Admit rate has ranged 7%–9% over the last 5 years. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Pomona College is a small, fiercely selective liberal arts college in Southern California that punches far above its weight. With a 7% acceptance rate, a median ACT of 33-35, and a student body that’s 55% domestic students of color and 24% first-gen, Pomona combines Ivy-level academics with a laidback, collaborative California vibe. Its 7:1 student-faculty ratio and 93% graduation rate fuel exceptional outcomes, from Silicon Valley tech to Wall Street finance.
Admission requirements
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Required
High school transcript
Letters of recommendation
College-prep program
TOEFL (non-native English)
Considered (not required)
Grade point average
Class rank
Test scores (SAT/ACT)
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Undergrad enrollment
1,666
In-state tuition
$65,420
Out-of-state tuition
$65,420
Campus Size
140 acres
Acceptance Rate
7.1%
Graduation Rate
93%
First-Gen Students
24%
Average Aid Package
$59,042
Early-Career Salary
$71,900
International Students
15%
Student-to-Faculty Ratio
7:1
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$77,779
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
4.0×
Median debt at graduation
$11,782
Graduation rate
93%
First-year retention
98%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
85%
Pell (lower-income) share
70%
First-generation share
30%
Endowment / student
$1,806,101
Financial health
2.9 / 3.0Meets the federal financial-responsibility standard
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Computer Science$128,737
Economics$77,213
Public Policy Analysis$29,685
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
1
Per 1,000 students
0.60
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
Pleasant days / yr
177
Summer high
90°F
Winter low
46°F
Annual rain
33.3"
Annual snow
3.5"
Natural-hazard risk
Very High
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility▾
Research output
Institutional h-index
215
Scholarly works
8,929
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Share of this school’s graduates who go on to earn research doctorates (2010–20), by national rank and per-capita yield (NSF institutional-yield ratio). A signal of a research-oriented student culture — not a causal promise, since it partly reflects who enrolls. Only top producers appear. Source: NSF NCSES, Baccalaureate Origins of U.S. Research Doctorate Recipients.
Economic mobility
Mobility rate
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at Pomona College?
Pomona College's acceptance rate is approximately 7% (Claremont, CA), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for Pomona College?
Admitted students at Pomona College typically score 1490–1560 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does Pomona College cost?
At Pomona College, the average net price (after aid) is about $19,285 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Pomona College?
Pomona College enrolls approximately 1,666 undergraduate students.
Where is Pomona College located?
Pomona College is located in Claremont, CA.
Admissions
Pomona is among the most selective liberal arts colleges in the country, with a 7.1% acceptance rate for the 2024-2025 cycle. The middle 50% SAT range is 1450-1550, and the ACT range is 32-35. Over 40% of admitted students were valedictorians or salutatorians, and 92.3% ranked in the top 10% of their high school class. The student body is notably diverse: 55% domestic students of color, 15% international students, and 24% First-generation (first-gen)A student who would be the first in their immediate family to earn a four-year college degree. Many colleges consider this in context. college students. Pomona practices need-blind admissions and meets 100% of demonstrated financial need.
Pomona offers 48 majors across the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, with particularly strong programs in computer science, economics, neuroscience, and molecular biology. The 7:1 student-faculty ratio means intimate seminars (600+ courses annually) and 51% of students conduct research with professors. The academic culture is rigorous but collaborative—no cutthroat competition here. Over 90% of classes have fewer than 20 students, and the median ACT of 33 reflects the intellectual intensity. The Claremont Colleges consortium allows cross-registration at four neighboring schools, effectively expanding the curriculum.
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
2.0%
Bottom → top quintile
53%
From bottom quintile
4%
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
Life on Pomona’s 140-acre campus blends Southern California sunshine with intellectual curiosity. Nearly all students live on campus, creating a tight-knit community where outdoor adventure trips, arts performances, and late-night dorm debates coexist. The vibe is laidback but engaged—students describe themselves as socially liberal, politically active, and health-conscious (fitness and mental wellness are priorities). With the Claremont Colleges consortium, social life expands to 7,000+ peers across five campuses. Traditions include Ski-Beach Day (morning skiing in the mountains, afternoon at the beach) and the infamous “Ditch Day” pranks.
Pomona’s 93% graduation rate (top 5% nationally) and strong alumni network YieldThe share of admitted students who actually choose to enroll. Colleges watch it closely, which is why some weigh how interested you seem. exceptional outcomes. Within six months, 90% of graduates are employed, in grad school, or pursuing fellowships. Early-career salaries average $71,900, rising to $66,200+ within eight years—39% above the national median. Top destinations include tech (Google, Apple), finance (Goldman Sachs), and academia (Harvard Med, Yale Law). The college’s proximity to Los Angeles feeds internships at firms like Disney and JPL, while the liberal arts foundation produces adaptable thinkers: alumni range from NPR journalists to Nobel laureates.
At $94,534 total annual cost, Pomona is pricey—but 100% of demonstrated need is met without loans for families earning under $100k. The average aid package is $59,042, reducing the Net priceWhat a family actually pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price — usually far less than the published cost. to $17,423 for many. The college commits to need-blind admissions and covers full tuition for families making under $80k. MyinTuition’s quick calculator helps estimate costs, while the Net Price Calculator provides detailed projections. Merit scholarships are rare (Pomona prioritizes Need-based aidFinancial aid awarded based on your family's ability to pay, as measured by forms like the FAFSA, rather than on achievements.), but the ROI is strong: graduates outearn peers by nearly 40% within a decade.
Pomona is the gold standard for a liberal arts education with California flair: rigorous academics without cutthroat stress, a 7% Acceptance rateThe share of applicants a college admits in a given year. A 10% acceptance rate means it admits about 1 in 10 applicants. with no pretension, and palm-tree-lined quads where students debate Kant between ultimate Frisbee games. Its consortium model offers the resources of a large university (cross-registration, combined social life) while retaining the intimacy of a 1,700-student college. The outcomes speak for themselves—93% graduation rates, near-universal career placement, and alumni who thrive in fields from tech to theater. For students who want Ivy-caliber academics with a laidback, collaborative vibe, Pomona is peerless.
Pomona College logo · sourceAbout Pomona College | Pomona College in Claremont, California - Pomona College · sourceSmith Campus Center & Student Programs | Pomona College in Claremont, California - Pomona College · sourceVisiting Pomona College | Pomona College in Claremont, California - Pomona College · source
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