Pomona College
Pomona College at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Pomona College Featured Rankings
- #2 Small Colleges in California
- #2 Liberal Arts Colleges in California 2026
- #3 Communications Liberal Arts Colleges
- #4 Private Colleges in California
- #4 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Psychology Majors
- #4 Anthropology Liberal Arts Colleges
- #5 History Liberal Arts Colleges
- #7 Engineering Liberal Arts Colleges
- #9 Earth Sciences Liberal Arts Colleges
- #9 Religious Studies Liberal Arts Colleges
- #12 Best Biology Colleges and Universities
- #12 Communications Colleges and Universities
- #13 Physics Liberal Arts Colleges
- #13 Psychology Colleges and Universities
- #13 Best Colleges in California 2026
- #13 Math Liberal Arts Colleges
- #14 Sociology Liberal Arts Colleges
- #14 Sociology Colleges and Universities
- #14 Computer Science Liberal Arts Colleges
- #14 Economics Liberal Arts Colleges
- #14 Chemistry Liberal Arts Colleges
- #14 Philosophy Liberal Arts Colleges
- #14 Liberal Arts Colleges for Biology Degrees
- #15 Political Science Liberal Arts Colleges
- #17 English Liberal Arts Colleges
- #20 Best Liberal Arts Colleges 2026
- #21 Best Small Colleges 2026
- #43 Best Undergrad Private Colleges
- #46 Best Undergrad Colleges 2026
About Pomona College
Featured Alumna
Jennifer Doudna ranks among our Top Influential Biologists Today.
According to Wikipedia, Pomona College is a private liberal arts college in Claremont, California. It was established in 1887 by a group of Congregationalists who wanted to recreate a "college of the New England type" in Southern California. In 1925, it became the founding member of the Claremont Colleges consortium of adjacent, affiliated institutions.
Pomona College Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12,121 | 7% | 98% | 92% | 1525 | 34 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Pomona College Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $68,670 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $5,297 |
| 30K - 48K | $5,418 |
| 48K - 75K | $5,790 |
| 75K - 110K | $16,466 |
| 110K+ | $48,928 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Pomona College Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Pomona College students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $84,281 a year, and 97% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Pomona College's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads |
|---|---|
| 1,763 | 1,763 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Pomona College?
Pomona College is located at 550 N College Ave, Claremont, CA 91711-4434.
How Safe is Pomona College?
Relative to its enrollment, Pomona College has a violent crime rate of 0.06% and a property crime rate of 2.82%. Claremont has a violent crime rate of 0.51% and a property crime rate of 1.94%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Pomona College Known For?
Pomona College is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Literature
- Religious Studies
- Biology
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Mathematics
- Communications
- Sociology
- Anthropology
- Philosophy
- Earth Sciences
- Political Science
- Economics
- Computer Science
- History
- Psychology
- Engineering
Pomona College's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Pomona College's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Pomona College ranks #86 in the U.S. and #223 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesPomona College ranks #98 in the U.S. and #420 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesPomona College ranks #105 in the U.S. and #340 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesPomona College ranks #107 in the U.S. and #431 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesPomona College ranks #112 in the U.S. and #511 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesPomona College ranks #147 in the U.S. and #547 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesPomona College ranks #148 in the U.S. and #501 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesPomona College ranks #150 in the U.S. and #537 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesPomona College ranks #152 in the U.S. and #464 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesPomona College ranks #162 in the U.S. and #540 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesPomona College ranks #163 in the U.S. and #659 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesPomona College ranks #165 in the U.S. and #662 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesPomona College ranks #172 in the U.S. and #761 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesPomona College ranks #178 in the U.S. and #671 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesPomona College ranks #184 in the U.S. and #535 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesPomona College ranks #200 in the U.S. and #484 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesPomona College ranks #236 in the U.S. and #1314 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesWho Are Pomona College's Most Influential Alumni?
Pomona College's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Literature, Biology, and Physics. Here are some of Pomona College's most famous alumni:
- Jennifer Doudna
- An American biochemist, (1964 – ), Washington, DC, USA.
- Roy E. Disney
- A Longtime senior executive for The Walt Disney Company .
- Rosemary Radford Ruether
- An American theologian.
- Roger Revelle
- An American scientist.
- Louis Menand
- A Writer, Pulitzer Prize for History winner.
- James Turrell
- An American sculptor.
- Paul Fussell
- An American cultural and literary historian .
- Twyla Tharp
- An American dancer and choreographer.
- Norris Bradbury
- An American physicist.
- William Irwin Thompson
- An American poet and social critic.
- Rick Strassman
- An American drug researcher.
- George C. Wolfe
- An American playwright.
Who Are Pomona College's Most Influential Faculty?
Pomona College's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Literature, Biology, and Physics. Here are some of Pomona College's most famous faculty:
- Chad Trujillo
- An American astronomer.
- Alice Goffman
- An American sociologist.
- G. Gabrielle Starr
- A President of Pomona College.
- Edray Herber Goins
- An American mathematician.
- Yanga R. Fernández
- An American astronomer.
- Gizem Karaali
- A Turkish-born American mathematician.
- Audrey C. Delsanti
- A French astronomer.
- Omayra Ortega
- An American mathematician.
- Prageeta Sharma
- An American poet.
- Susan McWilliams Barndt
- An American political theorist.
- Robert R. Gaines
- An American geologist.
