Claremont McKenna College

Quick Facts

Chance of Admission:
Location: Southwest
Setting: Large Town Setting
Type: Private
Size: Small (Under 2,000 Undergrad)
Mascots: Stags (men), Athenas (women)
Nickname: CMC
Bauer Center, with the San Gabriel mountains in the background
Bauer Center, with the San Gabriel mountains in the background
[source]
Claremont McKenna College From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

A member of the Claremont Colleges, Claremont McKenna College (CMC) is a private, highly selective, coeducational, liberal arts college enrolling about 1,150 students with a curricular emphasis on government and economics. CMC is located in Claremont, California, 35 miles east of Downtown Los Angeles.

History and Reputation

Claremont McKenna College was founded in 1946 soon after World War II ended as Claremont Men's College. CMC was founded with the mission to foster leadership in its students in the fields of government, business, and international affairs. The school became coeducational in 1976 and was renamed after Donald McKenna, a founding trustee, in 1981. Its mission has stayed the same, as reflected in the College's motto, "Crescit cum commercio civitas," or "civilization prospers with commerce."

Despite its newness, the College ranks among the top colleges in the country under numerous categories:

  • U.S. News and World Report has ranked Claremont McKenna as the 11th best liberal arts college in the nation in 2008, tied with Wesleyan University, Vassar College, and Grinnell College. The Washington Monthly has ranked CMC the sixth best liberal arts college in the nation in 2007, measuring the school's service to the community, research, and the social mobility of its students.
  • In 2003, The Atlantic Monthly ranked Claremont McKenna as the 22nd best undergraduate college in the nation based on admission rate, SAT scores and rank in high-school class.
  • In 2007, 16% of applicants were admitted to Claremont McKenna - the lowest acceptance rate in the college's history, and one of the lowest college acceptance rates in the country. Claremont McKenna is one of 46 undergraduate institutions that practices need-blind admissions.
  • In August 2007, Newsweek ranked CMC as one of the "25 Hottest Colleges" in the nation, naming it "Hottest for Election Year."
  • According to quality-adjusted publications, CMC has the top-ranked economics department among liberal arts colleges.
  • The Wall Street Journal has listed it as the eighth best liberal arts feeder school into elite graduate universities for law, business and medicine.
  • The Princeton Review lists Claremont McKenna among the nation's top twenty schools for the "Best Quality of Life," "Happiest Students," and "Most Politically Active Students." In addition, the Princeton Review ranks Claremont McKenna in the top twenty for having a "School that runs like butter," "Professors who make themselves accessible," "Best Campus Food," "Dorms like Palaces" and "Students Happy with Financial Aid."
  • CMC is a nominator (one of 67 US colleges and universities) for the Luce Scholars Program.
  • Beginning in the 2008-09 academic year, Claremont McKenna College will increase spending on financial aid and replace all packaged student loans with scholarship grant aid.

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Read the full entry on Wikipedia

Students & Campus Life
Undergraduate Enrollment: 1,137
On Campus Housing: Available
Full Time Students: 100%
Athletic Programs: Available
> More Students & Campus Life
Expenses
Average Tuition: $ 30,800
Students Receiving Aid: 50%
> More Expenses & Financial Aid
Admissions
Application Fee: $ 60
Selectivity: Most Selective
> More Admissions

Students

General
Full-Time vs. Part-Time
Full-Time 100%
Part-Time 0%
Men vs. Women
Men 51%
Women 49%
Race/Ethnicity
Caucasian 60%
Asian 14%
Other 11%
Hispanic 11%
African-American 4%
Geography
In State vs. Out-of-State
Out-of-State 59%
In-State 41%
Top States for Incoming Freshman
California 41%
Washington 9%
New York 6%
Illinois 3%
Colorado 3%
Percent of Students International: 3%

Housing

On-Campus Housing Available: Yes
Percent of Students Living On-Campus: 89%
Freshman Students Required to Live on Campus: No

Athletics

Member of: NAA, NCAA
Sports Include: Football (Southern California Intercoll Ath Conf)
Basketball (Southern California Intercoll Ath Conf)
Baseball (Southern California Intercoll Ath Conf)
Track (Southern California Intercoll Ath Conf)
Tuition & Fees (undergraduate) Expenses  
Published Tuition and Fees:
 $ 30,800    
Average Tuition for Full-Time Undergrads:
 $ 30,600    
Required Fees for Full-Time Undergrads:
 $ 200    
Financial Aid Avg. Amount Received % of Students Receiving Aid  
Federal Grants:
 $ 4,458 8%  
State and Local Grants:
 $ 9,548 6%  
Institutional Grants:
 $ 17,855 50%  
Student Loans:
 $ 3,222 26%  
Any Aid:
   50%  

Selectivity (Undergraduate Only)

Acceptance Rate: 20% (Most Selective)
Test Scores  
SAT Scores:  
% of Students Submitting SAT Scores: 94%
Bottom 25th Percentile: Verbal: 630, Math: 640
Top 75th Percentile: Verbal: 760, Math: 750

Application Requirements (Undergraduate Only)

Application Fee: $ 60.00
Formal Demonstration of Competencies: Not Required
High School Diploma or Equivalent: Recommended
High School GPA: Required
High School Rank: Recommended
High School Record: Required
Recommendations: Required
TOEFL: Required
Test Scores: Required

Degree Programs at Claremont McKenna College

Bachelor's Level Majors

College Advice

Yahoo
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Question: Do you think Claremont McKenna is a good school?
I want to major in Economics. Do you think it's well-recognized amongst other universities and colleges? > Claremont McKenna College
15 months ago
zxc
zxc
Best Answer
Claremont McKenna is decently recognized in general. I'm not sure about in Econ but it is one of the most popular majors. For ratings, I generally look at U.S. News & World Reports which currently lists it as 12 of the Liberal Arts colleges You may also want to think about what you what to get out of your degree. Where do you want to work upon graduation? What industry/location, etc.? Check out the school's career services office for what companies hired the highest number of graduates and what locations. (I would think a high number would stay in California)
Luz Sotomayor L
Luz Sot...
Question: Is Claremont McKenna College a good school?
Many people have not heard of my liberal arts college and I was wondering if it was worth it to keep studying here? Thanks!!!
18 months ago
Linkin
Linkin
Best Answer
All the Pomona colleges have a great rep. They're small, so easily forgotten. The people who know good schools recognize the name. They know they're good.

Photos

  • Bauer Center, with the San Gabriel mountains in the background
    Bauer Center, with the San Gabriel mountains in the background [source]
  • IM Soccer on Parents Field
    IM Soccer on Parents Field [source]
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