Pomona College

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Premier LA County Liberal Arts Education at Pomona

Pomona College appears in our ranking of 50 Great Affordable Colleges for Outdoor Enthusiasts.

Named the U.S. News & World Report’s 18th most innovative, Pomona College is a top-tier, non-profit Claremont Consortium member that teaches 600+ courses at an 8:1 student-faculty ratio each year for 48 bachelor’s majors and 39 minors with 98 percent retention. For example, the Bachelor of Arts in Biology follows a 32-unit curriculum led by Dr. Sharon Stranford in the 46,270-square-foot, LEED-certified Seaver Hall with mentored research projects at the 85-acre Bernard Field Station. Chaired by Dr. Zhiru Ng, a 2004 Graves Teaching Excellence Award recipient, the 32-unit Bachelor of Arts in Asian Studies lets undergrads access the Pacific Basin Institute Archive, study abroad from Tokyo to Tibet, and reside together in Oldenborg Center.

At Lincoln Hall, the Psychology Department overseen by Dr. Richard Lewis awards a 32-unit Bachelor of Arts with the United States’ first required Cultural/Ethnic Psychology course plus 80-hour internships, such as Camp Akeela, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, and the Canine Cognition Center. Directed by Dr. Eric Lindholm, the 32-unit Bachelor of Arts in Music lets undergrads practice on Thatcher Hall’s 40 Steinways, perform with the Jazz Ensemble, and attend the Ussachevsky Memorial Festival.

Other Pomona BA degrees include International Relations, Astronomy, Philosophy, Russian & Eastern European Studies, Mathematics, Politics, Media Studies, Classics, and Geology.

About Pomona College

Pomona College originated on October 14, 1887, when Congregational Church leaders signed the Articles of Incorporation to found an elite Ivy League competitor at Claremont Hotel. In 1894, President Cyrus Baldwin gave diplomas to an inaugural coed class of 10 graduates. In 1907, Earl H. Kennard became Pomona’s first Rhodes Scholar recipient. Six years later, the Marine Laboratory in Laguna Beach was added to its Mission Revival style campus. On October 14, 1925, Pomona helped to incorporate the seven Claremont Colleges. In 1946, NBC’s Bob Hope famously recorded a national radio broadcast at Pomona’s Holmes Hall. In 1980, Pomona College received the first IBM 4331 and formed an exchange with Nanjing University. In 1994, the general education “PAC” system was adopted by President Peter Stanley.

Endowed for $2.2 billion, Pomona College now employs 186 full-time faculty teaching 1,671 Sagehens from 44 countries on a 140-acre Claremont campus among the San Gabriel Mountains with 50+ clubs like On the Loose. In 2007, Pomona earned the Los Angeles Business Council Sustainable Design Award. One decade later, Pomona College won the CASE Circle of Excellence Bronze Award. Forbes ranked Pomona 19th overall with the fourth-best liberal arts degrees. On Niche, Pomona boasts America’s sixth-best anthropology, ninth best international relations, and 11th top environmental science programs. The Princeton Review crowned Pomona the 30th greenest college. Money magazine declared Pomona the 71st best value with PayScale ROI of $366,000. WalletHub honored Pomona College for the 12th most student selectivity and 18th top educational outcomes.

Pomona College Accreditation Details

On June 24, 2011, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Senior College and University Commission took action to reaffirm the Level II accreditation at Pomona College through the Fall 2020 evaluation visit under its 10th president, Dr. G. Gabrielle Starr, who earned the Phi Beta Kappa Society’s Christian Gauss Award. Headquartered 395 miles north via Interstate 5 in Alameda, this elite eight-territory Pacific Region accreditor is approved by the U.S. Department of Education and California Bureau for Private Post-Secondary Education (BPPE).

Pomona College Application Requirements

Admission to Pomona College is labeled “most difficult” by Peterson’s because only 756 of the 9,045 Fall 2017 applicants were triumphant for extremely competitive 8 percent acceptance. First-year Sagehens must be eager, thoughtful, and reverent high school graduates with state-approved diplomas. Nine out of 10 freshmen rank in the top decile of their class. The Class of 2021 had a median unweighted GPA of 4.01. Average SAT scores were 735 for Reading and 760 for Mathematics. Mid-range ACT composite scores were 31 to 34. Two of Pomona’s 32 course units can be Advanced Placement credits graded 4 or better. The 3+2 Dual Programs in Engineering only accept undergrads with GPAs above 3.5. Transfers with up to 16 college-level units graded at least “C” are welcome. International students meeting the 100 TOEFL iBT or 7.0 IELTS minimum also qualify.

Pomona College published freshman deadlines of November 1st for Early Decision I and January 15th for Early Decision II or Regular Decision. The Posse Scholar Program closes on November 1st each year. Prospective transfers must file before March 1st. Returning students abide a renewal deadline of April 15th. Accordingly, students submit the Coalition, Common, and QuestBridge applications online with $70 or fee waivers. Official transcripts are forwarded to 333 North College Way in Claremont, CA 91711. For testing reports, select SAT code 4607 or ACT code 0372. Additional checklist items include the mid-year report, English as a foreign language tests, counselor recommendation, two teacher evaluations, 400-word essay response, SlideRoom art portfolio, and CSS profile. Inquire further by contacting (909) 621-8000 or [email protected].

Tuition and Financial Aid

For 2019-20, Pomona College is billing full-time bachelor’s tuition of $27,190 each semester or $54,380 annually. One-time admission deposits are $500. The Associated Students fee is $184 per term. Parking fees and tuition payment plans are $60 and $50 respectively each semester. Studying part-time incurs $8,735 per course. Medical insurance premiums are $2,356 each year unless waived. Residing at the Claremont campus’ 16 dorms like Harwood Court adds $4,833 for semester rent. Standard 16-meal plans for Frary Dining Hall are $3,525 extra. Pomona budgets $2,500 for books and personal needs. Annual undergrad attendance equals about $76,836 on-site or $66,836 living at home.

According to the NCES College Navigator, the Office of Financial Aid at Sumner Hall links 60 percent of full-time Pomona Sagehens to tuition assistance averaging $46,177 for $46.13 million combined. Nine semesters of need-based Pomona Grant funding are available with a March 1st annual deadline. Online FAFSA forms coded 00173 could unlock the Federal Pell Grant for up to $5,920 each year. The Federal Supplemental Opportunity Grant gifts $100 to $2,000 annually. The Yellow Ribbon Program provides $5,000 beyond Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits for veterans. Student employment jobs are coordinated for at least $11/hour. Pomona College records median total borrowing of $9,788 from Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized loans. Eligible California residents utilize Cal Grant A for a maximum of $9,084. Other state offerings include the Chafee Grant, Anne Trabue Scholarship, Dorothy & Robert Debolt Scholarship, Golden State Minority Foundation Scholarship, Capture the Dream Scholarship, and Louise Snyder Scholarship.

Search through the 48 liberal arts degrees placed 24th overall by Times Higher Education on the Pomona College website.