Pomona College vs Macalester College

Pomona College and Macalester 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 Macalester's 28% acceptance rate and 84% 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.
Macalester College logo

Macalester College

Pomona College logo

Pomona College

Overview

Location Saint Paul, Minnesota Claremont, California
Campus setting City: Large Suburb: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate Undergraduate
Students retention rate 96.0% 96.0%
Common app member No Yes
Religious affiliation Presbyterian

Admission

Acceptance rate 31.3% 6.6%
Application fees $40 $70
SAT range 1340 - 1515 1470 - 1570
ACT range 29 - 33 33 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 35.0% 37.0%
Students submitting ACT score 39.0% 29.0%
Total number of applicants 9,046 11,620
Total number of admissions given out 2,828 771
Admitted students who chose to enroll 601 451
Yield rate 21.3% 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) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $76,357 $74,873
Average net price $30,939 $17,000
Tuition $60,288 $56,284
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $7,272

Meal plan: $6,270
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)

87.0%
Average amount $42,832
57.0%
Average amount $53,094
Students receiving federal student loan 39.0%
Average amount $4,799
4.0%
Average amount $4,273
Students taking out private loans 29.0%
Average amount $4,321
6.0%
Average amount $11,349

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 2,244
Men 43.3% Women 56.7%
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 13.5% 11.3%
Campus local/setting City: Large Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 1,332 1,612
First year students are required to live on campus? Yes No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Social Sciences
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Psychology
  • Ethnic Studies
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio 10:1 7:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 89.7% 93.0%
Dropout rate 10.0% 4.3%
Transferred out N/A 2.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $47,163
  • Year 2: $64,493
  • Year 3: $72,135
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,896
  • Year 2: $52,107
  • Year 3: $56,193
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $28,635
  • Year 2: $35,274
  • Year 3: $43,620
Geography and Cartography (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $28,253
  • Year 2: $32,569
  • Year 3: $39,047
International/Global Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $22,368
  • Year 2: $34,526
  • Year 3: $36,933
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $24,116
  • Year 2: $31,133
  • Year 3: $34,521
Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $26,444
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $21,508
  • Year 3: N/A
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $73,129
  • Year 2: $71,575
  • Year 3: N/A
Education, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $33,281
  • 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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