left or unknown · none still enrolled
Earnings · measured 2020 & 2021
6 yrs after entry$87,603
10 yrs after entry$104,736
Debt
Median at graduation$13,500
Monthly payment$143
Middle 50% owe$5.5k–$19.8k
90th percentile$26,198
Green marks a figure above the typical Baccalaureate — arts & sciences: 69% graduate within 6 yrs, $58,391 earned 10 yrs after entry.
Admissions
Getting in · applied for fall 2024
Admit rate
10%
Test policy
Test optional
Checked Sep 2026
SAT average
1527
R 720–770 · M 750–790
ACT midpoint
34
Comp 33–35 · E 34–35 · M 31–35
SAT middle 50%: 1470–1560
40080012001600

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Essay prompts
From Claremont McKenna College (cmc.edu) · The page doesn't state a year · checked Sep 28, 2026
  • CMC's mission is to prepare students for thoughtful and productive lives and responsible leadership in business, government, and the professions. With this mission in mind, please explain why you want to attend Claremont McKenna College.
  • A critical part of fulfilling our mission is living out the commitments of CMC's Open Academy : Freedom of Expression, Viewpoint Diversity, and Constructive Dialogue. We want to learn more about your commitment to listening and learning from others with different viewpoints, perspectives, and life experiences from your own. Describe a time when engaging with someone about a specific topic resulted in you changing your attitude, belief, or behavior, or you changed the belief or behavior of someone else. What was the change that occurred for you, and what facilitated that change? What did you learn from that experience, and how has it informed how you engage with others?

Quoted from Claremont McKenna College's own page; answered in the Common Application and the Coalition Application. The application itself is the final word.

The personal essay is separate: see the Common App essay prompts.

Student Body
Gender
Men 50%Women 50%
Who enrolls
Faculty ratio
8 : 1
Pell grant
18%
Family income
$71,150
Age at entry
19.0
Part-time
1%
Race & ethnicity
White
36%
Hispanic
15%
Black
4%
Asian
17%
Two or more
9%
Non-resident
15%
Unknown
5%
Varsity sports
NCAA Division III with football · EADA 2024-25
  • Baseball
    Men's
  • Basketball
    Men's · Women's
  • Cross Country
    Men's · Women's
  • Football
    Men's
  • Golf
    Men's · Women's
  • Lacrosse
    Women's
  • Soccer
    Men's · Women's
  • Softball
    Women's
  • Swimming and Diving (combined)
    Men's · Women's
  • Tennis
    Men's · Women's
  • Track and Field (Indoor)
    Men's · Women's
  • Track and Field (Outdoor)
    Men's · Women's
  • Volleyball
    Women's
  • Water Polo
    Men's · Women's
Programs & Earnings
Bachelor's degrees by annual completions · 4yr national median earnings
Median earnings, all programs · measured 2020 & 2021
After 6 yrs
$87,603
After 10 yrs
$104,736
Economics124
Research and Experimental Psychology35
Political Science and Government34
Systems Science and Theory32
International Relations and National Security Studies28
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other25
Philosophy20
Biology, General18
History16
Natural Resources Conservation and Research14
Communication and Media Studies14
Neurobiology and Neurosciences12
Public Policy Analysis12
Mathematics11
Accounting and Related Services10
English Language and Literature, General9
Type your major above to highlight and detail relevant programs.
Institutional
Resources
Endowment
$1.3B
Full-time faculty
90%
Faculty salary
$16,701/mo
Teaching spend
$47,965
per student
Federal loans
21%
Classification
Carnegie type
Baccalaureate — arts & sciences
Research activity
Research college or university
$8M research spending
Undergraduate profile
Four-year, more selective admissions

Wondering if Claremont McKenna College is the right fit for you?

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Financial aid & net cost estimates
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