Admit rate has ranged 28%–35% 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.
Scripps College is a fiercely intellectual, sun-drenched women's liberal arts college in Claremont, California, where students thrive in a tight-knit community that prizes academic rigor, social justice, and leadership. Known for its stunning Spanish Colonial Revival campus and access to the Claremont Colleges consortium, Scripps combines the intimacy of a small college with the resources of a larger university. Its graduates out-earn national averages by a staggering margin, a testament to the power of its interdisciplinary curriculum and feminist ethos.
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
1,113
In-state tuition
$65,950
Out-of-state tuition
$65,950
Type
Private women's liberal arts college
Location
Claremont, CA
Acceptance Rate
~38%
On-Campus Housing
97%
Student-Faculty Ratio
10:1
6-Year Graduation Rate
85%
Median 10-Year Earnings
$77,539
Avg Financial Aid Package
$55,673
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$77,539
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
2.1×
Median debt at graduation
$13,500
Graduation rate
83%
First-year retention
94%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
92%
Pell (lower-income) share
33%
Endowment / student
$451,966
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.
Financial health
2.5 / 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.
Psychology, General$18,771
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)
2
Per 1,000 students
1.80
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
176
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
96
Scholarly works
1,960
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 Scripps College?
Scripps College's acceptance rate is approximately 38% (Claremont, CA), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for Scripps College?
Admitted students at Scripps College typically score 1440–1540 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does Scripps College cost?
At Scripps College, the average net price (after aid) is about $36,294 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Scripps College?
Scripps College enrolls approximately 1,113 undergraduate students.
Where is Scripps College located?
Scripps College is located in Claremont, CA.
Admissions
Scripps is selective but not cutthroat, with an Acceptance rateThe share of applicants a college admits in a given year. A 10% acceptance rate means it admits about 1 in 10 applicants. hovering around 38% ([PrepScholar](https://www.prepscholar.com/sat/s/colleges/Scripps-College-sat-scores-GPA), [BigFuture](https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/colleges/scripps-college/admissions)). The middle 50% of admitted students boast SAT scores between 1450–1520 or ACT scores of 29–32 ([Princeton Review](https://www.princetonreview.com/college/scripps-college-1023573)), though the college remains Test-optionalA policy where you choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores. If you don't, the rest of your application carries more weight. and superscores submitted exams ([Scripps Admissions](https://www.scrippscollege.edu/admission/apply/first-year-applicants)). Notably, the average GPA of admitted students is a steep 4.1 ([Liberal Arts Colleges](https://www.liberalartscolleges.com/college-acceptance-rates/scripps-college-acceptance-rate/)), reflecting the academic intensity of the student body. The admissions office emphasizes Holistic admissionsA review that weighs the whole applicant — grades, essays, activities, and context — rather than relying on test scores and GPA alone., with a particular interest in applicants who demonstrate intellectual curiosity and a commitment to women’s leadership.
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.
Academics
Scripps’ interdisciplinary core curriculum—grounded in the humanities but stretching across disciplines—is its academic signature. Popular majors include biology, English, environmental analysis, media studies, neuroscience, and politics ([Scripps Departments](https://www.scrippscollege.edu/departments/)), with econometrics and media studies each claiming about 5% of graduates ([U.S. News](https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/scripps-college-1174/academics)). The college’s flexibility is legendary: students design their own paths, often combining majors with off-campus study (nearly 60% study abroad) or cross-registration at the other Claremont Colleges. Reddit threads praise the ‘academic freedom’ and ‘social justice focus’ ([Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/claremontcolleges/comments/1k86ssp/a_high_school_junior_trying_to_figure_out_pros/)), while College Confidential notes the ‘emphasis on community engagement’ ([College Confidential](https://talk.collegeconfidential.com/t/scripps-strengths-weaknesses/876589)). Small classes are the norm, with a student-faculty ratio of 10:1 ([Scripps Academics](https://www.scrippscollege.edu/academics/)).
