1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [Claremont McKenna College](/school/claremont-mckenna-college/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # Claremont McKenna College Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated October 1, 2026 [Overview](/school/claremont-mckenna-college/)[Cost & aid](/school/claremont-mckenna-college/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/claremont-mckenna-college/admissions/)[Majors](/school/claremont-mckenna-college/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/claremont-mckenna-college/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do Claremont McKenna College graduates earn? The reported median is $110,798 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $55,915 as its benchmark; the difference is $54,883 per year. Azimuth places the return pillar for Claremont McKenna College in the 98th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $110,798, which is in the 98th percentile. That figure is $54,883 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). The return pillar percentile is 98th. The downside earnings scenario is $53,650, the typical scenario is $110,798, and the upside scenario reaches $146,524. The spread between the lowest- and highest-earning scenarios is wide, with Political Science at $73,826 and Economics at $146,524. Program choice shapes a wide range of outcomes here. The earnings scenarios span from $53,650 on the downside to $146,524 on the upside. At the higher end, Economics graduates earn a median of $146,524 four years after completion, from 129 degrees awarded a year. International Relations and National Security Studies follows at $96,520, with 30 degrees awarded. An estimated 41.6% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix rather than observed enrollment. Because four-year earnings cover completers who are working and not enrolled, those continuing their education are outside that earnings snapshot. **Median earnings · four years after completion** $110,798 Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **Claremont McKenna College reported median** $110,798 **Peer schools comparable schools · $54,883 below Claremont McKenna College** $55,915 School and program earnings use pooled 2017–18 and 2018–19 completion cohorts, measured in 2022 and 2023 and expressed in 2024 dollars. [How the model works](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). ## How many Claremont McKenna College first-year students return? First-time, full-time bachelor’s cohorts · CDS 2025-26 **Returned the following fall** 97.9% Source: Claremont McKenna College Common Data Set 2025-26, B22 retention. ## How could earnings differ from the median? The planning scenarios range from $53,650 to $146,524, around the reported median of $110,798. Compare the lower scenario with [Claremont McKenna College borrowing and monthly payments](/school/claremont-mckenna-college/cost/) to see how a smaller income could change your plan. Modeled from the school’s program mix; not salary percentiles or a forecast for one graduate. Earnings four years after completion Planning rangeReported median **Lower estimate** $53,650 **Median · reported** $110,798 **Higher estimate** $146,524 Downside shows a lower-earning scenario based on the college’s mix of programs; upside shows a higher-earning scenario. Typical is the school’s reported median four years after completion. These are planning scenarios, not a forecast of your salary or percentiles of individual graduates. [Why the downside matters](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) explores the risk hidden by medians, using older ten-year entrant data. [Read about the move to four-year earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). ## Do Claremont McKenna College graduates earn more than expected? Azimuth models what we would expect graduates to earn based on who the college enrolls, how selective it is and its local economy. The difference between that expectation and reported earnings is what Azimuth calls [value added](/methodology/#value-added). That comparison is not reported for Claremont McKenna College. Unlike a peer comparison, it adjusts for who enrolls. The breakdown separates the contribution attributed to observed factors from the remaining difference. Neither component establishes how much attending Claremont McKenna College caused a student to earn. [Read how expected earnings are estimated](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). ## Which fields at Claremont McKenna College report the highest earnings? The program-level picture at Claremont McKenna College is concentrated in the social sciences, with Social Sciences accounting for 45.9% of bachelor's degrees awarded. The earnings data, available for three programs, shows a wide spread between the highest- and lowest-earning fields. Economics is the largest program, with 129 degrees awarded and median earnings of $146,524 four years after completion. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #6 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Political Science awards 46 degrees and its graduates earn a median of $73,826. International Relations and National Security Studies is smaller, at 30 degrees awarded, but its median earnings of $96,520 sit between the other two. The contrast between the highest-earning program and the more moderate fields is substantial. At Claremont McKenna College, Social Sciences accounts for 45.9% of bachelor's degrees awarded, with Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies a distant second at 11.4%. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) 1 program nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions. That program is Economics, the largest single field at 129 degrees awarded a year. It ranks #6 within its field and #1 in California, with graduates earning a median of $146,524 four years after completion. The next-largest programs with published earnings are Political Science (46 degrees awarded, median earnings $73,826) and International Relations and National Security Studies (30 degrees awarded, median earnings $96,520). Across all fields, 3 programs have published four-year earnings data. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Economics** $146,524 **International Relations and National Security Studies** $96,520 **Political Science and Government** $73,826 [Explore Claremont McKenna College program cohorts and field ranks](/school/claremont-mckenna-college/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix show a downside of $53,650, a typical outcome of $110,798, and an upside of $146,524. The spread reflects variation by field: Economics reaches $146,524 four years after completion, while Political Science, the lowest-earning among the largest programs, stands at $73,826. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $110,798. Azimuth places that earnings figure in the 98th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, based on an earnings cohort of 173 completers. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix show a wide range: a typical scenario at the observed median, a downside scenario of $53,650, and an upside scenario of $146,524. These are scenarios, not observed groups of graduates. An estimated 41.6% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. ## Data & methodology Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/). Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), 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](/about/).