Claremont McKenna College (CMC), one of the nation’s top liberal arts colleges, prepares students to make a difference. CMC educates students for thoughtful and productive lives and roles of responsible leadership through its strong, real-world mission. The college attracts a diverse student body who are accomplished beyond the classroom.

Located 30 miles east of Los Angeles in suburban Claremont, California, CMC is a member of The Claremont Colleges. CMC students choose from more than 2,300 courses and participate in over 250 student clubs and organizations with other students from Harvey Mudd College, Pitzer College, Pomona College, and Scripps College. About one-third of students double or dual major. 

CMC offers a rigorous, interdisciplinary intellectual experience complemented by close relationships with faculty. Nearly 80% of CMC students conduct independent research with faculty. Traditionally known for expertise in economics and government, CMC features leading departments in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities, supported by eleven world class research institutes and centers. In 2024, CMC will introduce their Integrated Sciences major: Health, Brain, and Planet, focused on breakthroughs in genomics, neuroscience, and renewable energy.  The Athenaeum, an endowed leadership speaker series, brings speakers to campus every Monday through Thursday evening to lead students in a civil discourse about topics that affect their lives and the global community.

The Sponsored Internship & Experience Program provides nearly $2 million in funding for unpaid summer internships and experiences in the U.S.  and abroad. About 40% of CMC students study abroad. CMC offers over 115 programs in 40 countries. CMC also offers off-campus study programs in Washington D.C. and Silicon Valley, where students complete a full-semester internship.

The Soll Center for Student Opportunity provides all students with advising, mentoring, and networking support that is tailored to each student’s professional goals. Many graduates go on to receive prestigious post-graduate fellowships and degrees in business, law, medicine, and many other fields. CMC alumni thrive in a wide range of careers, including consulting, education, financial services, government and public policy, media and entertainment, medicine, nonprofit leadership, science, and technology.

CMC’s close-knit student community is fostered through a strong residential life program, the CARE Center, and robust extracurricular offerings in athletics, clubs and organizations, student government, and other social programming. The CARE (Civility, Access, Resources, and Expression) Center is a space for expression, study, dialogue, and exploration of our intersecting identities. The Center’s goal is to provide a space for civil dialogue and resources to support inclusion and remove institutional barriers to student success.

Two fun facts about CMC: First, it is a tradition for students to get ponded--thrown into one of the two fountains located on campus--by their peers on their birthday. Second, Claremont McKenna College was an all Men’s College for its first 30 years.