This article will not tell you whether Claremont McKenna is the right school for your child. Nobody who does not know your child can tell you that. But it will give you, as clearly as possible, the piece that the college itself needs to provide within the larger plan you are putting together at home.
What kind of school it is, and where it stands
Let’s begin with the overall picture, because it changes how everything that follows should be read.
The Carnegie system, which organizes U.S. colleges according to what they do, classifies Claremont McKenna as a baccalaureate college focused on arts and sciences: a four-year school, small in size, and highly residential. “Highly residential” is not just a loose adjective: it means that, according to the data used for that classification, at least half of degree-seeking undergraduate students lived in institution-owned or affiliated housing, and that at least 80 out of every 100 studied full time. The same system also places it in its more selective admissions group. That label does not tell you how many out of every hundred applicants get in—that number comes later—and it also does not mean this should be the only school on your child’s list.
Geographically, Claremont McKenna is in Claremont, California, within Los Angeles County, and its census code classifies it as suburban: within the urbanized area, but outside the principal city. If your child plans to live at home, do not rely on the map. Drive the route yourself on a weekday, at the time their classes would take place. The real travel time is almost never what Google Maps promises.
Institutionally, it is private, nonprofit, and four years or longer. IPEDS—the federal data system where all U.S. colleges report—lists a master’s degree as the highest level it says it offers, and classifies it as an institution primarily offering baccalaureate degrees or higher levels. That is an aggregate institutional fact: it does not tell you whether your child’s specific major exists there or whether it connects to graduate study. That has to be asked program by program.
And one clarification worth making early: Claremont McKenna does not have any of the three special designations tracked by IPEDS—it is not a historically Black college or university, not a tribal college or university, and not a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 colleges in this federal census, 138 have one of the three. The fact that Claremont McKenna is not listed there says nothing about which students it serves, how many Latino students are on campus, or how your child would feel there. Ask directly: what cultural centers and student organizations exist today, and speak with someone who is already there.
A small community, and where that community comes from
Claremont McKenna is a small school. In the official fall count, it had 1,384 enrolled students—1,381 undergraduates and only 3 graduate students. This is, above all, a baccalaureate-degree school. Compared with the 941 private four-year schools with selective admissions in this census that report the figure, its size falls in the middle of the table: neither among the large nor among the small.
Being large does not mean more options, and being small does not mean more attention for your child. That must be asked about the specific major, not the size of the whole school.
As for who makes up the student body: 15 out of every 100 undergraduate students reported being Hispanic or Latino in fall 2023. Compared with the 941 similar schools in this census, that places it above the middle of the group, without reaching the highest quarter. They are not a majority, but neither is it an unusual case. Among men and women, the undergraduate population is nearly even: 50 out of every 100 are women. And the percentage of students ages 25 to 64 rounds to zero—it does not mean there is nobody that age; it means there are practically none.
One fact deserves special attention: using the rounded percentage, only 36 out of every 100 first-time students had permanent residence reported in California. The rest come from other states, other countries, or had no residence reported; the data do not separate those three things. It is a small school where most of your classmates in the entering class come from elsewhere. If your child would need to travel to get here, the cost of attendance includes an aggregate estimate of other expenses that may include transportation, but it does not break out flights or moving costs. If it applies in your case, build the budget with real trips, not the generic estimate.
How the academic year works, and how concentrated the offerings are
The calendar uses semesters: two long terms, about 15 weeks each. In its most recent report, the institution indicated that it accepts AP exam credit and credit for military training; it did not indicate credit for life experience. And it said that it does not enroll high school students in college credit courses.
Saying that it accepts AP does not mean it will give you credit for every exam. The report does not say what scores it requires or how many credits it awards, nor whether those credits count toward your child’s specific major. Ask for the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand.
Regarding what graduates study: in the year reported, Claremont McKenna awarded 326 baccalaureate degrees, distributed across 20 program families, although some of those rows report zero. The family with the most degrees was social sciences, with 136 of the 326—42 out of every 100 degrees that year. That is a real concentration: between 30 and fewer than 50 out of every 100 degrees fell in that one area. This does not measure the current offerings or the quality of any particular program. Twenty families with a row in the report are not twenty guaranteed majors: each family groups several programs, and one may report zero degrees that year. Ask about the exact program your child is interested in, not the entire school.
One figure that often catches parents’ attention is the student-faculty ratio: 8 full-time-equivalent students for each full-time-equivalent instructional staff member. Compared with the 941 similar schools in this census, that places it in the lowest quarter of the group—a lower ratio than that of three out of every four comparable schools. It is among the lowest aggregate ratios found in this kind of report. But a low ratio does not guarantee small classes: the number relates full-time-equivalent people; it does not count seats in a classroom. If this matters to your child, ask directly how many students are in first-year classes.
As for structured opportunities outside the classroom, the institution reports one specifically: study abroad.
Getting in: what it requires, how many are admitted, and what that number means
Let’s get to the part that probably brought you to this article.
