5 minute read
EDUCATION
QUICK FACTS 7
Universities in Claremont. 5 undergraduate colleges and 2 graduate colleges
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Highest Level of Education (% of Population 25 Years and Older)
10.2%
High School Graduate
20.1%
Some College (less than 4 years)
6.4%
Associate Degree
24.2%
Bachelor’s Degree
32.6%
Graduate or Professional Degree
EDUCATI ON
The Claremont Colleges (known col- may encounter loquially as the 7Cs) are a consortium of seven highly selective private institutions architect designed of higher education located in Claremont. buildings ranging They comprise five undergraduate colleges (the 5Cs): Pomona College, Scripps Colfrom the 1880s lege, Claremont McKenna College, Harvey to contemporary Mudd College, and Pitzer College; and two graduate schools: Claremont Graduate designs.” University and Keck Graduate Institute. All of the members except KGI have adjoining campuses that together cover roughly one square mile.
Visitors may enjoy a leisurely walk through the tree-filled campuses, where one can encounter architect designed buildings ranging from the 1880s to contemporary designs. Art, sculpture and murals abound in hidden gardens and courtyards. Renowned architects practiced in Claremont, and many designed master plans for entire campuses and individual buildings located throughout America. The Scripps College campus, often called the nation’s most beautiful, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was designed by Gordon Kauffman, who also designed the Los Angeles Times Build-
Claremont McKenna College
SIGHT SEEING
The local preservation organization, Claremont Heritage, offers 2 ½ hour walking tours of the campuses every quarter and can organize special tours upon request for groups. Claremont Heritage is a non-profit organization that was formed in 1976 by citizens of Claremont to carry out a mission to advance, preserve and celebrate the historic architectural, natural and cultural resources of our community through collaboration, education, and advocacy. To inquire about The Claremont Colleges walking tour and other guided and self-guided tours, including a Village Walking Tour, contact Claremont Heritage at claremontheritage.org, or call 909.621.0848.
Pomona College
ing, Greystone Mansion and Hoover Dam, among other works. The imposing Bridges Auditorium and the beautiful Mabel Shaw Bridges Hall of Music, on the Pomona College Campus, were designed by Pasadena architect Myron Hunt, also known for the Huntington Hotel and Huntington Library.
The consortium of colleges was founded in 1925 by Pomona College President James A. Blaisdell, who proposed a collegiate university design inspired by Oxford University. He sought to provide the specialization, flexibility, and personal attention commonly found in small colleges, but with the resources of a large university.
In 1923, Blaisdell said, “My own very deep hope is that instead of one great, undifferentiated university, we might have a group of institutions divided into small colleges — somewhat of an Oxford type — around a library and other utilities which they would use in common. In this way I should hope to preserve the inestimable personal values of the small college while securing the facilities of the great university.” Today, the consortium has roughly 9,000 students and 3,800 faculty and staff and offers
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EDUCATION
more than 2,000 courses every semester. The colleges share a central library, campus safety services, and other resources. Among the undergraduate schools, there is significant social interaction and academic cross-registration, but each college still maintains a distinct identity.
THE FIVE UNDERGRADUATE COLLEGES
Pomona College (founded 1887), a small, coeducational, liberal arts college that offers majors in humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Pomona College is the founding member of the Claremont Colleges.
Scripps College (founded 1926), a small, liberal arts women’s college, which offers 65 majors in both the sciences and humanities.
Harvey Mudd College
FIRST IN THEIR CLASS
The Claremont Colleges are consistently ranked among the top 50 colleges in the nation. In 2021, Pomona College garnered the #19 spot in the Forbes top-50 ranking of colleges, and Claremont McKenna College #46.
In the 2021 US News and World Report rankings for National Liberal Arts Colleges, Pomona College took the #4 ranking, with Claremont McKenna at #8, Harvey Mudd at #28, Scripps College at #30 and Pitzer College at #35. Harvey Mudd also ranked #2 in Best Engineering Schools for 2022. Among Best Education Schools, Claremont Graduate University is ranked at #76.
Claremont McKenna College (found-
ed 1946), a small, coeducational, liberal arts college that specializes in economics, political science, international relations, and public policy. It also maintains a broad set of majors in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Claremont McKenna College is also home to the Robert Day School of Economics and Finance, which offers both an undergraduate program and a master’s program in finance.
Harvey Mudd College (founded 1955), a small, coeducational college specializing in engineering, mathematics, computer science, and the physical and biological sciences, but also includes coursework in the humanities and social sciences.
Harvey Mudd was ranked #2 in PayScale’s 2021-2022 College Salary Report, just slightly behind MIT and out-ranking Caltech, Harvard and Stanford, where Harvey Mudd graduates have the second highest mid-career salaries with a bachelor’s degree as their final degree. It also ranked #2 in PayScale’s most recent College Return on Investment Report.
Pitzer College (founded 1963), a small, coeducational, liberal arts college noted for its core values of Social Responsibility, Intercultural Understanding, Interdisciplinary Learning, Student Engagement and Environmental Sustainability. Pitzer is part of the SAT optional movement among liberal arts colleges.
THE TWO GRADUATE UNIVERSITIES Claremont Graduate University (founded 1925), awards master’s and doctoral degrees in over 100 disciplines: arts, humanities, social sciences, behavioral & organizational sciences, management/executive management,
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EDUCATION
psychology, educational studies, religion, mathematical sciences, information systems & technology, community & global health, and botany.
Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life
Sciences (founded 1997), a biomedical graduate school offers 10 professional Master of Bioscience (MBS) degrees and three PhD degrees in Applied Life Science for MBS graduates. It also offers a Postdoctoral Professional Masters (PPM) and a joint PhD program in computational biology with Claremont Graduate University. The Keck Graduate Institute School of Pharmacy opened in 2014 offering a four-year Doctor of Pharmacy degree (Pharm.D.). Keck Graduate Institute also sponsors a four-year undergraduate program in collaboration with the Minerva Project, termed Minerva Schools at KGI, though students are not physically present on the Claremont Colleges campuses.
Additionally, Claremont Lincoln University is in Claremont but is not a member of the Claremont Colleges.
Claremont Lincoln University (founded
2011) is an online, socially conscious graduate school that offers master’s degrees in 13 areas, ranging from Sustainability Leadership to Social Impact to Organizational Leadership, with concentrations in Ethics, Healthcare, Civic Engagement, Higher Education, Human Resources, Professional Studies and Tech Management.
Bridges Hall of Music
