Percentile rankings vs 1,600+ peer institutions. Higher is better.
Career OutcomesAzimuth ranks Pomona College #170 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $77,544, placing Pomona College in the 85.8 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Pomona College #106 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Pomona College's composite ranking reflects a rare combination of strong graduate earnings and meaningful return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates achieving median 4-year earnings that place the college well above most peers in the Azimuth coverage set. The return on investment ranking anchors the college's overall standing, driven by earnings outcomes that consistently outpace what similar students achieve at comparable institutions.
Azimuth ranks Pomona College #170 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. A private university in Claremont, CA, Pomona College enrolls roughly 1,666 undergraduates — a small, residential campus within the Claremont Colleges consortium. Retention is 97.5% and the six-year graduation rate is 93.2%, figures that place the college among the strongest nationally for converting enrollment into degree completion. Where Pomona College performs strongest is return on investment. Azimuth ranks Pomona College #106 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median earnings four years after enrollment of $77,544, well above the $57,042 median at comparable institutions. The college's academic center of gravity is Social Sciences, but strong outcomes extend across disciplines — a pattern consistent with a liberal-arts model that channels graduates into high-mobility career paths and graduate programs rather than concentrating earnings in a single field. Mobility outcomes reinforce the picture, with Pomona College sitting in the 61.5 percentile for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. The composite is pulled down by access. Pomona College admits about 7.1% of applicants — a selectivity level that, by design, limits the size of each entering class and the number of low-income students the institution enrolls (19.5% Pell, 29.9% first-generation). Access sits in the 57.7 percentile for access among nonprofit four-year institutions, while affordability registers in the 81.0 percentile for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions, reflecting a high sticker price that is materially reshaped by need-based aid for families that qualify.
Pomona College's published cost of attendance is $85,300, but need-based aid reshapes that figure substantially across income levels. Low-income families see a net price of approximately $4,841, while middle-income families pay around $17,054, and higher-income families pay approximately $37,842. Azimuth ranks Pomona College #272 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown. Pomona College meets demonstrated financial need in full under its current financial aid policies, and the college does not include loans in its standard aid packages — meaning qualifying students can graduate without federal student loan debt as part of their aid award. Families apply using the FAFSA and CSS Profile, and the college participates in federal, state, and institutional aid programs. For a deeper look at how published costs compare with what families actually pay, the net price illusion analysis explains the gap between sticker price and net price across institution types. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $11,782, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $27,861; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the Parent PLUS risk framework for how household context shapes PLUS decisions. For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $77,544, median federal debt of $11,782 projects to a monthly payment of about $133 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use Azimuth's Financial GPS tool.
Pomona College is a strong fit for students drawn to the social sciences, humanities, and analytically rigorous fields who want a small, highly selective liberal arts experience in Claremont, CA, and who are prepared to navigate a competitive admissions process — the college admits roughly 7.1% of applicants. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $77,544, placing Pomona College in the 85.8 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions — a strong return for a liberal arts institution whose program mix centers on Social Sciences and related fields. Azimuth ranks Pomona College #106 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The aid structure is need-based and broad: 19.5% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 29.9% are first-generation students, and Pomona's published financial aid policies commit to meeting demonstrated need in full for admitted students. For families who qualify, that structure can substantially close the gap between the published cost and what households actually pay — though higher-income families should expect net prices closer to $37,842. Fit depends on two realistic filters: the highly selective admit rate means the application process is competitive, and the program portfolio is oriented toward research-intensive and analytical fields rather than applied-professional ones. Students whose interests align with Social Sciences and adjacent disciplines — and who can navigate the admissions process — will find the earnings trajectory and aid package among the strongest available at a private university.
This school profile was generated using Azimuth's proprietary ROI framework, developed by founder Daniel Rogers. Our methodology transforms federal education data into actionable insights for families.
College Azimuth is a private research initiative and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education or Federal Student Aid. Data sourced from College Scorecard.
This content is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, investment, or professional advice. Consult a qualified advisor before making any financial decisions.
Comprehensive Analysis
Detailed metrics, charts, and full data breakdown
Financial GPS Tool
Personalized cost and earnings calculator
This is the Pomona College hub overview page. Related admissions, cost, outcomes, majors, and similar-school pages provide the detailed school data.
Based on federal data for students receiving aid. Actual costs may vary.
Pomona College's published cost of attendance is $85,300, but need-based aid reshapes that figure substantially across income levels. Low-income families see a net price of approximately $4,841, while middle-income families pay around $17,054, and higher-income families pay approximately $37,842.
Azimuth ranks Pomona College #272 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown.
