Claremont, CA · 1.4k students
Trajecta score
+0.3 since '20Ranked #21 of 2,375
5-year trend
80.6 · #19
2020
83.4 · #19
2021
83.5 · #20
2022
81.3 · #34
2023
80.9 · #37
2024
Academic Profile
93/ 100
Career Outcomes
91/ 100
Student Success
94/ 100
Affordability
63/ 100
Academic Investment
98/ 100
Access & Equity
40/ 100
Academic Profile
93
Career Outcomes
91
Student Success
94
Affordability
63
Academic Investment
98
Access & Equity
40
AI Fit Analysis
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Cost / Net Price
$87k / $29k
SAT Avg
1,527
Retention
98%
Grad Rate
93%
Admissions
Test Scores
Scores represent the midpoint of enrolled students, not a cutoff.
Finances
Tuition
In-State Tuition
$67,980
per year
Out-of-State Tuition
$67,980
per year
Aid & Debt
Pell Grant Share
18%
undergraduates receiving Pell
Federal Loan Share
21%
students borrowing
Median Debt
among completers
$13,500
Admissions Factors
Self-reported by the school in its Common Data Set (section C7) — the school's own statement of which application factors matter in its admissions decisions.
Source: Common Data Set 2024-2025, what Claremont McKenna College reports weighing in admissions.
| Factor | Very Important | Important | Considered | Not Considered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rigor of secondary school record | Rigor of secondary school record: Very Important | |||
| Class rank | Class rank: Considered | |||
| Academic GPA | Academic GPA: Very Important | |||
| Standardized test scores | Standardized test scores: Considered | |||
| Application essay | Application essay: Very Important | |||
| Recommendation(s) | Recommendation(s): Very Important | |||
| Interview | Interview: Important | |||
| Extracurricular activities | Extracurricular activities: Very Important | |||
| Talent/ability | Talent/ability: Important | |||
| Character/personal qualities | Character/personal qualities: Very Important | |||
| First generation | First generation: Considered | |||
| Alumni/ae relation | Alumni/ae relation: Considered | |||
| Geographical residence | Geographical residence: Considered | |||
| State residency | State residency: Not Considered | |||
| Religious affiliation/commitment | Religious affiliation/commitment: Not Considered | |||
| Volunteer work | Volunteer work: Considered | |||
| Work experience | Work experience: Considered | |||
| Level of applicant's interest | Level of applicant's interest: Not Considered |
Supplemental Essays · 2025-26
school's admissions site ↗CMC Mission Essay
RequiredNo stated limitCMC's mission is to prepare students for thoughtful and productive lives and responsible leadership in business, government, and the professions. With this mission in mind, please explain why you want to attend Claremont McKenna College.
Open Academy Essay
RequiredNo stated limitA critical part of fulfilling our mission is living out the commitments of CMC's Open Academy: Freedom of Expression, Viewpoint Diversity, and Constructive Dialogue. We want to learn more about your commitment to listening and learning from others with different viewpoints, perspectives, and life experiences from your own. Describe a time when engaging with someone about a specific topic resulted in you changing your attitude, belief, or behavior, or you changed the belief or behavior of someone else. What was the change that occurred for you, and what facilitated that change? What did you learn from that experience, and how has it informed how you engage with others?
Drafting these? Write them with AI feedback in Trajecta →
Methodology
The Trajecta Score (0–100) blends six dimensions of public college data into one comparable number, then nudges it by how much data each school reports. Selectivity tiers are separate — they’re based purely on a school’s admission rate.
Read the full methodologyMedian earnings 10 years out, earnings vs. a high-school grad, and loan repayment.
Admission selectivity and the incoming class’s SAT / ACT scores.
Average net price after aid and the typical debt of graduates.
Graduation rate and first-year retention.
Instructional spending and faculty salaries per student.
Share of Pell-grant students and reliance on federal loans.
Data from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard and IPEDS. Figures are the most recent reported and may lag a year or two. This tool is read-only and not personalized — inside the Trajecta app, scores are tailored to your profile as a fit score.
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