Claremont McKenna College: Cost, Graduate Salary, Acceptance Rate and Return on Investment
Claremont McKenna College is a private nonprofit college in Claremont, CA. Students pay about $28,849 a year in net price, and the median graduate earns $104,736 ten years after enrolling. By our Degree-ROI measure the degree pays back in about 2.2 years and adds $451,464 over a decade, ranking it #12 of 918 (top 2%) by value added.
What is Claremont McKenna College's acceptance rate?
Claremont McKenna College has an acceptance rate of 9.6%, which makes it highly selective. It is a private nonprofit institution in Claremont, CA enrolling about 1,388 students, with a 93.3% graduation rate.
How much does Claremont McKenna College cost?
Claremont McKenna College costs about $28,849 per year in average net price, what a typical student actually pays after grants and scholarships. Over four years, including typical borrowing, that totals roughly $128,896. Published sticker cost of attendance is $86,500 per year.
How much do Claremont McKenna College graduates earn?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Claremont McKenna College student earns $104,736 per year. That is $58,036 more than the $46,700 that the typical worker with only a high-school diploma earns.
Is Claremont McKenna College worth it? Degree ROI and payback period
Claremont McKenna College pays back its roughly $128,896 cost in about 2.2 years, then keeps returning the earnings premium. Over the first decade the degree adds about $451,464 net of cost, a 4.5x return on the money invested. That ranks it #12 of 918 (top 2%) by value added. Its top-tier value is driven mainly by strong graduate earnings and a high graduation rate.
Top 10% value
Claremont McKenna College graduation rate and student debt
93.3% of Claremont McKenna College students complete their degree, and the median graduate leaves with $13,500 in federal student debt. That debt is about 13% of one year of median graduate earnings.
Claremont McKenna College by the numbers (vs the typical college)
How Claremont McKenna College compares to the median four-year college in our snapshot. Percentile is its rank among the 918 colleges that report both earnings and cost (higher is better).
| Metric | This school | Median college | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg net price / yr | $28,849 | $20,299 | cheaper than 20% |
| Median earnings (10 yrs) | $104,736 | $54,768 | 99th |
| Graduation rate | 93.3% | 57.0% | 98th |
| Acceptance rate | 9.6% | 75.7% | more selective than 97% |
| 10-yr value added | $451,464 | -$28,192 | 99th |
| ROI multiple (per $1) | 4.5x | 0.73x | 97th |
| Payback period | 2.2 yrs | 8.8 yrs | faster than 96% |
Frequently asked
Is Claremont McKenna College worth the cost compared to other colleges?
By value added net of cost, Claremont McKenna College ranks #12 of 918 (top 2%) of the 918 four-year colleges we rank, and returns about 4.5x the money invested over a decade.
Is Claremont McKenna College expensive compared to other colleges?
Its $28,849 average net price is above the $20,299 median for the colleges in this snapshot, making it cheaper than 20% of them.
Do Claremont McKenna College graduates earn more than average?
Median earnings of $104,736 ten years out are above the $54,768 median, higher than 99% of the colleges here.
How hard is it to get into Claremont McKenna College compared to other colleges?
Its 9.6% acceptance rate is below the 75.7% median, making it more selective than 97% of the colleges in the snapshot.
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