Claremont McKenna College SAT Scores, ACT Scores, Acceptance Rate, and Admissions Requirements
Claremont McKenna is test-optional, but the scores students submit cluster near the top: a 1490–1550 SAT or 33–35 ACT is the competitive range to aim for. If your score lands there, submitting it can turn testing from an uncertainty into one clear strength in a very selective process.
⬡ LangSmith2fbedca9-efd7-44ed-b252-81fc2db05d44Data on this page is sourced from our college data partners and was last updated on July 9, 2026.
Claremont McKenna College facts and stats
Claremont McKenna College enrolls about 1,390 undergraduates in a suburban campus setting. Claremont McKenna has a 98% freshman retention rate, well above the national average of roughly 70%, and a 91% 6-year graduation rate. The student-to-faculty ratio is 8:1.
⬡ LangSmithe6a2c39f-c114-4c52-99cd-693f9779bb43Claremont, CA
How do your scores compare at Claremont McKenna?
Key Claremont McKenna College application dates
Key dates
Regular Decision
January 10
Early Action
Not offered
Early Decision
November 1
Priority Deadline
—
Financial Aid Priority
January 17
Test dates
August 22, 2026
Registration deadline: August 7, 2026
September 12, 2026
Registration deadline: August 28, 2026
October 3, 2026
Registration deadline: September 18, 2026
September 19, 2026
Registration deadline: August 14, 2026
October 17, 2026
Registration deadline: September 11, 2026
December 12, 2026
Registration deadline: November 6, 2026
Because Claremont McKenna is test-optional, follow this timeline only if you plan to submit SAT or ACT scores. Take your first test by the spring of junior year, then reserve the summer before senior year and the fall of senior year for retakes; for the November 1 Early Decision deadline, the October SAT or September ACT is typically the last retake likely to arrive in time and can support superscoring.
⬡ LangSmith4634ccdf-1ff7-4ce8-8fe3-45844b6f22e7Want to improve your scores and unlock scholarships at Claremont McKenna College?
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What you'll actually pay
Claremont McKenna is a private not-for-profit, so the same tuition and fees rate of $67,980 applies to all students. About 36% of students receive aid, and the average merit award is $23,300. Submit the FAFSA by the January 17 priority deadline.
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At Claremont McKenna College, tuition, fees, room, and board total about $88,810 per year. About 36% of students receive financial aid, with an average aid package of $67,764, which can significantly reduce the billed cost for qualifying families. The average merit award is $23,300 for students who receive it. Graduates leave with an average debt of $26,120.
⬡ LangSmithd5eae3a7-5fd1-4ad9-a8a9-c2fcd9bddb6dStudent life at Claremont McKenna College
97% of undergrads live on campus
Freshman housing: Guaranteed
No fraternity or sorority life on campus.
Similar schools
Pomona College
Claremont, CAAcceptance rate: 7.1%
SAT: 1500–1550
ACT: 33–35
Harvey Mudd College
Claremont, CAAcceptance rate: 12.7%
SAT: 1510–1560
ACT: 34–36
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CAAcceptance rate: 9.8%
SAT: 1450–1530
ACT: 32–35
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CAAcceptance rate: 2.6%
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