About

About Claremont McKenna College

highly selective admissionspolitics and economics focusclaremont consortiumsmall liberal arts collegestrong social sciences

Claremont McKenna College is a private liberal arts college in Claremont, CA, known for its highly selective admissions, politics and economics focus, and claremont consortium. With an acceptance rate of 10%, CMC is highly selective, typically enrolling around 322 students each year. CMC is test optional; students who submit scores are typically admitted with SATs between 1490–1550, though many competitive applicants choose not to submit. CMC meets 100% of demonstrated financial need; the average net price for families earning under $30,000 is $15,308.

Admissions

Claremont McKenna College acceptance rate and admitted student profile

highly selective

10%
Overall Accept Rate
1520
Median Admitted SAT
SATSubmitted score range: 1490 – 1550 (test optional)

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ED advantage at Claremont McKenna College: ED acceptance rate is 23% vs 10% regular decision, more than double. If Claremont McKenna Collegeis your first choice and you've confirmed the financial fit, Early Decision is one of the highest-leverage decisions you can make.

Application Strategy

Strategy tips for applying to Claremont McKenna College

The first 2 tips apply to all applicants. Your personalized strategy requires your profile — build your free list to unlock it.

Essay Strategy
CMC's supplemental essay asks you to connect your goals to its mission of preparing leaders for government, business, and public affairs. Be concrete about which leadership path interests you and name specific CMC programs, institutes, or faculty that align with that path.
Essay Strategy
Reference the Athenaeum speaker series specifically in your why CMC essay. Connecting your intellectual interests to actual Athenaeum speakers who have visited campus shows you understand what makes CMC distinct from other liberal arts colleges.

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Financial Aid & Cost

What Claremont McKenna College actually costs your family

Average net prices by income bracket from College Scorecard data.

Meets 100% of demonstrated need: Claremont McKenna College meets 100% of demonstrated financial need. Claremont McKenna College's sticker price of ~$79k/year bears almost no resemblance to what most families pay.
Family IncomeSticker PriceEst. Net Cost / yr
0-30k~$79k/yr$15.3k
30k-48k~$79k/yr$7.4k
48k-75k~$79k/yr$16.4k
75k-110k~$79k/yr$19.3k
110k+~$79k/yr$52.3k

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Outcomes & Campus

Student outcomes and campus profile

95%
6-Year Graduation Rate
$88k
Median Earnings (6 yrs)
8:1
Student-Faculty Ratio
1,429
Undergrad Enrollment
Claremont McKenna College Acceptance Rate & Admissions | SpearMatch