Claremont McKenna stated that it does not have open admission. There are pieces it reviews before saying yes. Of the nine considerations this report evaluates, excluding admissions tests and legacy status, it marked five as required: the high school record, completing the course plan required by the college, the personal essay, letters of recommendation, and the English proficiency test for applicants to whom it applies. It also considers, without requiring them, high school GPA, class rank, work experience, and whether a family member attended.
Put plainly: at this college, it is not enough to gather documents. The essay is required. Your child has to write. And there is one piece they cannot change—whether a family member attended there; if it does not apply in your case, do not spend energy thinking about it. Spend it on what is within your control. The published application fee is $70.
Now the figure everyone asks about first: in the 2023 cycle, Claremont McKenna received 5,799 first-time applications and offered admission to 645. That is 11 out of every 100. On the other side of that calculation are 5,154 applicants who did not receive an offer.
Compared with the 942 private four-year schools with selective admissions in this census, it is among those that admit the fewest: nine out of every ten schools in that group, or more, admitted a larger percentage of their applicants. This number says how many offers were made. It says nothing about your child’s worth. A low percentage does not mean the school is better, nor does a high one mean it is worse. Make sure your child’s list includes schools on both sides—including one that admits most of those who apply.
Among those who do receive an offer, how many decide to enroll here? In 2023, out of every 100 admitted students, 50 enrolled at Claremont McKenna. The other 50 did not. Compared with the 942 similar schools, that percentage falls on the high side: at most of those schools, a smaller share of admitted students enrolls. This number does not measure quality or prestige; it only counts how many admitted first-time students enrolled that fall. When your child’s admission letters arrive, this percentage does not decide anything. Put the offers side by side and compare net price, major, and distance before deposit day.
Regarding standardized tests: the SAT and ACT are not required. If your child submits them, they are considered; if not, the application remains valid just the same. Of the first-time students who enrolled, 29 out of every 100 submitted SAT scores. Among them, the middle half scored between 710 and 770 in reading and writing, and between 740 and 790 in mathematics. Those numbers are for students who enrolled and did submit a score—not all applicants, and they do not prove that the score was decisive in any particular admission. 710 is not a minimum. 770 is not a guarantee of anything either.
Regarding transfers: in fall 2023, 21 undergraduate students arrived at Claremont McKenna for the first time after having studied at another institution. Among the 942 comparable schools, that count places it in the lower half—remember that it is a number of people, not a proportion, and it goes along with the size of the school. The departure rate—how many of those who enter here end up transferring elsewhere—is blank in this institution’s report. That does not show that nobody leaves; it simply is not reported.
The list price, and why it is not the last word
At Claremont McKenna College, among 15 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $13,267. Among 15 students in the same population with family EFC income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $14,929; among 38 students with family EFC income above $110,000, it was $49,293. For dependent students, the band adds their parents’ income and their own.
There is a difference of $36,026 between the average for the lower-income band, 15 students, and that for the highest band, 38 students. These are group averages, not a prediction of your family’s price. Among first-year students who received some scholarship, the average was $29,978.
Among the 937 schools of the same type and control included in this census that reported this figure with the same time coverage, this one falls in the least expensive quarter for lower-income families, after scholarships are subtracted. That does not mean it is inexpensive for your family. It is a fact that matters when building the list of schools to apply to.
Because the price changes so much from one income band to another, placing your own band correctly is the first step. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; public institutions use the in-state or district rate. The overall average after scholarships, when it appears, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional scholarships or grants. What controls is the aid letter you receive.
How it is paid for: scholarships, loans, and options
Aid that does not have to be repaid—scholarships and grants—went to 50 out of every 100 degree-seeking students at Claremont McKenna. That is more than half, but not everyone. Compared with the 942 comparable schools, this falls in the quarter where scholarships reach fewer students. Among those who did receive it, the yearly average was $52,457.
It is real money, but it is not a price. What determines the actual cost is what remains after aid—and that number is not in this overall calculation; you have to request it school by school. A high average among those who received aid does not mean your child’s offer will be that size. When the letter arrives, look for how much your family would have to pay out of pocket, and compare that figure across schools—not the size of the advertised discount.
Regarding Pell, the federal grant for lower-income families: it went to 19 out of every 100 degree-seeking students.
Regarding loans: in academic year 2022-23, only 19 out of every 100 Claremont McKenna undergraduate students received a federal student loan. Most were not awarded one that year. Among those who did receive one, the loan averaged $4,873 for the year. Compared with the 942 comparable schools, federal loans are used here less than at almost all of them—nine out of every ten schools in that group had a higher share of students with loans.
The fact that most did not use a federal loan that year does not say how everyone else paid: it could have been scholarships, work, family savings, or another type of debt that this report does not record. And that average of $4,873 is for one year only, only for federal loans in the student’s name—it does not include PLUS loans that parents sometimes sign, bank debt, or credit cards, and it is not the total debt with which someone graduates. For that, all years would have to be added, and that number does not appear in this report.
