1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Pomona College Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Pomona College CA · Small private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #168 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/pomona-college/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/pomona-college/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/pomona-college/admissions/)[Majors](/school/pomona-college/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/pomona-college/similar/) ## [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Pomona College #168 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Pomona College is a small private nonprofit university in Claremont, California, where the degree mix is led by Social Sciences, Biological Sciences, and Computer & Information Sciences. Return is among the highest we track, and the overall standing is well above average. Graduates earn above the median at comparable institutions. Most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study, so the four-year earnings picture is measured while most are in the workforce. The price case turns on income: the lowest band pays a fraction of the published cost, while the highest band pays substantially more. Affordability is well above average, and borrowers who finish carry federal debt below the peer median. The admission rate is below the median for comparable institutions. The largest program by degrees awarded is also the highest-earning. ## Pomona College at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 7.1% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 93.2% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $77,544 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $17,054 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $11,782 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $27,861 ## Pomona College rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Pomona College is a private nonprofit university in Claremont, California, enrolling 1,666 undergraduates. The composite standing is in the top tenth of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (89th percentile). Admission is highly selective: the university admits 7.1% of applicants, while the median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is 75.7%. Among full-time first-year students, 97.5% return for a second year, against a peer median of 74.2%. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 93.2%, well above the peer median of 54.9%. An estimated 4.8% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the graduation rate describes the large majority who start here as first-time students. The four pillars sit far apart. Return is the strongest, at the 93rd percentile, while access is the weakest, at the 58th percentile. Affordability and mobility fall between them, at the 81st and 61st percentiles. Pomona College's strongest pillar is return, at the 93rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Affordability is also a strength, at the 81st percentile. Mobility and access are the weaker pillars, at the 61st and 58th percentiles respectively. The profile is one where graduates' earnings and the net price after aid are the clearest positives, while access is the dimension that sits lowest. The middle 50% of submitted SAT scores at Pomona College fell between 1,490 and 1,560. The middle 50% of submitted ACT scores fell between 33 and 35. 19.5% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Azimuth ranks Pomona College #617 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. The access pillar is the weakest of the four for the university. Azimuth ranks the university #456 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. [How value-added outcomes are assessed](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) · [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Pomona College rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #168 | | [California](/rankings/best-colleges-in-california/) | #33 | | [West](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-west/) | #45 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 61 **Access & reach** National percentile: 58 **[Affordability](/school/pomona-college/cost/)** National percentile: 81 **[Return on investment](/school/pomona-college/outcomes/)** National percentile: 93 01 / Pomona College briefing ## [Pomona College cost & financial aid](/school/pomona-college/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) Pomona College sets a published cost of attendance of $85,300 for the standard budget. Tuition and fees for the academic year are listed at $65,420. Room and board are listed at $21,394. After grants and scholarships are applied, aid recipients pay an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) of $19,285. That figure is $66,015 less than the full sticker price. Aid covers about 77% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The peer median net price for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $22,347. The college falls $3,062 below that median. For affordability, Azimuth ranks Pomona College #266 among nonprofit four-year institutions. The published cost of attendance at Pomona College is $85,300 (an average across living arrangements). Azimuth ranks the university #266 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. For families earning under $30,000, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $4,841; for those earning $48,001 to $75,000, it is $17,054; and for those earning over $110,000, it is $37,842. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $33,001. Aid covers about 77% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average net price across all aid recipients is $19,285, which is $3,062 below the $22,347 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Borrowers who finish carry a median of $11,782 in federal student loans, $13,218 below the $25,000 median for comparable institutions. About 52.1% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $27,861 in [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loans. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $134 a month. It estimates what a family might pay based on their own finances. Your family income Choose a household income range to see estimated net price. $0–30K$30–48K$48–75K$75–110K$110K+ Reported average annual net price · $48–75K**$17,054** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Pomona College About 52.1% of federal aid recipients at Pomona College take federal loans. Among borrowers who complete, median federal student debt is $11,782. That median is $13,218 below the $25,000 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Parents who borrow through the [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) program are a separate population, with a median of $27,861. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $77,544. That figure is $21,629 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size), and it sits in the 86th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, range from $48,532 on the downside to $156,577 on the upside, with a typical scenario of $77,544. The median federal debt of $11,782 is $13,218 below the peer median, and if repaid over ten years it corresponds to an estimated payment of $134 a month. For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $27,861. For borrowers with median federal student debt, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $134 a month if repaid over ten years. [How Financial GPS measures payment burden](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) · [The four risk-and-reward zones](/analysis/4-zones-of-college-risk-and-reward/) Financial GPS ### What does repayment look like? **Institution median student debt** $11,782 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $27,861 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $134/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $354/mo Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s. 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. [Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=pomona-college#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/pomona-college/cost/) 02 / Pomona College briefing ## [Pomona College career outcomes & earnings](/school/pomona-college/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Graduates of Pomona College earn a median of $77,544 four years after completion, which is $21,629 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth places the return pillar in the 93rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The median earnings figure sits at the 86th percentile. Four years after completing a degree, the median earnings for federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled is $77,544. That figure is $21,629 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size), and Azimuth places it in the 86th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings cohort is 177 completers. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the university's program mix, range from a downside of $48,532 to an upside of $156,577, with a typical scenario of $77,544. An estimated 36.8% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. The median for federally aided graduates four years after completion is $77,544, at the 86th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That median sits $21,629 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Pomona College #97 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Degrees cluster in Social Sciences, Biological Sciences and Computer & Information Sciences. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix run from $48,532 to $156,577. An estimated 36.8% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. The median is drawn from 177 completers in the four-year earnings cohort. The earnings scenarios show a wide spread: the downside scenario is $48,532, while the upside scenario reaches $156,577. At the higher end, Computer Science graduates report median earnings of $217,051 four years after completion, from 50 degrees awarded a year. Economics graduates earn $96,702, from 47 degrees a year. The two programs with published earnings data sit at opposite ends of the earnings range. The published cost of attendance is $85,300 (an average across living arrangements), but aid covers about 77% of that for the average aid recipient. The average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $19,285, which is $3,062 below the median for comparable institutions. Borrowers who finish carry a median of $11,782 in federal student loans. That is below the peer median of $25,000. If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $134 a month. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $27,861 in Parent PLUS loans. [Read the full outcomes brief](/school/pomona-college/outcomes/) 03 / Pomona College briefing ## [Pomona College acceptance rate & admissions](/school/pomona-college/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) Pomona College admits 7.1% of applicants, a figure that sits well below the median of 75.7% for comparable institutions (same type and size). SAT: approximate enrolled-student range **Admission rate** 7.1% **Approximate lower endpoint** 1490 **Reported average** 1534 **Approximate upper endpoint** 1560 Enrolled students who submitted scores. This range is not an admission cutoff. The endpoints add section percentiles; they are not verified composite-score percentiles. A separate SAT-equivalent average is not plotted as a median. Source: College Scorecard; sum of section 25th/75th percentiles; enrolled score-submitters. [Read the full admissions brief](/school/pomona-college/admissions/) 04 / Pomona College briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Pomona College?](/school/pomona-college/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) Only two programs at Pomona College have published earnings data, and the gap between them is wide. Computer Science graduates earn a median of $217,051 four years after completion, from 50 degrees awarded a year. That figure sits at 2.03x the national median for the field. Economics is the other program with earnings data, at $96,702 from 47 degrees awarded. Its median is 1.17x the national benchmark. A student choosing between these two fields is choosing between very different earnings outcomes four years out. For any other program, the school-level earnings scenarios are available. Social Sciences accounts for 23.4% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed by Biological Sciences at 13.2% and Computer & Information Sciences at 12.4%. Computer Science is the largest single program, with 50 degrees awarded a year. Its graduates earn a median of $217,051 four years after completion. Economics is the second-largest program, awarding 47 degrees a year. Its graduates earn a median of $96,702. Pomona College awards more bachelor's degrees in the social sciences than in any other field, with Social Sciences accounting for 23.4% of degrees awarded. Biological Sciences and Computer & Information Sciences follow, at 13.2% and 12.4% respectively. The college has 2 programs with published four-year earnings data. The largest program is Computer Science, with 50 degrees awarded a year. Its graduates earn a median of $217,051 four years after completion, which is 2.03x the national median for the field. Economics is the second-largest program, at 47 degrees awarded. Its median earnings of $96,702 sit at 1.17x the national median for its field. The earnings pattern here is concentrated: the largest program is also the highest-earning one, and its benchmark ratio is well above the next-largest field. The benchmark ratio for the largest program is well above the ratio for the next-largest field. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Computer Science 50 degrees awarded** $217,051 **Economics 47 degrees awarded** $96,702 **Mathematics 31 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **Political Science and Government 25 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **Communication and Media Studies 18 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **Biology, General 18 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings. [Read the full majors brief](/school/pomona-college/majors/) 05 / Pomona College briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Pomona College?](/school/pomona-college/similar/)[\[15\]](#hub-data-note-peers) Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. [How matching works](/school/pomona-college/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Pomona College. Admissions peerClaremont McKenna College9.6% admitted+ Comparison with Pomona College | Measure | Pomona College | Claremont McKenna College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $77,544 | $110,798+$33,254 vs Pomona College | | Average annual net price | $19,285 | $28,849+$9,564 vs Pomona College · higher cost | | Admission rate | 7.1% | 9.6% | [Explore Claremont McKenna College →](/school/claremont-mckenna-college/) Higher-admission alternativeScripps College38.3% admitted+ Comparison with Pomona College | Measure | Pomona College | Scripps College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $77,544 | $75,301\-$2,243 vs Pomona College | | Average annual net price | $19,285 | $36,294+$17,009 vs Pomona College · higher cost | | Admission rate | 7.1% | 38.3% | Nearby alternativeScripps CollegeNearby option · CA+ Comparison with Pomona College | Measure | Pomona College | Scripps College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $77,544 | $75,301\-$2,243 vs Pomona College | | Average annual net price | $19,285 | $36,294+$17,009 vs Pomona College · higher cost | | Admission rate | 7.1% | 38.3% | Higher-earnings alternativeMassachusetts Institute of Technology$161,961 earnings+ Comparison with Pomona College | Measure | Pomona College | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $77,544 | $161,961+$84,417 vs Pomona College | | Average annual net price | $19,285 | $20,111+$826 vs Pomona College · higher cost | | Admission rate | 7.1% | 4.6% | [Explore Massachusetts Institute of Technology →](/school/massachusetts-institute-of-technology/) Lower-cost alternativeCalifornia State University-San Marcos$10,229 average net price+ Comparison with Pomona College | Measure | Pomona College | California State University-San Marcos | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $77,544 | $67,891\-$9,653 vs Pomona College | | Average annual net price | $19,285 | $10,229\-$9,056 vs Pomona College · lower cost | | Admission rate | 7.1% | 95.1% | [Explore California State University-San Marcos →](/school/california-state-university-san-marcos/) Similar profileMount Saint Mary's UniversityMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Pomona College | Measure | Pomona College | Mount Saint Mary's University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $77,544 | $79,546+$2,002 vs Pomona College | | Average annual net price | $19,285 | $21,413+$2,128 vs Pomona College · higher cost | | Admission rate | 7.1% | 73.1% | [Explore Mount Saint Mary's University →](/school/mount-saint-marys-university/) Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable. [Read the full similar schools brief](/school/pomona-college/similar/) ## Data scope & methodology Structured payloads generated September 27, 2026 · Governed hub narrative October 1, 2026 · Governed spoke corpus October 1, 2026 Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection. Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them. Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects. Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. [Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations](/methodology/) · [About College Azimuth](/about/) Read the analysis behind [value-added earnings](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) and the [change to four-year graduate earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com. ## Data notes & source fields Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the [U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/files/InstitutionDataDocumentation.pdf); notes with a different source link it below. 1. **Admission rate.** Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability. Source fields: `ADM_RATE` 2. **Six-year completion.** First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree. Source fields: `C150_4` 3. **Four-year institutional earnings.** Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion. Source fields: `MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` 4. **Median federal student debt.** Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students. Source fields: `GRAD_DEBT_MDN` 5. **National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks.** Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ. Source fields: `Azimuth rankings` [College Azimuth · Ranking methodology](/methodology/) 6. **Annual net price by family income.** Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers. Source fields: `NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV` 7. **Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration.** Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance uses the frozen 2024 framework baseline. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations. Source fields: `PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations` [College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) 8. **Downside and upside earnings; yellow band.** The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median. Source fields: `Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios` [College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) 9. **Value added and its components.** Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. Source fields: `Azimuth statistical model` [College Azimuth · Value-added methodology](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) 10. **SAT score range and reported midpoint.** Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range. Source fields: `SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG` 11. **First-year retention.** Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions. Source fields: `RET_FT4` 12. **Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots.** Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity. Source fields: `EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE` [College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/assets/FieldOfStudyDataDocumentation.pdf) 13. **Pell recipients.** Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year. Source fields: `PCTPELL` 14. **Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group.** This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns. Source fields: `1 − PFTFTUG1_EF` 15. **Peer earnings and signed differences.** Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure. Source fields: `Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` [College Azimuth · Comparison methodology](/methodology/) [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)