Pomona College meets demonstrated financial need in full under its current financial aid policies, and the college does not include loans in its standard aid packages — meaning qualifying students can graduate without federal student loan debt as part of their aid award. Families apply using the FAFSA and CSS Profile, and the college participates in federal, state, and institutional aid programs.
For a deeper look at how published costs compare with what families actually pay, the [net price illusion](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) analysis explains the gap between sticker price and net price across institution types. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $11,782, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $27,861; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions.
For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $77,544, median federal debt of $11,782 projects to a monthly payment of about $133 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).
Graduates of Pomona College earn median earnings of $77,544 four years after enrollment, placing Pomona College in the 85.8 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs well above the $57,042 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band).
Azimuth ranks Pomona College #106 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The strength of these outcomes reflects both the caliber of Pomona College's academic programs and the career trajectories its graduates follow — particularly into analytical, research-oriented, and professional fields across CA's diversified economy and beyond.
Computer Science combines the largest cohort scale with strong earnings, making it the program that contributes most to Pomona College's overall return profile. Computer Science is the highest-earning program, with 50 graduates earning median earnings of $217,051 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks it #7 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions [per the program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/).
Economics ranks #65 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions with 47 graduates earning median earnings of $96,702. Among the most popular fields, Mathematics program graduates 31 students, Political Science graduates 25, and Communication and Media Studies graduates 18 — reflecting Pomona College's concentration in Social Sciences, which accounts for 23% of degree output, followed by Arts at 9% and other STEM fields at 5%.
Computer Science
50 graduates
Applied Economics
47 graduates
Algebra and Number Theory
31 graduates
Neuroanatomy
18 graduates
Education Policy Analysis
12 graduates
Pomona College's program mix is anchored in Social Sciences, which accounts for 23% of graduates — a concentration that reflects the college's liberal-arts identity and its strength in analytical, policy-oriented, and humanistic fields. Arts represents 9% of degrees and other STEM fields accounts for 5%, rounding out a portfolio that leans toward foundational disciplines rather than pre-professional tracks.
Across 27 programs serving roughly 402 students annually, 2 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold — a high share for a small liberal-arts college. Computer Science anchors the institution's strongest combination of cohort scale and earnings.
Computer Science is the largest program with 50 graduates, and Azimuth ranks it #7 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning $217,051. Computer Science posts the highest four-year median earnings at $217,051, and Azimuth ranks it #7 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Economics, with 47 graduates earning $96,702, ranks #65 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions — a strong result for a comparatively small cohort. Economics (47 graduates) and Mathematics (31 graduates) round out the most-enrolled fields, drawing students into the social-sciences and natural-sciences core that defines Pomona College's academic signature.
Many of Pomona College's strongest programs — particularly in the social sciences and biological sciences — are grad-school-dependent pathways where four-year earnings undercount lifetime trajectory because a meaningful share of graduates continue to graduate or professional school. Fields like Political Science and Communication and Media Studies follow this pattern.
The [supply-demand map for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how these fields align with national wage trends, and the [program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) explains how Azimuth evaluates programs across cohort size, earnings, and benchmark performance. ```
Consider these schools with similar outcomes but higher acceptance rates:
| School | State | Accept Rate | Median Earnings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Scripps College Higher acceptance rate (27.2 percentage points higher) with similar program focus and located 0 miles away; similar graduate earnings | CA | 34% | $77,539 | Compare |
Occidental College Higher acceptance rate (33.1 percentage points higher) with similar program focus and located 28 miles away; similar graduate earnings | CA | 40% | $75,951 | Compare |
University Of California-Irvine Higher acceptance rate (18.8 percentage points higher) with similar program focus and located 32 miles away; similar graduate earnings | CA | 26% | $80,735 | Compare |
University Of Washington-Seattle Campus Higher acceptance rate (35.8 percentage points higher) with similar program focus; similar graduate earnings | WA | 43% | $78,466 | Compare |
Virginia Military Institute Higher acceptance rate (75 percentage points higher) with similar program focus; similar graduate earnings | VA | 82% | $77,369 | Compare |
Peer institutions with comparable quality and outcomes:
| School | State | Accept Rate | Median Earnings | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Williams College Similar quality tier (#7530 ranked) | MA | 8% | $88,665 | #7530 | Compare |
Albizu University-San Juan Similar quality tier (#8567 ranked) | PR | 100% | $41,544 | #8567 | Compare |
Claremont Mckenna College Similar quality tier in West (#5435 ranked) | CA | 10% | $104,736 | #5435 | Compare |
Washington And Lee University Similar quality tier (#5430 ranked) | VA | 14% | $94,810 | #5430 | Compare |
Bowdoin College Similar quality tier (#9614 ranked) | ME | 7% | $82,735 | #9614 | Compare |
