Pomona College
波莫纳学院- Tier 2
- Claremont, CA
- Data last checked 2026-10
Pomona College admits about 7% of first-year applicants. The middle 50% SAT range is 1470–1550, and the GPA reference is 3.85 (Unweighted 4.0 scale, 25th percentile). SAT / ACT optional for the 2026-27 cycle (fall 2027 entry); strong scorers should submit. Applying for financial aid can affect admission for international students. A year costs about $95,670 (2026-27).
Flagship Majors and Admit Data
| Major | Admit rate | vs overall | One-liner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economics / Politics / Econ (PPE)★ Flagship | ≈ overall 7% | ≈ overall | |
| Computer Science (with Harvey Mudd)★ Flagship | ≈ overall 7% | ≈ overall | |
| Neuroscience / Molecular Biology | ≈ overall 7% | ≈ overall |
Where no official major admit rate is published, difficulty is estimated from the school's public information.
US applicants
- Overall admit rate
- 7%. The actual number for the domestic pool (which holds most seats) is roughly aligned with the official figure.
- Financial aid / FAFSA
- Need-blind for domestic; FAFSA aid applications don't affect admission (need-aware applies only to international).
- Privates have no in-state preference
- Domestic applications don't differentiate by state, but schools care about state representation (over-concentrated areas face competitive squeeze).
- Test policy
- SAT / ACT optional for the 2026-27 cycle (fall 2027 entry); strong scorers should submit. Official policy ›
- Application timing
- ED/EA deadlines early November, RD January. Domestic families typically begin college visits at the end of 11th grade.
International (F-1) applicants
- International friendliness 3 / 3
- High international ratio (15%+), relatively friendly
- Need-blind for international
- ✗ No — F1 applicants applying for aid see significantly lower admit rates (need-aware)
Cost per year
Published cost of attendance for 2026-27 (tuition, housing, food, books and fees): about $95,670.
This is the published sticker price; what a family actually pays depends on financial aid and scholarships.
Waitlist
| Cycle | Accepted a waitlist spot | Admitted from waitlist | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2025 | 716 | 31 | 4.3% |
| Fall 2024 | 680 | 58 | 8.5% |
| Fall 2023 | 587 | 62 | 11% |
- Extra materials
- You may send a letter of continued interest or updates
- Confirming your spot
- Submit the Waitlist Offer Response Form in your application account by May 1; only students who submit it will be considered
- When you'll hear
- No news until early-to-mid May at the earliest, and it may continue into July
- Other rules
- After you submit the reply form, you can send one more short update through your application account
- Other rules
- Admission from the waitlist doesn't consider your ability to pay, and the school meets your full financial need; students admitted from the waitlist can't take a gap year
Numbers are from the school's Common Data Set (section C2), checked 2026-10. They can change a lot from year to year; the school's latest release is authoritative. Official waitlist policy ›
Already on a waitlist? The Application Rescue Kit lays out the timeline and real cost of four paths: waitlist, gap year, transfer and spring admission ›Transfer
Fall transfer, Fall 2025: 519 applied and 57 were admitted (about 11%).
Requirements:Pomona accepts students from community colleges, public universities, international universities and private colleges, as well as veterans, and works with the Honors Transfer Council of California to help community college honors students transfer. Entry is in the fall only; you need one full year of college to count as a transfer, you enter as a sophomore or junior, you must complete four full-time semesters at Pomona, and at most 16 courses of credit can transfer in.
Are popular majors open to external transfers?
- Computer scienceOpenAs a liberal arts college, it does not admit by major; you just list the major you are interested in when you apply, and you can study computer science after you enroll; the whole college admits only a few dozen transfers each year.
Pomona College · US College Application Deep Read · Chinese-American Lens
In the Chinese-American US college application pool, Pomona College sits in the Elite-select private (high-pressure layer for Chinese-American families) layer. Overall admit rate is 7%, with traditional strength in Liberal Arts / Economics / Research, and Economics / Politics / Econ (PPE) as the entry that Chinese-American families track most.
Pomona College is need-aware for international applicants — requesting financial aid reduces admit probability, intl-friendliness 3/3. Hardware bar: GPA 25th 3.85/4.0, SAT mid-range 1470-1550, AP expectation 7 courses. Only half of admission is on the numbers — the other half is EC depth, essays, and recommendations. Test scores are a ticket, not a verdict.
If you or a parent is evaluating whether Pomona College is a reach, match, or safety in this US college application cycle, the "I have 4.0 / 1500, can I get in?" question is not answerable from public forums alone — real judgment requires layering this season's admissions policy, your high-school competitive density, within-major selectivity, and ED/EA timing into one model. At the elite-select tier, EA vs ED choice can shift admit probability by 1-2 tiers; lock the call before September. The Kaiso engine assigns Pomona College to a tier based on your real profile, and every judgment is auditable.
What parents ask about Pomona College
What is Pomona College's undergraduate admit rate?
Pomona College (波莫纳学院) overall undergraduate admit rate is about 7% (private or public). SAT mid-range (25-75 percentile) 1470-1550. GPA threshold reference 3.85 (Unweighted 4.0 scale, 25th percentile). Data last verified 2026-10.
Does Pomona College require the SAT or ACT?
SAT / ACT optional for the 2026-27 cycle (fall 2027 entry); strong scorers should submit.
What early rounds does Pomona College offer?
2026-27 cycle: ED1 due Nov 15, ED2 due Jan 15, RD due Jan 15. ED is binding: if admitted, you must enroll.
How much does a year at Pomona College cost?
Published cost of attendance for 2026-27 (tuition, housing, food, books and fees): about $95,670. This is the published sticker price; what a family actually pays depends on financial aid and scholarships.
How hard is it to transfer into Pomona College?
Fall transfer, Fall 2025: 519 applied and 57 were admitted (about 11%). Pomona accepts students from community colleges, public universities, international universities and private colleges, as well as veterans, and works with the Honors Transfer Council of California to help community college honors students transfer. Entry is in the fall only; you need one full year of college to count as a transfer, you enter as a sophomore or junior, you must complete four full-time semesters at Pomona, and at most 16 courses of credit can transfer in.
How many students get in from Pomona College's waitlist?
Fall 2025: 716 accepted a waitlist spot and 31 were admitted (about 4.3%); Fall 2024: 680 accepted a waitlist spot and 58 were admitted (about 8.5%); Fall 2023: 587 accepted a waitlist spot and 62 were admitted (about 11%). These numbers can change a lot from year to year; the school's latest release is authoritative.
What are Pomona College's flagship majors?
Pomona College flagship majors: Economics / Politics / Econ (PPE), Computer Science (with Harvey Mudd). 5C 共享课程，经济+政治+哲学跨学科
Is Pomona College friendly to international (F1) applicants?
Pomona College is need-aware for international students — F1 applicants applying for aid see significantly lower admit rates. International friendliness 3/3.