Why CMC?

Guided by core principles of leadership, opportunity, and interdisciplinary liberal arts, CMC’s cycle of learning and doing defines each new generation of dynamic scholar-leaders. 

Above all, we are a student-driven campus—led by your pursuits and desires to create a real home. CMC’s distinctive social warmth infuses itself in everything from your daily breakfast greeting by friendly staff members at Collins Dining Hall to a communal culture of academics and student activities that emphasizes shared purpose, playfulness, and the pure joy of learning.

What will you benefit from and contribute to at CMC? For starters:

• Small, discussion-based classes (8:1 ratio) taught by world-class teacher-scholars;
• Advanced research and learning through 11 graduate-level research institutes, centers, and labs, as well as targeted support for writing and quantitative and computational analysis;
• The development of a next-generation integrated sciences program on the most important areas of discovery, computational methods, and intersections of policy, business, and ethics;
• Nationally-recognized guest speakers visiting campus through our signature, interactive Athenaeum program (with student-hosted dinner programs four nights a week);
• Our award-winning Open Academy, to inculcate the value of free expression and open inquiry, the power of learning from diverse viewpoints and experiences, and mastery of the intellectual and social capabilities of constructive and effective dialogue;
• Inclusive CARE Center fellowships and programs to build community, develop empathy and understanding for one another, and learn and identify through and across differences;
• Expansive career advice, internship connections, and first-year support through our active alumni network and Soll Center for Student Opportunity, offering sponsored internships and experiences to more than 60% of our returning student body in the summer;
• The best athletic and workout facilities in NCAA Division III, including Roberts Pavilion, where our Stag and Athena scholar-leader-athletes (national ranking of 3^rd in 2018-19) compete at the highest level;
• Outstanding student organizations, such as Model UN (four-time world champion in five years), SOURCE (a nonprofit consulting company that serves the region), and the Student Investment Fund (responsible for over $3 million in endowment investments); and
• The advantages of a larger academic community—The Claremont Colleges, a five-college undergraduate consortium that shares courses, programs, clubs, and so much more, all in a beautiful Southern California setting at the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains.

CMC also offers a wide range of meet-all-need, financial, academic, and social support to students of all socioeconomic backgrounds. This includes several signature scholarships—most notably, the Frank Seaver Leadership full-tuition scholarship; the McKenna Achievement Award, a merit scholarship of $15,000 given to entering first-years; and generous opportunities to join our 11 distinctive Scholar Communities, experiential learning cohorts created to support students in a variety of disciplines and academic fields. 

Over the past five years, CMC has increased the proportion of entering Pell-eligible students by over 75% and nearly doubled our percentage of students who are first in their family to attend college. Students who receive need-based financial aid are guaranteed funding for a qualifying first-year summer experience or internship (the summer between their first and sophomore year), with stipends ranging from $2,500 to $5,000. Additional support for our highest-need students, including books and supplies, emergency funds, and family travel funding, is available through our Kravis Opportunity Fund.

Ready to see CMC for yourself? Plan a campus visit with us or contact our staff for additional information.

We can’t wait to meet you!