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Summary
Update: Claremont McKenna College reported test score data inaccurately. Read more at the Morse Code blog.
Claremont McKenna College is a private institution that was founded in 1946. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 1,261, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 69 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Claremont McKenna College's ranking in the 2012 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, 9. Its tuition and fees are $42,240 (2011-12).
Claremont McKenna College is located in Claremont, Calif., at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains, 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. The school is part of the seven-college consortium known as The Claremont Colleges, which includes Scripps College, Pomona, Harvey Mudd College, Pitzer College, Claremont Graduate University, and Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences. Students can take classes at any of the member institutions as well as enjoy the social activities, athletics, and dining services at the five undergraduate and two graduate colleges. The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Athletics program combines student-athletes from Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd and Scripps to compete in the NCAA Division III Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Students can find clubs that fit a wide variety of interests, from Without the Box improv group to Shades a cappella group, among many others. All freshmen are required to live on campus, and about 97 percent of students remain in college housing for four years.
Although it is primarily an undergraduate college, Claremont McKenna offers a graduate master’s program in finance through the Robert Day School of Economics and Finance. Claremont McKenna was originally founded as Claremont Men’s College but became coeducational in 1976. While at Claremont McKenna, slightly over half of all students study abroad in locations all over the world. The school is home to 10 distinguished research institutes offering students the ability to conduct graduate-level research with faculty. Notable alumni include actor and comedian Robin Williams and Paul Brickman, who wrote and directed the 1983 film Risky Business.
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As one of the nation's most selective private liberal arts colleges, CMC sits among the intellectually-stimulating, socially-fulfilling, seven-college community known as The Claremont Colleges, a system modeled after England's Oxford University. Founded in 1946, CMC is the youngest of the nation's top colleges and enrolls approximately 1,200 students. Claremont McKenna College (CMC) educates its students for thoughtful and productive lives and responsible leadership in economics, government and public affairs. CMC's strong grounding in the liberal arts, together with its emphasis on economics, government, and international relations, attracts students who approach education pragmatically and who intend to make a difference in the world. With this broad-based foundation graduates leave CMC well prepared for the challenges of the 21st century. Many go on to pursue careers in law, business, government, foreign service, international relations, public policy, museum administration, science and education, or to pursue graduate study. The College's cutting-edge research institutes provide students unprecedented opportunities to work alongside their professors and discover how what they learn in the classroom links to life in the world behond. The world comes to Claremont McKenna through a vibrant and renowned speakers series in which world leaders, thinkers, artists and visionaries visit campus through the Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum and other public programming. In September 2007, Robert A. Day, the Founder and Chairman of The TCW Group, Inc., pledged a $200 million personal gift to establish the Robert Day School of Economics and Finance and its unique programs. This was the largest recorded gift to a liberal arts institution, the largest gift in the field of finance and economics, and among the top 20 largest gifts ever given to a college or university. Through his generosity, the Robert Day School of Economics and Finance now offers multiple programs, including a Master of Arts in Finance degree. |
General Information
| School type | private, coed college |
| Year founded | 1946 |
| Religious affiliation | N/A |
| Academic calendar | semester |
| Setting | suburban |
| 2010 Endowment | $466,447,000 |
Applying
When applying to Claremont McKenna College, it's important to note the application deadline is January 2, and the early decision deadline is November 15. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due February 11. The application fee at Claremont McKenna College is $60. It is most selective, with an acceptance rate of 17.1 percent.
For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.
| Selectivity | most selective |
| Fall 2010 acceptance rate | 17% |
| Application deadline | January 2 |
| SAT/ACT scores must be received by | February 11 |
Academic Life
The student-faculty ratio at Claremont McKenna College is 9:1, and the school has 81.8 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Claremont McKenna College include: Economics, General; Political Science and Government, General; International Relations and Affairs; Psychology, General; and History, General. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 95.8 percent.
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| Student-faculty ratio | 9:1 | ||||||||||
| 4-year graduation rate | 84% - High | ||||||||||
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Student Life
Claremont McKenna College has a total undergraduate enrollment of 1,261, with a gender distribution of 53.5 percent male students and 46.5 percent female students. 95.0 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 5.0 percent of students live off campus. Claremont McKenna College is part of the NCAA III athletic conference.
See what students are saying about life at Claremont McKenna College.
| Total enrollment | 1,278 |
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| Collegiate athletic association | NCAA III |
Campus Info & Services
Claremont McKenna College offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, women's center, placement service, health service, and health insurance. Claremont McKenna College also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Of the students at Claremont McKenna College, 45 percent have cars on campus. Alcohol is permitted for students of legal age at Claremont McKenna College.
| Students who have cars on campus | 45% - Medium |
| Health insurance offered | Yes |
| Students required to own/lease a computer | No |
More About Campus Info & Services
Paying for School
At Claremont McKenna College, 45.3 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $30,891.
Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs.
| Tuition and fees | $42,240 (2011-12) |
| Room and board | $13,625 (2011-12) - High |
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* Overview details based on 2010 data