The institution also reports a tuition installment payment plan as an available mechanism.
Life outside the classroom: housing, sports, and support
Claremont McKenna has institution-controlled housing, and indicated that not all full-time, first-time students are required to live there—that denies a universal requirement, but does not rule out a requirement for a particular program or year. It also offers meal plans, with a fixed number of meals per week in the largest plan. IPEDS reports a maximum housing capacity of 1,244 students, on or off campus. Having rooms does not guarantee a bed will be available for your child, and having a meal plan does not mean it is included in the price. Request in writing the current-year rate, the housing application deadline, and whether housing is guaranteed or students go on a waiting list.
Regarding ROTC: the institution indicated that there is an opportunity, and the only branch confirmed in writing is Army; Navy and Air Force are not marked. If your child is interested in another branch, it is not confirmed in this report—which does not mean it is impossible; it means you need to ask directly and confirm whether the program is completed on this campus or another.
In sports, Claremont McKenna competes in intercollegiate athletics and is affiliated with the NCAA, not with other associations named in the report. It reports membership in football, basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. This membership belongs to the school, not a promise to your child: write directly to the coach of the sport that interests them, ask whether there is space on the team, what division they compete in, and whether that sport provides athletic scholarship aid.
Regarding format: Claremont McKenna reports that it offers no distance education—not a single course, neither undergraduate nor graduate. In the fall count, 0 out of every 100 undergraduate students took all their classes at a distance. If your child works or cares for someone at home, their schedule would have to fit entirely in person. This fact is for one year only; if it matters to you, ask directly before deciding, because there is no guarantee it will remain the same when your child enrolls.
Among the services and supports the institution reports are combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, placement services for those completing programs, participation in Yellow Ribbon, the program for veterans, and a web address for services for people with disabilities. The fact that these services are reported does not by itself establish their quality or effectiveness—that is learned by speaking with people who use them today.
Who stays, and who finishes
For many families, this is the most important question of all: if my child enters here, how likely are they to finish?
Let’s begin with retention: of the cohort that entered for the first time, full time, seeking a baccalaureate degree, in fall 2022—322 students—310 met the official retention criterion: they were still enrolled there or had already completed a baccalaureate degree one year later. That is 96 out of every 100. Compared with the 930 comparable schools in this census, that places it among those retaining the most of their cohort: nine out of every ten schools in that group, or more, retained an equal or smaller proportion.
It is a high result, but it must be read carefully: the criterion combines in one figure those who remain enrolled and those who have already graduated. It does not make it possible to know which of the two happened to each person, nor what happened with the 12 left out of that calculation.
Regarding graduation: out of every 100 students who entered a baccalaureate program in 2017—full time, without having previously attended another college—95 earned a degree within six years or less. In concrete numbers: 335 out of 352. Using the four-year time frame, the figure falls to 82 out of every 100—a difference of 13 points between four and six years. Compared with the 920 comparable schools, it is among those graduating the most students: nine out of every ten in that group, or more, reported an equal or smaller proportion.
That 95 out of every 100 describes what happened to the class that entered in 2017. It is not a promise for your child. What is within their control is making sure they enter with credits in order, and that from the first semester they know who their academic adviser is and when the courses their major requires are scheduled.
One final angle, broader over time: of the annual cohort that entered between July 2015 and June 2016—385 undergraduate students, including first-time students and those with prior full-time postsecondary experience—as of August 2023, 92 out of every 100 had a degree or certificate from this school. Only 4 out of every 100 appeared, according to that same indicator, without having received a credential from here, although because of how the data are constructed, that figure does not allow us to state how many were still enrolled exactly at the cutoff, nor does it rule out that some may have earned a degree at another institution.
Among those who received a Pell grant within that same cohort, 88 out of every 100 completed a degree or certificate here within eight years—5 points below the group that did not receive Pell. Compared with the 935 comparable schools, it remains among those graduating the most people within eight years.
A high percentage, in any of these three calculations, does not predict the outcome for a specific person. It describes what happened to a specific group, over a specific period. If this matters to you when deciding, ask about the current supports in the program that interests your child and about results for the most recent cohorts.
Putting the pieces together
You now know, with the depth official data allow, one of the three pieces you need to decide. You know it is a small and highly selective school, where getting in is difficult but, once inside, most students stay and most finish. You know the essay is required, standardized tests are optional, and almost half of their classmates would come from outside California.
None of these numbers decides for you. Put them together with what your child truly wants to study, what they have built so far, and what your family can and is willing to pay. A real plan comes from that combination—not from a single fact, however impressive it may sound.
Note on sources: The information in this article comes from official reports submitted by Claremont McKenna College to the U.S. Department of Education’s IPEDS system, primarily for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles. Best College Aid does not represent Claremont McKenna College or any government agency; this article is an independent informational resource to help families understand public data.