“The founding member of the Claremont Colleges, Pomona combines the intimacy of a small liberal arts college with the resources of a world-class consortium in sunny Southern California.”
Pomona College, founded in 1887 in Claremont, California, is the founding member of the Claremont Colleges consortium and one of the most selective liberal arts colleges in the nation with a 6.9% acceptance rate. Located 35 miles east of Los Angeles at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains, Pomona offers an extraordinary combination: the close mentorship of a 1,766-student college with access to over 2,700 courses across five undergraduate colleges. Pomona offers 48 majors with particular strength in computer science, economics, neuroscience, and mathematics. The college's academic culture emphasizes intellectual exploration — students routinely cross-register at Scripps, Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd, and Pitzer, effectively giving them the academic breadth of a small university while maintaining intimate class sizes. Research opportunities abound, with students publishing alongside faculty in peer-reviewed journals and presenting at national conferences. The campus blends Mediterranean architecture with modern facilities set against mountain views and year-round sunshine. Pomona's traditions — from the legendary 4/7 Day celebrating the number 47, to Ski-Beach Day combining mountain skiing with an afternoon at the beach, to the Hogwarts-themed Harry Potter Dinner — reflect a community that balances academic intensity with genuine joy. With a $3.25 billion endowment placing it among the ten wealthiest schools per student in the U.S., Pomona provides generous financial aid and meets 100% of demonstrated need with no loans.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
Forbes America's Top Colleges
Forbes 2025
Test Optional — You can submit scores if they help your case, but they're not required.
Official SourceEarly Decision I
Binding. Notification by December 15.
Early Decision II
Binding. Notification by February 15.
Regular Decision
Notification by April 1. Reply by May 1.
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Tuition & Fees (All Students)
$71,660
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
Strong departments in English, philosophy, art history, theatre, and foreign languages. Students benefit from the Claremont Colleges' shared performing arts facilities and museum collections.
Economics and politics are among the most popular majors. The social sciences draw on the breadth of the consortium, with students taking specialized courses across all five colleges.
Pomona's STEM departments have seen surging enrollment, with computer science now the most popular major. Excellent research facilities and a strong culture of undergraduate research.
4 years
Students access 2,700+ courses across five colleges — Pomona, Scripps, CMC, Harvey Mudd, and Pitzer. This gives a 1,766-student school the academic range of a university while preserving intimate class sizes.
4 years
Pomona's most popular major, benefiting from the consortium's shared CS resources including Harvey Mudd's renowned engineering program. Graduates are highly recruited by Silicon Valley firms.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $65,420
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
