Claremont McKenna Acceptance Rate and SAT/ACT Scores

Claremont McKenna College Admission Requirements and Statistics

[updated for 2024-2025 admission data]

How hard is Claremont McKenna to get into?

This page provides the latest information on Claremont McKenna College (Claremont McKenna)'s admission process, acceptance rate, and student profile. Claremont McKenna's acceptance rate is 9.59% for 2024-2025 admission. A total of 6,529 students applied and 626 were admitted to the school. Its acceptance rate is very low, which means it is very hard to get into Claremont McKenna.

To apply to Claremont McKenna, recommendations and personal statement (or essay) are required to submit. The SAT and ACT score is not required, but considered for admission. In addition, english proficiency test score is also considered (required).

Claremont McKenna's acceptance rate is the 5th lowest among 118 California colleges with competitive admission.
The median SAT score is 1530 and the ACT score is 34 at Claremont McKenna. Claremont McKenna's SAT score ranks 4th out of 28 California colleges that consider SAT score for admission.
Claremont McKenna's yield rate is 53.83%, which is moderately lower by 8.89 percentage points (approximately 14.2% lower) compared to similar colleges with acceptance rates between 0% and 10% (average yield: 62.72%). You can compare colleges with similar acceptance rates to Claremont McKenna at colleges with acceptance rates lower than 10%.

Admission Statistics

For the academic year 2024-25, Claremont McKenna's acceptance rate is 9.59% and the yield (also known as enrollment rate) is 53.83%. 2,967 men and 3,225 women applied to Claremont McKenna and 291 men and 312 women students were accepted.

Among them, 171 men and 156 women were enrolled in Claremont McKenna. You can explore the Claremont McKenna's admission rates and SAT score trends over the past decade, including year-by-year data and analysis, by visiting Admission Trends page.

Acceptance Rate and Admission Statistics at Claremont McKenna
	Total	Men	Women	Another Gender	Gender Unknown
Applicants	6,529	2,967	3,225	0	0
Admitted	626	291	312	0	0
Enrolled	337	171	156	0	0
Acceptance Rate	9.59%	9.81%	9.67%	-	-
Yield	53.83%	58.76%	50.00%	-	-

Data source: IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) (Last update: December 11, 2024)

Claremont McKenna College 2025 Acceptance Rate By Gender chart

Median SAT and ACT Score

For the academic year 2025, 87 students (26% of enrolled students) submitted SAT scores and 45 students (13% of enrolled students) submitted ACT scores as part of the admission process at Claremont McKenna.

The median SAT score for admitted students is 1,530, including 750 in SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) and 780 in SAT Math. The 75th percentile SAT EBRW score is 770 and the 25th percentile is 720. For SAT Math, the 75th percentile score is 790 and the 25th percentile is 750.

The median ACT composite score is 34, with a 75th percentile score of 35 and a 25th percentile score of 33 at Claremont McKenna. The median ACT Math score is 33 and the median ACT English score is 35.

How competitive is Claremont McKenna's score?

The SAT and ACT scores at Claremont McKenna College are competitive and high compared to similar colleges (SAT: 1,295, ACT: 29 - private (not-for-profit) baccalaureate college - arts & sciences).

2025 SAT and ACT Scores at Claremont McKenna
	25^th Percentile	50^th Percentile (Median)	75^th Percentile
SAT Total	1,470	1,530	1,560
SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing	720	750	770
SAT Math	750	780	790
ACT Composite	33	34	35
ACT Math	31	33	35
ACT English	34	35	35

Data source: IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) (Last update: December 11, 2024)

Claremont McKenna College 2025 SAT and ACT Score Chart

Application Requirements

It requires to submit High School Record (or Transcript), Completion of College Preparatory Program, Recommendations, English Proficiency Test, and Personal statement or essay to its applicants.

The SAT and ACT test score is not required, but considered in admission process at Claremont McKenna. The english proficiency test is required .

The next table summarizes the application requirements to apply Claremont McKenna College.

For more admission information such as minimum GPA and deadlines, see its online application page .

Claremont McKenna Admission Requirements
High School GPA	Considered, if submitted
High School Rank	Considered, if submitted
High School Record (or Transcript)	Required
Completion of College Preparatory Program	Required
Recommendations	Required
Formal Demonstration of Competencies	Not Considered
SAT / ACT	Considered, if submitted
English Proficiency Test	Required
Other Test (Wonderlic,WISC-III,etc)	Not Considered
Work experience	Considered, if submitted
Personal statement or essay	Required
Legacy status	Considered, if submitted

General Admissions Information

The following provides general admission information for applying to Claremont McKenna:

Open Admission Policy: No
Undergraduate Application Fees: -
Graduate Application Fees: -
Admission Information: www.cmc.edu/admission
Online Application: www.cmc.edu/admission/apply
Calendar System: Semester
Course for High School Students: Not Offered
Credits Accepted: Advanced placement (AP) Credits
Degree Offered: Bachelor, Master

Get Admission Information

What is the acceptance rate at the Claremont McKenna?

Claremont McKenna is extremely competitive to get into, with an acceptance rate of 9.59%.

What SAT or ACT scores are required for admission to Claremont McKenna?

Claremont McKenna recommends submitting SAT or ACT scores, but they are not strictly required for admission. The average SAT score required for admission to Claremont McKenna is 1,530, and the average ACT score is 34. Meeting or exceeding these scores will improve your chances of admission.

Does Claremont McKenna require essays or personal statements?

Yes, Claremont McKenna requires applicants to submit a personal essay or statement as part of the application.

Are recommendation letters required for Claremont McKenna admission?

Yes, Claremont McKenna requires applicants to submit a recommendation letter as part of the application.

Is there an application fee?

Claremont McKenna does not require an application fee for undergraduate or graduate admission.

Do I need to submit my high school transcript?

Yes, Claremont McKenna requires applicants to submit high school record or transcript as part of the admission process.

Are there any specific admission requirements for international students?

Yes, Claremont McKenna requires international applicants to submit an English proficiency test (like TOEFL or IELTS) as part of the application.

What is SAT code and ACT code for Claremont McKenna?

The institutional SAT code for Claremont McKenna is 4054 and 4-digit ACT code is 0224.