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Claremont McKenna College: cost, admission and results

Claremont McKenna College is a private nonprofit college in Claremont, California. It has about 1,388 undergraduate students. It admits 9.6% of applicants. The average net price for students with federal aid is $26,039 a year.

At a glance

  • 9.6%Admission rate
  • $26,039Net price a year
  • 90%Graduation rate
  • $127,532Median earnings, 10 years on
Location
Claremont, California 91711
Type
Private nonprofit
Degrees
Mostly bachelor's degrees (four-year)
Setting
Suburb of a large city
Undergraduate students
1,388
Graduate students
3
Students per teacher
8 to 1
Accredited by
Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission
Website
cmc.edu

Getting in

Claremont McKenna College admits 9.6% of those who apply, which makes it among the most selective in the country. The median admission rate of colleges on this site that report one is 77%. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1527 out of 1600 (midpoints: 725 in reading and writing, 750 in maths). The midpoint ACT score is 34 out of 36.

What it costs

Tuition and fees for a year$72,120
Room and meals on campus$22,190
Books and supplies$1,200
Average full cost of a year (tuition, living, books), before aid$91,510
Average net price after grants and scholarships$26,039

The net price is what students who got federal aid paid on average for a year after grants and scholarships were taken off. It is 17% above the median net price of colleges in California on this site ($22,336). International students normally pay the published tuition and do not receive US federal aid.

Net price by family income

Family income a yearAverage net price
Up to $30,000$5,423
$30,001 to $48,000$4,205
$48,001 to $75,000$19,127
$75,001 to $110,000$31,487
Above $110,000$52,425

For students who received federal aid. A negative figure means grants were larger than the cost counted.

For an estimate that fits your own family, use the college's net price calculator.

Results

MeasureThis collegeCA medianUS median
Students who come back for a second year98%76%73%
Students who finish their degree (within one and a half times the normal length)90%51%49%
Median earnings 10 years after starting$127,532$53,420$53,132
Median federal loan debt of those who finish$13,450$17,297$19,994

Medians are the middle value of the colleges on this site in California and in the whole country. Completion and return rates count first-time, full-time students. Earnings and debt count students who received federal aid.

The students

18% of undergraduates receive a Pell Grant, the federal grant for students from lower-income families. 31% take a federal student loan. The undergraduate body is 50% women and 50% men. By undergraduate numbers it is number 158 of the 267 colleges in California on this site that report a size; the middle-sized one has 2,759.

Other colleges in California of a similar size

Common questions

What is the acceptance rate of Claremont McKenna College?

Claremont McKenna College admits 9.6% of applicants, according to the College Scorecard.

How much is tuition at Claremont McKenna College?

Published tuition and fees are $72,120 a year. Most students with aid pay less: see the net price.

What is the graduation rate of Claremont McKenna College?

90% of first-time, full-time students finish within one and a half times the normal length of the course.

Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education, data released on 2 November 2026; checked in November 2026. Net price, debt and earnings describe students who received US federal aid. Costs change each year. This is official data for general information, not advice: confirm costs and admission rules on the college's own website and at collegescorecard.ed.gov.

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