Whittier College vs Pomona College

Whittier College and Pomona College, two esteemed institutions of higher learning in Southern California, offer distinct educational experiences. Whittier College, nestled in the charming city of Whittier, boasts a welcoming community with a focus on personalized attention and undergraduate research opportunities. Pomona College, situated in the vibrant college town of Claremont, is renowned for its rigorous academic programs, collaborative learning environment, and strong liberal arts tradition. While both colleges share a commitment to academic excellence, they differ in acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Pomona College logo

Pomona College

Whittier College logo

Whittier College

Overview

Location Claremont, California Whittier, California
Campus setting Suburb: Large Suburb: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester 4-1-4
Degrees offered Undergraduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 96.0% 82.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 6.6% 82.5%
Application fees $70
Undergraduate: $50

Graduate: $70
SAT range 1470 - 1570 1120 - 1340
ACT range 33 - 35 23 - 28
Students submitting SAT score 37.0% 11.0%
Students submitting ACT score 29.0% 9.0%
Total number of applicants 11,620 2,884
Total number of admissions given out 771 2,379
Admitted students who chose to enroll 451 277
Yield rate 58.5% 11.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required 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 $74,873 $61,014
Average net price $17,000 $22,091
Tuition $56,284 $48,924
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $10,666

Meal plan: $7,858
Room/dormitory: $8,216

Meal plan: $6,756
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

57.0%
Average amount $53,094
97.0%
Average amount $32,645
Students receiving federal student loan 4.0%
Average amount $4,273
65.0%
Average amount $5,040
Students taking out private loans 6.0%
Average amount $11,349
6.0%
Average amount $17,379

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 1,764
Men 45.4% Women 54.6%
1,325
Men 43.7% Women 56.3%
Graduate students N/A 62
Men 25.8% Women 74.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students 11.3% 6.3%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 1,612 849
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
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Psychology
  • Ethnic Studies
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Social Sciences
  • Education
  • Family and Consumer Sciences
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
Students to faculty ratio 7:1 11:1
Institutional accreditation Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 93.0% 63.6%
Dropout rate 4.3% 3.6%
Transferred out 2.5% 31.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
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
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $34,282
  • Year 2: $41,689
  • Year 3: $64,434
Education, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,241
  • Year 2: $67,324
  • Year 3: $59,453
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $30,364
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $54,567
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $36,650
  • Year 2: $35,914
  • Year 3: $47,815
Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $25,730
  • Year 2: $28,309
  • Year 3: $42,330
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $22,976
  • Year 2: $14,935
  • Year 3: $38,238
Social Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $23,267
  • Year 2: $26,715
  • Year 3: $37,247
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $27,562
  • Year 2: $21,508
  • Year 3: $35,879
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $25,185
  • Year 2: $16,015
  • Year 3: $34,329
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $27,103
  • Year 2: $27,765
  • Year 3: $30,273

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