Study in Claremont, The United States

About Claremont

Claremont is a small city in Southern California, at the eastern edge of Los Angeles County, at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains. It is best known as the home of the Claremont Colleges, a group of neighbouring private colleges and graduate schools that share services such as a common library.

For international students, Claremont offers something unusual in the United States: very small liberal arts colleges with the resources of a larger group of institutions, in a quiet, walkable college town within reach of Los Angeles. It suits students who want small classes and campus life rather than a big-city university.

Studying in Claremont

Our directory lists three institutions in Claremont, all members of the Claremont Colleges and all teaching in English. Two are undergraduate liberal arts colleges, a type of institution that EducationUSA describes as offering courses in the arts, humanities, languages and the social and physical sciences, and that is usually private:

• Claremont McKenna College (CMC) prepares students, in its own words, for responsible leadership in business, government and the professions. It awards bachelor's and master's degrees and has 1,393 students, almost all undergraduates, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, according to College Navigator, the U.S. Department of Education's database.
• Pitzer College is an undergraduate college with 1,242 students and a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1.
• The Peter F. Drucker Graduate School of Management is the business school of Claremont Graduate University (CGU), a graduate-only institution with 1,771 students that awards master's degrees, doctorates and postgraduate certificates.

Because the colleges sit next to each other, students at one institution can use shared facilities across the group, such as the library run by the consortium.

Admission and student visa

Each college runs its own admissions process. After admission, the college's international office sends a Form I-20 (or a DS-2019 for J exchange programmes), which students take to a U.S. embassy or consulate to apply for an F student visa. According to EducationUSA, the academic year usually runs from September to May, and international students may work on campus for up to 20 hours a week in their first year.

Cost of living for students

Claremont's colleges are private and expensive. College Navigator gives these figures for 2024-25:

• Claremont McKenna College: $67,980 tuition and fees, $20,830 food and housing on campus (first-year undergraduates)
• Pitzer College: $65,192 tuition and fees, $22,150 food and housing on campus (first-year undergraduates)
• Claremont Graduate University: average graduate tuition of $36,390 plus $790 in fees; CGU has no campus housing

CMC and Pitzer both offer campus housing. Graduate students at CGU need to find housing in Claremont or nearby towns.

Getting around and daily life

The campuses are close together and easy to cover on foot or by bike. Claremont has a station on Metrolink, the Southern California commuter rail network, with trains towards L.A. Union Station in downtown Los Angeles. The nearest large airport is Ontario International Airport.

The climate is warm and dry. At Ontario International Airport, the 1991-2020 normals of NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information give an average temperature of 56.1 °F (about 13 °C) in January and 79.2 °F (about 26 °C) in July, when average daily highs reach 93.8 °F (about 34 °C).

Frequently asked questions

What are the Claremont Colleges?

A group of neighbouring private colleges and graduate schools in Claremont that share services such as the library. Our directory lists Claremont McKenna College, Pitzer College and the Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate University.

How much does a year at a Claremont college cost?

For first-year undergraduates in 2024-25, tuition and fees were $67,980 at Claremont McKenna and $65,192 at Pitzer, plus about $21,000 to $22,000 for food and housing on campus, according to College Navigator.

Can I study for an MBA or a doctorate in Claremont?

Yes. Claremont Graduate University, home of the Drucker School of Management, awards master's degrees and doctorates; average graduate tuition was $36,390 in 2024-25.

Can I get to Los Angeles from Claremont without a car?

Yes. Claremont has a Metrolink commuter rail station with trains to L.A. Union Station.