Claremont, CA · Private · 1,666 undergraduates · suburban
Pomona College
Extremely selective
Pomona is a small home college inside a walkable five-college environment. Its real academic and social footprint is larger than its enrollment: cross-registration, shared dining, organizations, and neighboring campuses are part of normal life.
Institutional profile
Top tier Exceptional in student experience, and exceptional in academic standing.- Admission
- 6.8% admitted
- Price by income
- Varies across five income ranges
- Completion
- 94.6%
12,121 applicants in the reported year
Compare recent average annual costs by household income
$77,779 median earnings 10 years after enrollment
What sets Pomona apart
A five-college academic map
Pomona students cross-register across the Claremont Colleges, drawing from thousands of additional courses, intercollegiate majors, and language offerings.
Sponsor groups and residential continuity
First-years live in small sponsor groups with sophomore sponsors. Most students remain on campus through college and may use consortium dining.
Walkable Southern California consortium life
The adjoining colleges occupy roughly one square mile, making shared facilities and cross-registration practical rather than merely nominal.
The Pomona advantage
A small college with five doors
Pomona gives students a close home community while making a multi-college environment part of the everyday plan.
Start with Pomona
Sponsor groups and residence life create an early center.
Cross-register nearby
Other Claremont campuses broaden courses and communities.
Make the network practical
The best plan names the programs and people the consortium adds.
Can I get in?
6.8% admitted
The application should make clear what a small home campus plus a multi-college academic network enables for the student.
Recent applicant pool
12,121About 7 in every 100 applicants were admitted.
Academic range
Of admitted students, 29% submitted an SAT, and 15% submitted an ACT. The ACT range comes from a small share of admitted students and does not describe the full class.
In the season card
Where your GPA sits in the entering class
The full entering-class GPA distribution for Pomona, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.
See where I landIn the season card
What Pomona 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
What moves the application
The evidence that separates a strong file
Show preparation for this curriculum
Pomona students cross-register across the Claremont Colleges, drawing from thousands of additional courses, intercollegiate majors, and language offerings.
Make the institutional fit specific
The application should make clear what a small home campus plus a multi-college academic network enables for the student.
Use the application route carefully
Pomona accepts Common App, Coalition, and QuestBridge without preference; it offers Early Decision I, Early Decision II, and Regular Decision.
Give commitments a clear through-line
Activities and recommendations should show sustained contribution, not a collection of disconnected credentials.
How to apply
Rounds, route, and required materials
Pomona accepts Common App, Coalition, and QuestBridge without preference; it offers Early Decision I, Early Decision II, and Regular Decision.
Fee waiver: accepted
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.
In the season card
Average annual cost by household income at Pomona
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+
Is it worth it?
Completion, debt, and earnings
Read the outcomes panel alongside the adjoining colleges occupy roughly one square mile, making shared facilities and cross-registration practical rather than merely nominal. Completion, borrowing, and field mix matter more than one university-wide earnings figure.
Degree completion across the reported entering cohort
First-year students who return for year two
And what that comes to against what they earn.
Reported 10 years after enrollment
Academic portfolio
Largest bachelor’s fields
How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.
Economics
Computer Science
Mathematics
Political Science and Government
Neurobiology and Neurosciences
What is campus life like?
Pomona beyond the classroom
The adjoining colleges occupy roughly one square mile, making shared facilities and cross-registration practical rather than merely nominal.
A five-college academic map
Pomona students cross-register across the Claremont Colleges, drawing from thousands of additional courses, intercollegiate majors, and language offerings.
The residential structure matters
First-years live in small sponsor groups with sophomore sponsors. Most students remain on campus through college and may use consortium dining.
Dining follows the residential map
Campus dining is part of the daily social pattern; compare the meal-plan structure and nearby options against the routine you expect.
Sponsor groups and residential continuity
The adjoining colleges occupy roughly one square mile, making shared facilities and cross-registration practical rather than merely nominal.
Use the institution beyond class
Student organizations, faculty programs, research, service, and campus events are most useful when they reinforce a clear academic or personal direction.
Walkable Southern California consortium life
The strongest social fit comes from understanding how housing, traditions, organizations, and the surrounding setting shape an ordinary week.