Claremont highlight
Claremont Colleges consortium
A consortium of seven independent colleges founded in 1925, employing approximately 3,000 people and serving about 8,500 students.
The Claremont Colleges—Pomona College, Scripps College, Claremont McKenna College, Harvey Mudd College, Pitzer College, Claremont Graduate University, and Keck Graduate Institute—operate as a unique federation. Founded in 1925 by James A. Blaisdell, president of Pomona College, the consortium was inspired by the residential college systems of Oxford and Cambridge, with each institution maintaining its independence while sharing centralized services.
The colleges serve approximately 8,500 students and offer more than 2,000 courses each semester through the Claremont Colleges Services. They share library facilities, health services, and campus safety infrastructure, allowing each college to preserve its distinct educational mission. Pomona College, the oldest of the consortium, moved to Claremont in 1888 and remains one of the nation's leading liberal arts colleges, with 81% of its graduates pursuing graduate or professional school within a decade.
The presence of seven colleges in one city shapes how families think about education, career planning, and long-term financial security. Many Claremont households are connected to the colleges as faculty, staff, students, or families supporting student dependents—relationships that often span decades and involve significant financial commitments across education and housing.