Life at Scripps revolves around its idyllic, fountained campus (97% of students live on-site ([U.S. News](https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/scripps-college-1174/student-life))) and its fiercely progressive culture. ‘You introduce yourself by your pronouns and state your access needs,’ observes one Niche reviewer ([Niche](https://www.niche.com/colleges/scripps-college/campus-life/)). The college leans heavily into leadership development, with programs like the Scripps Communities of Resources and Empowerment (SCORE) centering marginalized voices ([Scripps Life](https://www.scrippscollege.edu/life/)). Traditions like ‘Afternoon Tea’ (weekly faculty-student mingling) and ‘Toll Day’ (a midnight plunge into the campus fountain) balance intellectualism with whimsy. The 5C consortium means students can tap into Claremont McKenna’s parties or Harvey Mudd’s hackathons, but Scripps retains its own identity—‘more into social justice than CMC on average,’ per a Reddit user ([Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/claremontcolleges/comments/1k86ssp/a_high_school_junior_trying_to_figure_out_pros/)).
Scripps alums outperform national averages dramatically: six years post-graduation, their median income is 44% higher than the typical college graduate ([Scripps At a Glance](https://www.scrippscollege.edu/about/glance)). The six-year graduation rate is a robust 85% ([Tuition Tracker](https://www.tuitiontracker.org/schools/scripps-college-123165)), with 78% finishing in four years ([Varsity Tutors](https://www.varsitytutors.com/colleges/scripps-college-ca)). Early-career earnings average $36,427 ([Niche](https://www.niche.com/colleges/scripps-college/after-college/)), but the real story is long-term trajectory—median earnings hit $77,539 a decade out ([Varsity Tutors](https://www.varsitytutors.com/colleges/scripps-college-ca)). The college boasts strong pipelines to grad schools (especially law and medicine) and industries like education, tech, and nonprofits, with many leveraging the Claremont network for internships and jobs.
With a sticker price nearing $94,000 ([CollegeData](https://www.collegedata.com/college-search/Scripps-College/money-matters)), Scripps is undeniably expensive—but it meets 100% of demonstrated need. The average first-year aid package is $55,673 ([U.S. News](https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/scripps-college-1174/paying)), and 60% of all students receive grants or scholarships ([Scripps Financial Aid](https://www.scrippscollege.edu/financialaid/)). The Net priceWhat a family actually pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price — usually far less than the published cost. for many families drops to $45,505 after aid ([BigFuture](https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/colleges/scripps-college/tuition-and-costs)). Notably, Scripps graduates carry fewer federal loans than the national average ([Scripps At a Glance](https://www.scrippscollege.edu/about/glance)), a testament to its generous aid policies. Prospective students should use the college’s net price calculator ([Scripps Calculator](https://www.scrippscollege.edu/financialaid/how-financial-aid-is-determined)) for personalized estimates.
Scripps is unapologetically itself: a women’s college that champions feminist leadership without dogma, a small liberal arts school with the resources of a research university, a serene campus pulsing with activist energy. Its core curriculum—requiring courses in gender studies, race/ethnicity, and ‘blurring disciplines’—reflects its commitment to educating ‘engaged, empathetic citizens’ ([Scripps Academics](https://www.scrippscollege.edu/academics/)). The Claremont consortium means students can take astrophysics at Pomona or economics at CMC while returning to Scripps’ tight-knit community. And the outcomes speak for themselves: alums don’t just succeed—they redefine success on their own terms, whether as CEOs, artists, or policymakers. For students who want rigor without cutthroat competition, sunshine with substance, and a LegacyAn applicant whose parent (or sometimes other close relative) attended the college. Some schools give a small edge to legacy applicants. of women’s empowerment that’s more intersectional than ivory tower, Scripps is peerless.
Scripps College logo · sourceScripps College Campus | Scripps College in Claremont, California · sourceFramed: Why is Scripps College's campus so beautiful? - The Student Life · sourceScripps College Facts | Scripps College in Claremont, California · source
