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Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, California · Private, a large suburb · 1,388 undergraduates

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Is it hard to get into CMC?

The middle half of admitted students scored in these ranges: a quarter scored lower, a quarter higher. Fall 2024 admissions, from the College Scorecard.

Acceptance rate
9.6%
5,799 applied
SAT, middle half
1470 to 1560
Reading plus math, out of 1600
ACT, middle half
33 to 35
Composite, out of 36
Test scores this year
Optional: considered if sent
50% of admitted students enrolled
What they look at
  • High school GPAConsidered
  • Class rankConsidered
  • Courses takenRequired
  • College-prep programRequired
  • RecommendationsRequired
  • EssayRequired

How much does CMC cost?

Sticker prices and what students actually paid after grants, by family income. A year means tuition, fees, room, board, books and other costs.

Tuition and fees
$72,120
A full year, sticker price
$91,510
Living on campus
Average price after grants
$26,039
Students who got federal aid

What a year cost, by family income

Family incomeAverage paid after grants
Under $30,000$5,423
$30,001 to $48,000$4,205
$48,001 to $75,000$19,127
$75,001 to $110,000$31,487
Over $110,000$52,425
Room and board on campus
$22,190 a year
Books and supplies
$1,200 a year
The school's own grants
52% of full-time first-years get one, averaging $48,892

Tuition over the years

Tuition and fees for a year, as reported to the federal government.

$0K$21K$42K$63K$84K201220142016201820202022CMC

How much do CMC students borrow?

Federal student loans only, for students who borrowed.

Typical debt at graduation
$13,450
About $153 a month over ten years
Students who borrow
31.4%
Get a Pell Grant
18.3%
Federal grant for lower-income families
Over 25 when they start
0.4%

What do CMC graduates earn?

Typical yearly pay of everyone who started here with federal aid, whatever they studied and whether or not they finished.

Six years after starting
$102,057
Ten years after starting
$127,532
Middle half: $75,883 to $212,306
Best-paid program, five years out
$165,345
Economics

Do CMC students finish?

Of the students who started full time, first time.

Back for second year
98.1%
Graduate in six years
89.9%
The four-year figure is for a later, smaller group, so it is not shown
After eight years
96% graduated
3% transferred, 0% still enrolled

Who goes to CMC?

Women
49.9%
First in their family at college
Not published
Part-time
0.5%
Students per teacher
8
Background
White 36%, Hispanic 15%, Black 4%, Asian 17%, Two or more 9%, International 15%
Housing
Campus housing, 1,244 beds

What do CMC graduates earn, by program?

Every bachelor's program the school awards, with what its graduates earn and owe. The government hides pay for small programs, so some rows have no figure.

Computer science

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Computer Science14HiddenHiddenHidden

Engineering

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Engineering-Related Fields0HiddenHiddenHidden
Engineering, Other13HiddenHiddenHidden

Business and commerce

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Accounting and Related Services20HiddenHiddenHidden
Human Resources Management and Services1HiddenHiddenHidden

Life sciences

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology6HiddenHiddenHidden
Biology, General33HiddenHiddenHidden
Natural Resources Conservation and Research30HiddenHiddenHidden
Neurobiology and Neurosciences27HiddenHiddenHidden

Math and physical sciences

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Chemistry3HiddenHiddenHidden
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences1HiddenHiddenHidden
Mathematics19HiddenHiddenHidden
Physics11HiddenHiddenHidden

Social sciences

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Anthropology2HiddenHiddenHidden
Area Studies12HiddenHiddenHidden
Communication and Media Studies19HiddenHiddenHidden
Economics244$99,125$165,345$11,750
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies4HiddenHiddenHidden
International Relations and National Security Studies58HiddenHiddenHidden
Non-Professional Legal Studies0HiddenHiddenHidden
Political Science and Government76$62,844HiddenHidden
Psychology, General0HiddenHiddenHidden
Public Policy Analysis23HiddenHiddenHidden
Research and Experimental Psychology67HiddenHiddenHidden
Sociology1HiddenHiddenHidden

Arts and humanities

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics1HiddenHiddenHidden
East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics3HiddenHiddenHidden
English Language and Literature, General21HiddenHiddenHidden
History30HiddenHiddenHidden
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services0HiddenHiddenHidden
Philosophy35HiddenHiddenHidden
Religion/Religious Studies6HiddenHiddenHidden
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics5HiddenHiddenHidden

Fine and performing arts

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Dance0HiddenHiddenHidden
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft0HiddenHiddenHidden
Film/Video and Photographic Arts11HiddenHiddenHidden
Fine and Studio Arts3HiddenHiddenHidden
Music1HiddenHiddenHidden

General arts and science (major chosen later)

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Cognitive Science3HiddenHiddenHidden
Human Biology5HiddenHiddenHidden
International/Globalization Studies0HiddenHiddenHidden
Medieval and Renaissance Studies0HiddenHiddenHidden
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other54$59,984HiddenHidden
Science, Technology and Society0HiddenHiddenHidden
Systems Science and Theory56HiddenHiddenHidden

Compare CMC with other universities

Side by side: acceptance rates, scores, costs and pay.

Where these numbers come from

College Scorecard release 10152026, Most Recent Cohorts files, fetched 2026-10-20. Test policy: the school's page (opens in a new tab). Tuition history, housing and the school's own grants: the federal IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) survey.

How every figure in this part of the site is sourced, and the check of every link.

Careerhelp is not affiliated with Claremont McKenna College. Figures describe past students; check the school's own pages before you apply.

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