Claremont McKenna College acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
Claremont McKenna College is a private college in California that admits about 10% of applicants, which puts it in the most selective range. A rate like this means it admits roughly one in ten applicants or fewer; the bar is less about clearing a single cutoff and more about how your full profile compares to admitted students.
Use this page to see what Claremont McKenna College weighs, where it ranks among California schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1520, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What is Claremont McKenna College's acceptance rate?
Claremont McKenna College admitted 645 of 5,799 first-year applicants for fall 2023, an acceptance rate of 9.6%. The middle 50% of enrolled students scored 1470 to 1560 on the SAT and 33 to 35 on the ACT.
Source: IPEDS admissions survey, fall 2023. Updated October 29, 2026.
Claremont McKenna College application deadlines, 2026-27
What do students study at Claremont McKenna College?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into Claremont McKenna College?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Claremont McKenna College, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Claremont McKenna College?
At Claremont McKenna College, your real chance depends on far more than the published 10% admit rate. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Claremont McKenna College in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Claremont McKenna College hard to get into?
Claremont McKenna College is most selective: it admits roughly one in ten applicants or fewer, with about a 10% acceptance rate. At this level, strong grades and scores are the baseline, so essays, recommendations, and a distinctive story are what separate admits.
What GPA do you need to get into Claremont McKenna College?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Claremont McKenna College, but admitted students almost universally present a 3.9 to 4.0 GPA earned in the most demanding courses their school offers. Claremont McKenna College reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at Claremont McKenna College by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Claremont McKenna College for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 6 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at Claremont McKenna College with a 3.9 GPA and a 1520 SAT?
About 19% (Reach), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.9 unweighted GPA and a 1520 SAT, the middle of Claremont McKenna College's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 4.0 GPA with a 1560 SAT comes out near 21%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/claremont-mckenna-college.
Early Decision, Early Action and the waitlist at Claremont McKenna College
From Claremont McKenna College's own 2024-25 Common Data Set (fall 2024 entering class): sections C1, C2, C21-C22 and D2.
What is the early decision acceptance rate at Claremont McKenna College?
22.1%. Claremont McKenna College admitted 216 of 978 Early Decision applicants for fall 2024, against 9.4% of all 6,939 first-year applicants (Claremont McKenna College's 2024-25 Common Data Set).
Does applying early decision help at Claremont McKenna College?
On the raw numbers, yes: Early Decision applicants were admitted at 22.1% versus about 7.4% for everyone who applied another way, 3x the rate, and Early Decision filled 33% of the admitted class. Part of that gap is who applies early (recruited athletes and legacy applicants often do), so it is not all the round itself. Early Decision is binding: apply only if Claremont McKenna College is your clear first choice and the family can commit without comparing aid offers.
What is the transfer acceptance rate at Claremont McKenna College?
8.1%: 25 of 307 transfer applicants were admitted for fall 2024 (Claremont McKenna College's 2024-25 Common Data Set).
Source: Claremont McKenna College Common Data Set 2024-25. Every figure appears verbatim in the document. See how early rounds compare across colleges in the Early Decision rankings.
How to get into Claremont McKenna College
Built from Claremont McKenna College's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
Getting into Claremont McKenna College comes down to four decisions, each one visible in the data on this page.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Claremont McKenna College carries about a 3.89 core GPA and a 1510 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. At this selectivity that is the entry ticket, not the deciding factor.
The admitted middle 50% is 1470 to 1560 SAT (33 to 35 ACT). Submit a score at 1515 or higher; below 1470, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
Claremont McKenna College rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and application essay highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: essays that sound like you and answer the actual prompt, and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
Selective private colleges admit a larger share of their class in binding Early Decision; if Claremont McKenna College is your clear first choice and the net price works, ED is the single biggest lever an applicant controls. Most early deadlines fall on November 1 and Regular Decision on January 1 to 15; confirm Claremont McKenna College's exact dates at www.cmc.edu.
How many students apply to Claremont McKenna College, and how many get in?
5,799 students applied to Claremont McKenna College for fall 2023; 645 were admitted (11.1%). 321 enrolled. Roughly 50% of admitted students enrolled, a typical yield for a school in this range. Claremont McKenna College enrolls about 1,388 undergraduates in total, 50% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Claremont McKenna College?
The middle 50% of admitted students at Claremont McKenna College scored between 1470 and 1560 on the SAT (average 1527). On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 33 to 35. A score above 1560 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 1470 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Claremont McKenna College is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What Claremont McKenna College looks for
What Claremont McKenna College weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
Claremont McKenna College signals that it values rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and application essay above the rest of the file. At this level of selectivity, the difference between admits is rarely the transcript alone; essays, recommendations, and a coherent story matter. These ratings come from Claremont McKenna College's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at Claremont McKenna College
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does Claremont McKenna College cost after financial aid?
Claremont McKenna College's published cost of attendance, before any aid, is roughly $86,500 per year. Tuition and fees alone are $67,980. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $28,849 a year, and it ranges from $15,308 for families earning under $30,000 to $52,295 for families earning over $110,000. 18% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do Claremont McKenna College graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Claremont McKenna College student who received federal aid earns $104,736 a year, up from $87,603 at six years. 91% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 98% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $13,500; 21% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How Claremont McKenna College compares in California
Claremont McKenna College ranks #6 most selective of 61 schools in California in our database.
Among the 61 California schools we track, Claremont McKenna College ranks #6 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like California Institute of Technology (3%) and Stanford University (4%) sit nearby, which makes California a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list.
Similar to Claremont McKenna College
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
If Claremont McKenna College is on your list, schools with a similar admit profile are worth a look: University of Southern California, Boston University, and University of Notre Dame. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What is Claremont McKenna College's acceptance rate?
Claremont McKenna College admitted 645 of 5,799 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 11.1% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 50% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for Claremont McKenna College?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1470 to 1560 on the SAT and 33 to 35 on the ACT. A score above 1560 is in the top quarter of admits. Claremont McKenna College is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is Claremont McKenna College test-optional?
Yes. Claremont McKenna College reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does Claremont McKenna College cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Claremont McKenna College, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $28,849 a year against a sticker price of about $86,500. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $15,308 on average.
What do Claremont McKenna College graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Claremont McKenna College are $104,736 a year among students who received federal aid, and 91% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Claremont McKenna College value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Claremont McKenna College weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and application essay most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Claremont McKenna College consider legacy or demonstrated interest?
Many private colleges weigh legacy relationships and demonstrated interest. Claremont McKenna College's full factor profile is charted on this page, and CollegeCalcAI models a legacy effect scaled to a school's selectivity.
How can I improve my chances at Claremont McKenna College?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Claremont McKenna College specifically.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.