Explore alternatives based on outcomes, location, cost, and admission difficulty
Given Pomona's 6.8% acceptance rate, most applicants—even highly qualified ones—will need backup options. The schools below deliver comparable or superior outcomes with more accessible admission or different advantages.
These schools offer higher acceptance rates while delivering comparable career outcomes.
For similar liberal arts outcomes with better admission odds, consider Scripps College (33.9% acceptance, $77,539 median earnings) located directly adjacent to Pomona. Occidental College admits 39.9% of applicants while producing graduates earning $75,951, just 2.4% below Pomona's outcomes. UC Irvine offers 25.6% acceptance with higher earnings of $80,735, providing both improved admission odds and stronger career outcomes.
Strong options in the same region with comparable academic profiles.
Students wanting to stay in Southern California should consider other Claremont Colleges. Scripps College sits adjacent to Pomona with nearly identical earnings ($77,539 vs $77,779) but 33.9% acceptance rates. Claremont McKenna College offers stronger economics and business programs with $104,736 median earnings, though admission remains competitive at 11.1%. Harvey Mudd College provides exceptional STEM outcomes at $138,687 with 13.1% acceptance rates.
Elite universities with similar prestige and academic caliber
Similar quality tier (#8567 ranked)