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AlmaSpire

Claremont, CA · Private · 1,227 undergraduates · suburban

Pitzer College

Highly selective

Pitzer ties academic choice to institutional commitments around social responsibility, including a graduation requirement that moves coursework into community practice.

Lauriealosh / CC BY-SA 4.0

Institutional profile

Top tier Exceptional in academic standing, and exceptional in student experience.
Academic Exceptional Affordability Steady Career Strong Mobility Steady Experience Exceptional
Academic standing Exceptional
Affordability Steady
Career outcomes Strong
Mobility Steady
Student experience Exceptional
Admission
16.7% admitted

3,464 applicants in the reported year

Price by income
Varies across five income ranges

Compare recent average annual costs by household income

Completion
87.1%

$69,512 median earnings 10 years after enrollment

What sets Pitzer College apart

Academic design

Every student completes a social-responsibility praxis course combining academic study with a community-based component rather than treating service solely as extracurricular.

Campus pattern

The Robert Redford Conservancy and neighboring field-station land place protected Southern California habitat within walking distance of Pitzer's residential campus.

A signature opportunity

Social Responsibility Praxis makes community engagement a curricular graduation requirement for every student.

Can I get in?

16.7% admitted

Start with the academic record, then make the intended direction and school-specific fit concrete.

Recent applicant pool

3,464

About 17 in every 100 applicants were admitted.

Admission rate 16.7%
Entering class

Record over scores

No score range is published for the entering class, so the transcript, the course rigor, and the required materials carry the file.

Return for a second year94%
Finish the degree87.1%

In the season card

Where your GPA sits in the entering class

The full entering-class GPA distribution for Pitzer College, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.

See where I land

In the season card

What Pitzer College weighs when it reads a file

See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.

  • Course rigor  
  • GPA  
  • Test scores  
  • Essay  
  • Recommendations  
  • Extracurriculars  
  • Demonstrated interest  
See what counts here

What moves the application

The evidence that separates a strong file

01

Show preparation for this curriculum

Every student completes a social-responsibility praxis course combining academic study with a community-based component rather than treating service solely as extracurricular.

02

Make institutional fit specific

Pitzer ties academic choice to institutional commitments around social responsibility, including a graduation requirement that moves coursework into community practice.

03

Use the application route carefully

Keep academic direction and school-specific choices coherent across the application.

How to apply

Rounds, route, and required materials

Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and assemble each required item once.

Application routeInstitution application

No application fee recorded

Can I afford it?

Compare annual cost by household income.

Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.

Published annual cost$86,466
Average annual cost after aid$34,000
Affordability profileSteady

In the season card

Average annual cost by household income at Pitzer College

Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.

  • $0–30k 
  • $30–48k 
  • $48–75k 
  • $75–110k 
  • $110k+ 
Open the price by income

Is it worth it?

Completion, debt, and earnings

Read completion, borrowing, field mix, and earnings together. One university-wide earnings figure does not describe every student path.

Complete within 8 years87.1%

Degree completion across the reported entering cohort

Return after year one94%

First-year students who return for year two

Median federal debtWhat students owe on the way out

And what that comes to against what they earn.

Median earnings$69,512

Reported 10 years after enrollment

What is campus life like?

Pitzer College beyond the classroom

The Robert Redford Conservancy and neighboring field-station land place protected Southern California habitat within walking distance of Pitzer's residential campus.

Academics

A defining academic feature

Every student completes a social-responsibility praxis course combining academic study with a community-based component rather than treating service solely as extracurricular.

Campus setting

What shapes an ordinary week

The Robert Redford Conservancy and neighboring field-station land place protected Southern California habitat within walking distance of Pitzer's residential campus.

Signature opportunity

A reason to look closer

Social Responsibility Praxis makes community engagement a curricular graduation requirement for every student.

1,227 undergraduatesPacificsuburban settingPrimarily off-campus housing