
Pitzer College, located in Claremont California, was founded in 1963 and is one of the institutions that comprise the Claremont Colleges. The school was the first independent women's college to open in the United States since Bennington College had done so in 1932. The school became co-educational in 1970, and at the time maintained an enrollment of 550 students. Today that number has nearly doubled, with students able to study in over forty programs available to them in a variety of concentrations. The small number of students allows for a more personal education and easier access to teachers and faculty.
Academics
Students at Pitzer College work alongside academic advisors and faculty to create personalized curriculum that best reflect the student's desired areas of study. Students will choose a major and develop their course load around the area of study in conjunction with advisor, developing a list of classes that must be completed in order to graduate. Students may also choose a minor, which requires a second set of courses to be completed in order to earn. Earning a bachelor's degree typically takes four years, and students at Pitzer College have access to additional courses at other Claremont Colleges member schools.
Programs offered include:
Admissions and Financial Aid
Admission to Pitzer College is accomplished through the submission of a completed application that provides all the necessary information for the school to review. This includes a personal essay, standardized test scores and transcripts. The student is also required to interview with a representative either in person on campus or online, which will also be taken into consideration when determining admissions. Once all information is compiled, it will be reviewed by several admissions board members, and final decision made. The student will be notified as soon as possible, and if admitted, be provided with additional information to begin their college career.
Financial aid must be applied for prior to the start of each academic year and is available in the form of loans, grants and scholarships. Students in need of financial assistance must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which will be used to determine the student's financial aid packet.
Admission Requirements & Details
The admission details below may give you an idea of the students Pitzer accepts. The details may include admissions application requirements and recommendations, as well as any college or dual credits that may be transferred.
College Credits Accepted
- Dual Credits
- AP Course Credits
Student Enrollment
Pitzer College has a total student population of about 1,100. The enrollment breakdown by academic level is 25% enrolling as graduate students and 100% as undergraduate students.
Estimated Costs & Financial Aid
The items listed below are for informational purposes only and may not represent current tuition, fees, and expenses.
Tuition & Fees Information
- The estimated tuition range is around $48,000-$58,000 per year
- Part time students pay in the range of $6,100 to $7,300 per unit
Financial Aid Details
The financial aid table below details the types of financial aid, along with the percent of students receiving aid, and on average the amount of aid per student per year.
Percent of Students | Average Amount | |
---|---|---|
Any Financial Aid | 46% | - |
Receiving Grants & Scholarships | 37% | $37,462 |
Receiving Student Loans | 37% | $3,570 |
Academics & Student Services
Student Services
To help support students, Pitzer College may provide services to students like:- Remedial instructional courses
- Career path counseling
- Employing students to lower education costs
- Assisting students to find work
Graduation Rates
Pitzer College has a very high graduation rate when compared to other similar schools in the area.
Number of Year to Graduate | Percent of Entering Class |
---|---|
Students Graduating in 4 Years | 73% |
Graduating in 5 Years | 9% |
Graduating in 6 Years | 0.4% |
Programs Offered
The program list below is organized by areas of study. The programs that have a link will direct you to the program's profile page where you can learn more about education requirements and career pathways.

Get more information about the programs offered by Pitzer College by clicking the request information to the right.
(C) Certificate or Award | (A) Associate's | (B) Bachelor's | (M) Master's Degree | (D) Doctorate (PhD,...)
Architecture
- Environmental Design, Architecture (B)
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
- Biology (B)
- Neuroscience (B)
- Ecology, Evolution, Systematics and Population Biology (B)
- Neurobiology and Neurosciences (B)
- Computational Biology (B)
- Molecular Biology (B)
- Biomathematics and Bioinformatics
Business and Marketing Studies
Communications and Journalism
- Media Studies (B)
- Communication and Media Studies (B)
Computer and Information Sciences
- Computer Science (B)
- Computer and Information Sciences (B)
Education
- Elementary Education (B)
- Urban Education and Leadership (B)
English Language and Literature
- English (B)
Ethnic Cultural and Gender Studies
- Asian Studies (B)
- Women's Studies (B)
- Hispanic-American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-American Studies (B)
- European Civilization Studies (B)
- African Studies (B)
- Asian-American Studies (B)
- United States Studies
- Latin American Studies
- African-American Black Studies
- Ethnic and Cultural Minority Studies
Foreign Languages and Literature
- Spanish Language and Literature (B)
- Linguistics (B)
- Foreign Languages and Literatures (B)
- Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (B)
- Classical Languages, Literatures and Linguistics
- Linguistic and Comparative Language Studies and Services
- Chinese Language and Literature
- Russian Language and Literature
- German Language and Literature
- French Language and Literature
- Italian Language and Literature
Health and Clinical Professions
- Holistic Health (B)
- Community Health and Preventive Medicine
History
- History (B)
Interdisciplinary Studies
- Human Biology (B)
- International and Global Studies (B)
- Biological and Physical Sciences (B)
- Systems Science and Theory (B)
- Science, Technology and Society (B)
- Interdisciplinary Studies (B)
- Medieval and Renaissance Studies (B)
- Behavioral Science (B)
Liberal Arts and Sciences
Mathematics and Statistics
- Math (B)
Natural Resources and Conservation
Philosophy and Religious Studies
- Philosophy (B)
- Religious Studies (B)
Physical Sciences
Psychology
- Psychology (B)
- Cognitive Psychology and Psycholinguistics (B)
Public Administration and Social Services
- International Policy Analysis
Social Sciences
- Political Science (B)
- Economics (B)
- Anthropology (B)
- Sociology (B)
- International Relations (B)
- Political Economy
- Cultural Anthropology
Visual and Performing Arts
- Fine Arts and Studio Arts (B)
- Drama and Theatre Arts (B)
- Dance (B)
- Documentary Production (B)
- Art History (B)
- Music
Other 4-Year Private Colleges
The list of schools below have been selected by researching which schools offer similar programs to Pitzer College.
- California State Polytechnic University - Pomona in Pomona, CA (8 miles away)
- California State University - Fullerton in Fullerton, CA (19 miles away)
- California State University - San Bernardino in San Bernardino, CA (22 miles away)
- University of California - Riverside in Riverside, CA (23 miles away)
- California State University - Los Angeles in Los Angeles, CA (27 miles away)
Also, check out our college lists below, which can help students compare schools to one another:
- Compare all colleges & universities in California
- Find out what other private colleges are located in California
- Browse our list of California liberal arts colleges
Data Disclaimer
Information displayed on this page has been obtained from Institution, State, and Federal data sources, including the US Dept. of Education's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Survey 2010-2016. Information should be solely used for informational purposes only and may not be accurate for the current year. Contact Pitzer College for official up-to-date information.