Pomona College vs Colby College

Pomona College and Colby College, both highly regarded liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Pomona, nestled in Claremont, California, boasts a lower acceptance rate (9%) and a higher graduation rate (92%) compared to Colby's 13% acceptance rate and 89% graduation rate. While Pomona's student body is slightly larger, both colleges share a commitment to small class sizes and personalized attention. Explore the detailed comparison table to delve into further differences, including popular majors, student demographics, and financial aid opportunities, to determine which college best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Colby College logo

Colby College

Pomona College logo

Pomona College

Overview

Location Waterville, Maine Claremont, California
Campus setting Town: Remote Suburb: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system 4-1-4 Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate Undergraduate
Students retention rate 95.0% 96.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 8.9% 6.6%
Application fees $70
SAT range 1400 - 1530 1470 - 1570
ACT range 32 - 34 33 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 40.0% 37.0%
Students submitting ACT score 28.0% 29.0%
Total number of applicants 15,857 11,620
Total number of admissions given out 1,407 771
Admitted students who chose to enroll 667 451
Yield rate 47.4% 58.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Not required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $68,825 $74,873
Average net price $17,912 $17,000
Tuition $58,640 $56,284
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $8,150

Meal plan: $7,595
Room/dormitory: $10,666

Meal plan: $7,858
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

39.0%
Average amount $58,513
57.0%
Average amount $53,094
Students receiving federal student loan 8.0%
Average amount $5,140
4.0%
Average amount $4,273
Students taking out private loans 1.0%
Average amount $18,242
6.0%
Average amount $11,349

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 2,262
Men 47.1% Women 52.9%
1,764
Men 45.4% Women 54.6%
Graduate students N/A N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students 9.5% 11.3%
Campus local/setting Town: Remote Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 2,242 1,612
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Social Sciences
  • Psychology
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Natural Resources and Conservation
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Psychology
  • Ethnic Studies
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio 10:1 7:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 86.6% 93.0%
Dropout rate 5.7% 4.3%
Transferred out 7.5% 2.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,540
  • Year 2: $57,995
  • Year 3: $83,980
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,972
  • Year 2: $47,118
  • Year 3: $55,529
International/Global Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $44,350
  • Year 2: $42,682
  • Year 3: $53,638
Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $33,993
  • Year 3: $42,883
Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,156
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $40,423
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $44,612
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $41,193
  • Year 3: N/A
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $30,771
  • Year 3: N/A
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $38,289
  • Year 3: N/A
Anthropology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $44,971
  • Year 3: N/A
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $110,738
  • Year 2: $128,737
  • Year 3: N/A
Public Policy Analysis (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $29,685
  • Year 3: N/A
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,038
  • Year 2: $77,213
  • Year 3: N/A

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