How this school serves students from different economic backgrounds, including Pell students, first-generation pathways, and long-term mobility outcomes.
Claremont McKenna College admits about 9.6% of applicants. Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% scored between 1,470 and 1,560 on the SAT (interquartile range), and between 33 and 35 on the ACT. 18.1% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, and transfer enrollment is limited, at 3.7%. The admissions cycle is highly selective, and the institution's small liberal arts format means each entering class is deliberately compact. Azimuth ranks Claremont Mckenna College #731 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. The access ranking reflects the structural reality of a highly selective small college: the number of Pell-eligible and first-generation students enrolled is limited relative to institutions that admit larger shares of their applicant pools. The graduation rate — what it doesn't count matters here — 91.4% of students complete within six years, and retention from the first to second year stands at 98.1%, both figures that reflect the strong academic support environment the college provides to the students it does enroll. Azimuth ranks Claremont Mckenna College #456 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. The mobility ranking captures what happens to students who gain admission: graduates from Claremont Mckenna College enter fields in finance, consulting, law, and public policy at rates that drive strong long-term earnings outcomes, particularly given the college's concentration in social sciences. The pattern is clear — low-income students who gain admission complete at high rates and move into high-mobility careers at meaningful scale, but the institution's narrow admission funnel limits how many students benefit from that pathway. As Azimuth's analysis of access versus outcomes explores, the gap between what outcomes show a college could deliver for mobility and what admission volume does deliver is the structural constraint on institutions like Claremont Mckenna College.
Claremont McKenna College admits about 9.6% of applicants. Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% scored between 1,470 and 1,560 on the SAT (interquartile range), and between 33 and 35 on the ACT. 18.1% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, and transfer enrollment is limited, at 3.7%. The admissions cycle is highly selective, and the institution's small liberal arts format means each entering class is deliberately compact. Azimuth ranks Claremont Mckenna College #731 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. The access ranking reflects the structural reality of a highly selective small college: the number of Pell-eligible and first-generation students enrolled is limited relative to institutions that admit larger shares of their applicant pools. The graduation rate — what it doesn't count matters here — 91.4% of students complete within six years, and retention from the first to second year stands at 98.1%, both figures that reflect the strong academic support environment the college provides to the students it does enroll. Azimuth ranks Claremont Mckenna College #456 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. The mobility ranking captures what happens to students who gain admission: graduates from Claremont Mckenna College enter fields in finance, consulting, law, and public policy at rates that drive strong long-term earnings outcomes, particularly given the college's concentration in social sciences. The pattern is clear — low-income students who gain admission complete at high rates and move into high-mobility careers at meaningful scale, but the institution's narrow admission funnel limits how many students benefit from that pathway. As Azimuth's analysis of access versus outcomes explores, the gap between what outcomes show a college could deliver for mobility and what admission volume does deliver is the structural constraint on institutions like Claremont Mckenna College.
Claremont McKenna College admits about 9.6% of applicants. Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% scored between 1,470 and 1,560 on the SAT (interquartile range), and between 33 and 35 on the ACT. 18.1% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, and transfer enrollment is limited, at 3.7%. The admissions cycle is highly selective, and the institution's small liberal arts format means each entering class is deliberately compact. Azimuth ranks Claremont Mckenna College #731 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. The access ranking reflects the structural reality of a highly selective small college: the number of Pell-eligible and first-generation students enrolled is limited relative to institutions that admit larger shares of their applicant pools. The graduation rate — what it doesn't count matters here — 91.4% of students complete within six years, and retention from the first to second year stands at 98.1%, both figures that reflect the strong academic support environment the college provides to the students it does enroll. Azimuth ranks Claremont Mckenna College #456 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. The mobility ranking captures what happens to students who gain admission: graduates from Claremont Mckenna College enter fields in finance, consulting, law, and public policy at rates that drive strong long-term earnings outcomes, particularly given the college's concentration in social sciences. The pattern is clear — low-income students who gain admission complete at high rates and move into high-mobility careers at meaningful scale, but the institution's narrow admission funnel limits how many students benefit from that pathway. As Azimuth's analysis of access versus outcomes explores, the gap between what outcomes show a college could deliver for mobility and what admission volume does deliver is the structural constraint on institutions like Claremont Mckenna College.
