Cost & financial aid brief
Claremont McKenna College Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does Claremont McKenna College cost after financial aid?
Grants and scholarships cover about 67% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, a reduction of $57,651 from the $86,500 (an average across living arrangements) sticker price. That leaves an average net price of $28,849.
by income band form an uneven curve. Families earning under $30,000 pay $15,308, the $30,001–$48,000 band pays $7,360, the $48,001–$75,000 band pays $16,389, the $75,001–$110,000 band pays $19,325, and those over $110,000 pay $52,295.
The second-lowest income band has the lowest average net price. The discount is widest for low and moderate incomes and narrowest at the top.
That pattern means the sticker price is reduced for all aided families, but the reduction is largest at the lower end.
The published cost of attendance at Claremont McKenna College is $86,500 (an average across living arrangements). Azimuth ranks the university #935 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.
After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $15,308, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $16,389, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $52,295. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $36,987.
Aid covers about 67% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average net price across all aid recipients is $28,849, which is $6,502 above the $22,347 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Borrowers who finish carry a median of $13,500 in federal student loans, $11,500 below the $25,000 median at comparable institutions. 76.1% of federal aid recipients take federal loans.
Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $52,129 in Parent PLUS loans. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $153 a month.
It estimates what a family at your income level might pay here, drawing on the same federal data.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
The median federal student debt at Claremont McKenna College is $13,500 for borrowers who complete. That figure is $11,500 below the $25,000 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Federal borrowing is widespread: 76.1% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Parents who borrow through the separate Parent PLUS program hold a median of $52,129.
In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 34% of its 345 bachelor's graduates had borrowed from any source, with an average cumulative total of $27,023 per borrower. Of those graduates, 24% held federal loans averaging $12,709. A smaller group, 4%, held private loans averaging $78,124.
Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $110,798. That is $54,883 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size), and it places the university at the 98th percentile nationally.
The earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, show a wide range: a downside of $53,650 and an upside of $146,524. Borrowers who finish carry a median of $13,500 in federal student loans, $11,500 below the peer median of $25,000.
That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $153 a month if repaid over ten years.
For the separate population of parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $52,129. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $153 a month if repaid over ten years.
Repayment figures are in the Financial GPS card below. Borrowing populations and model assumptions.
Parent loans: what can the family afford?
How Parent PLUS borrowing affects families
- Median Parent PLUS debt
- $52,129
- Estimated parent payment
- $662/mo
| Income | Risk level |
|---|---|
| $35,000 | High pressure |
| $50,000 | High pressure |
| $75,000 | High pressure |
| $100,000 | High pressure |
| $150,000 | Caution |
| $200,000 | Safe |
The model holds the parent balance fixed and varies parent income. Read the assumptions and limits.
Student and parent loans: the monthly payments
Financial GPS
What does repayment look like?
- Institution median student debt
- $13,500
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $52,129
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $153/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $662/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $815/mo
Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.
Student payment as a share of available income
At median graduate earnings of $110,798, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:
2.1% of income above the allowance · Excellent
- Excellent Under 8% · selected scenario
- Good 8–under 12%
- Concerning 12–20%
- High risk Over 20%
How this estimate works
These are modeled earnings scenarios, not observed earnings percentiles. Annual student payments ÷ (earnings − basic-expense allowance). The starting allowance, $22,590, uses the published framework’s 2024 baseline; it is not a current local living-cost estimate. Change it for your budget, including taxes and other obligations. This combines school-level figures for illustration, not a typical individual’s budget or an official school rating. Parent PLUS is separate.
Payment assumptions
Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.
Data & methodology
Sources and reporting periods: methodology.
Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.
Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.
Figure notes link to sources and limitations. About College Azimuth.
Net price and borrowing. The 2023–24 income-band averages include living costs and cover eligible first-time, full-time aid recipients; public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. They are not individual aid offers. Peer matching supplies overall net prices, not matched income-band averages. College Scorecard data and documentation.
A personal student-risk assessment also needs your major and borrowing plan; these school-level illustrations do not assign you a personal risk zone.
Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. Private-loan figures from the Common Data Set are separate from these federal repayment illustrations.