Boundless Opportunities
- 2,300 Courses
- About 6,000 undergrads within the 5Cs
Claremont, California
Take advantage of the region’s amazing climate and recreational opportunities at CMC, located in an idyllic college town just 50 km from Los Angeles and close to Southern California’s world-class beaches and mountains.
The Claremont Colleges are a consortium of five undergraduate colleges (the 5c's) and two graduate institutions located within an area of 2.6 square kilometers. The consortium includes Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd, Pitzer, Pomona, and Scripps colleges,along with Claremont Graduate University and Keck Graduate Institute.
Majors
- American studies
- Asian Studies
- Biochemistry
- Biophysics
- Chemistry
- Classical studies
- Economics
- Economics-Accounting
- Economics and Engineering (3/2 Program)
- Environment, Economics, and Politics
- Environmental Analysis Program (EAP)
- Film Studies (dual major only)
- French
- Government
- History
- International Relations
- Literature
- Mathematical Sciences
- Middle East Studies
- Molecular Biology
- Neuroscience
- Organismal Biology
- Philosophy
- Philosophy and Public Affairs (PPA)
- Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE)
- Physics
- Psychology
- Religious Studies
- Science Management
- Spanish
For CMC Sequences, Special Programs, and 5C Majors, visit: Academic Programs
Research Institutes
CMC’s research institutes and centers provide students with graduate-level research opportunities in conjunction with the College’s distinguished faculty. As undergraduates, CMC students are afforded opportunities unparalleled at liberal arts colleges around the world. Each institute or center has a specific mission and develops programs to meet academic and co-curricular objectives. Nearly 80% of CMC students conduct research with faculty.
CMC houses 11 Research Institutes and Centers, including:
- Berger Institute for Work, Family & Children
- Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship
- Financial Economics Institute
- Gould Center for Humanistic Studies
- Keck Center for International & Strategic Studies
- Kravis Leadership Institute
- Lowe Institute of Political Economy
- Mgrublian Center for Human Rights
- Roberts Environmental Center
- Rose Institute of State & Local Government
- Salvatori Center for the Study of Individual Freedom in the Modern World.
For more information visit the CMC Research Institutes website.
Internships and Career Preparation
The Sponsored Internship & Experience Program is CMC’s flagship program, providing almost $1 million each year in funding for summer internships in the U.S. and abroad. Students have participated in thousands of internships around the world within the U.S. government, nonprofits, NGOs, tech firms, banks, investment firms, entertainment companies, laboratories, think tanks, research centers, and many other organizations.
Internship Examples:
- Amazon
- Boston Consulting Group
- Boeing Co.
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
- Deloitte Consulting
- KKR & Co.
- Microsoft
- NBC Universal
- Random House
- The Wall Street Journal
For more information visit the CMC Career Services website.
One College
Claremont McKenna College (CMC) provides a unique education that blends a liberal arts curriculum with a distinct focus on career and leadership preparation. CMC draws upon the liberal arts, with a focus on the humanities, arts and sciences, to define your critical thinking skills, decision-making, interpersonal communication and intellectual development. These skills are utilized in hands-on professional development experiences that build a strong resume and prepare you for a dynamic and meaningful career.
Hands-on Learning. Real-world Impact.
- 43 countries represented
- 17% International students
- 8:1 student to faculty ration
- About 50% of students spend at least one semester in an off-campus study program
- About 1/3 of students double or dual major
- 250 CMC and 5C clubs/organizations
- 1,345 total enrollment
- Average salary$66,675 six months arger graduation (2016-17)
- Average class size 18 students
“CMC has become a home away from home while giving me the opportunity to experience and learn from new cultures. The international community has been a family from the very beginning of the school year and is the reason I was able to settle in so easily.”
Laura Michelson '20
Home Country: Bogota, Colombia
Major: Psychology
“I love the ambitious and supportive energy of the CMC community! My favorite part of CMC is the Athenaeum. It is an amazing resource that has given me the chance to engage with such diverse topics concerning the environment, film, language, cultures, philosophy, to name a few. I have found it valuable to take advantage of such a space, which appreciates new ideas and perspectives, attend such engaging talks and meet open-minded and interesting people.”
Mimi Thompson ’21
Home country: Bangkok, Thailand
Major: Undecided
"After high school I still needed to explore my interests. So, I chose CMC because I wanted to be in an environment where I would make personal connections with staff and faculty so that they can guide and advise me as I embark on my career journey. My transition was so smooth with the help of staff and faculty at I-Place, Soll Center, and Writing Center.”
Placide Gatabazi '21
Home Country: Kigali, Rwanda
Major: Science Management
“I feel welcome at clubs and student organizations on campus. I-Place has been really helpful, particularly during breaks when they organize events for us. It really helps the homesickness. It’s wonderful to see how even domestic students become interested and involved in our cultures.”
Laira Aggarwal ’19
Home country: New Delhi, India
Major: Economics and Mathematical Sciences with a Financial Economics Sequence
“After graduation I started my doctoral studies at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, with a focus on science and technology policy in the context of international security issues. My professors played an important role in helping me figure out my path after CMC—I considered a lot of different options throughout my four years—and they helped me identify my best options after graduation.”
Mrinalini Bhushan ’21
Home country: New Delhi, India
Major: Psychology and Economics
College Rankings
- #2 Top Liberal Arts College (2017) Forbes
- #2 Top Student Consensus (2018) College Consensus
- #4 Best Universities and Colleges by Salary Potential (2016-17) Payscale.com
- #6 Best School for Internships (2018) Princeton Review
- #8 Best National Liberal Arts Colleges (2018) U.S. News & World Report
Silicon Valley Semester Program
The Silicon Valley Semester Program was inspired by the expansive network of CMC alumni who have found success in the world of high-tech business. In collaboration with the Robert Day School of Economics and Finance, the program includes a fulltime internship, academic coursework, research, and networking in one of the fastest-growing sectors in the world.
Internship sponsors have included:
- Atlassian
- Cisco
- CrunchFund
- Equinix
- Intuit
- Square
- Tesla
- Uber
The Washington Program
The Washington Program provides an internship semester that gives you unparalleled exposure to influential career opportunities in government and beyond. Working full time in fast-paced offices across Washington, D.C.—from the White House to Congress to the private sector and major media organizations—you’ll gain intimate knowledge of life at the center of the political universe.
Internship sponsors have included:
- White House Chief of Staff
- House Oversight and Government Reform
- Supreme Court
- Center for Strategic and International Studies
- Alliance for Global Justice
- American Public Health Association
- CNN
The Athenaeum
At the Athenaeum, today’s leading scholars, activists, innovators, entrepreneurs, politicians, poets, scientists, and musicians engage with the CMC community in an intimate setting almost every night of the week. With over 80 speakers annually, CMC has welcomed the following leaders in recent years: journalist Anderson Cooper, PayPal co-founder and CEO Peter Thiel, comedian and TV host W. Kamau Bell, Mexican ambassador to the U.S. Miguel Basanez, Indian ambassador to the U.S. Nirupama Rao, and Pulitzer Prize winning poet Louise Gluck.
See Yourself at CMC?
Apply here
Visit here
Deadlines
- Early Decision I Deadline: November 1
- Early Decision II Deadline: January 5
- Regular Decision Deadline: January 5
- Merit Scholarship Consideration Deadline: December
Request more information here
