Pitzer College
Claremont, CA 91711-6101
About Pitzer College
Pitzer College is a private university in Claremont, California, enrolling about 1,227 students. Admission is selective for first-time degree-seeking undergraduates reporting admissions data to the Education Department. The acceptance rate is about 25.16% in the latest College Scorecard admissions data. Median earnings about ten years after entry reach about $69,512 among students who received federal aid.
Key findings
- Pitzer College charges about 2.2× the national private non-profit median tuition ($65,192).
- Versus the California median, sticker tuition is about 8.1×.
- Completion within 150% of normal time is 83.39%.
- Median earnings 10 years after entry are $69,512.
Research findings
Finding
Modeled return on investment at Pitzer College is strong.
Estimated ROI reaches about 408% using Scorecard cost and 10-year earnings fields in this extract.
Interpretation: On this institution-wide model, typical graduate earnings over a decade substantially exceed estimated net education cost.
Limitation: ROI is institution-wide and not program-specific; individual outcomes vary by major, aid package, and labor market.
Finding
Pitzer College awards credentials across a wide program mix.
IPEDS completions cover more than 54 distinct degree programs at this campus.
Interpretation: Institutional averages blend very different fields; program-level completions and earnings matter more than the campus mean alone.
Limitation: Completions counts are not enrollment demand and do not measure program quality.
Cost benchmarks
| Benchmark | Median Tuition | Median Net Price | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pitzer College | $65,192 | $34,191 | 1 |
| Private Non-profit (national median) | $29,325 | — | 1,444 |
| California (state median) | $8,093 | $8,343 | 287 |
| Rural (locale median) | $14,160 | $18,700 | 1,649 |
| United States (national median) | $11,900 | $17,156 | — |
Compares this campus to school-type, state, and locale medians plus a U.S. national median (College Scorecard–derived). Locale groups campuses by NCES locale type; state tuition is the median published tuition among campuses in that state.
Average net price is 48% below published tuition at Pitzer College
Key findings
- Pitzer College's average net price ($34,191) is 48% below published tuition ($65,192).
- Pitzer College charges about 2.2× the national private non-profit median tuition ($65,192).
- Versus the California median, sticker tuition is about 8.1×.
Pitzer College tuition
Published undergraduate tuition $65,192
Finding Pitzer College charges about 2.2× the national private non-profit median tuition.
Evidence Published tuition is $65,192. That is about 2.2× the national private non-profit median ($29,325). Versus the California median ($8,093), sticker tuition is about 8.1×. Versus the U.S. median ($11,900), sticker is about 5.5×.
Method Sticker tuition compared with Scorecard-derived medians by ownership, state, locale, and national rollups when available.
Interpretation Published tuition measures sticker price relative to private non-profit and geographic peers; it does not equal what undergraduates typically pay after aid.
Limitation Sticker comparisons omit room, board, and institutional aid; average net price and income-band net prices are the stronger signals of typical family cost.
Evidence: published tuition at Pitzer College versus school-type, state, locale, and U.S. medians.
Evidence: average net price at Pitzer College versus state, locale, and U.S. medians.
What undergraduates typically pay
Finding Average net price at Pitzer College is $34,191.
Evidence College Scorecard average net price is $34,191 (cost of attendance minus average grant aid for aided undergraduates). That is about $25,848 above the California median net price. Versus rural campuses, net price runs $15,491 above the locale median.
Method Average net price from College Scorecard; compared with state, locale, and U.S. medians from EDsmart aggregates.
Interpretation Average net price is a stronger institutional cost signal than published tuition because it incorporates grant aid.
Limitation The campus average masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average.
Key takeaway Pitzer College’s published tuition substantially overstates typical undergraduate cost: average net price is about 48% lower after grants and scholarships.
Pitzer College: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for Pitzer College—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
The combination of completion and 10-year earnings is a multidimensional outcomes signal; it does not measure educational quality by itself.
Financial profile
Annual tuition
$65,192
Avg. net price
$34,191
Net price by family income
| Income bracket | Avg. annual net price |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $14,535 |
| $30,001–$48,000 | $7,769 |
| $48,001–$75,000 | $20,846 |
| $75,001–$110,000 | $29,452 |
| $110,001+ | $46,793 |
Sticker tuition × four years (estimate, no room/board): $260,768. See cost investigation.
Student outcomes
Share of first-year students returning the following fall.
Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.
What Pitzer College is known for
Top program completions
- Environmental Science32
- Economics, General32
- Research and Experimental Psychology, Other22
- Sociology, General21
- Organizational Behavior Studies17
See earnings & programs for more.
Admissions landscape
- Highly selective — fewer than 3 in 10 applicants are admitted.
- Yield: 48% of admitted students enrolled.
See Admissions for the full funnel.
Is Pitzer College a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
Pitzer College is a good school for those looking for strong completion alongside solid mid-career earnings.
EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.
More from the data
Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for Pitzer College.
Campus
Location
Claremont, CA
City / state
- ZIP
- 91711-6101
- NCES locale
- Rural fringe
Compared with Rural campuses nationally, net price is about 1.8× the median for Rural campuses ($18,700 median).
Control
Institution type
Private Non-profit
Control
- Region
- Far West
- Carnegie
- Baccalaureate Colleges: Diverse Fields
Size
Enrollment
1,227
Total enrollment
- Undergraduate
- 1,268
- Full-time share
- 97%
Student aid
Debt & aid
$16,750
Median federal loan debt
- Pell grant share
- 10.55%
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Tuition vs average net price after aid for Pitzer College.
Financial Aid by Income Level
Financial aid distribution by income level.
Student Loan Default Rate
The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at Pitzer College was 0.00%.
Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.
Tuition tracker
Published tuition and average net price by reporting year come from the College Scorecard institution file. Values are not adjusted for inflation; missing cells mean the field was not reported or was suppressed for Pitzer College in that year.
Reporting years in the table below: 2013–2023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).
| Year | In-state tuition & fees | Out-of-state tuition & fees | Average net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | $45,018 | $45,018 | $25,807 |
| 2014 | $47,020 | $47,020 | $27,624 |
| 2015 | $48,670 | $48,670 | $28,075 |
| 2016 | $50,430 | $50,430 | $25,912 |
| 2017 | $52,236 | $52,236 | $28,423 |
| 2018 | $54,056 | $54,056 | $31,590 |
| 2019 | $56,018 | $56,018 | $34,071 |
| 2020 | $55,878 | $55,878 | $29,195 |
| 2021 | $57,978 | $57,978 | $18,206 |
| 2022 | $60,578 | $60,578 | $40,261 |
| 2023 | $62,692 | $62,692 | $31,663 |
Sticker tuition and net price over time
Where the institution reported separate in-state and out-of-state tuition, both appear. Gaps mean the value was not reported for that year.
College Scorecard reporting-year fields (not inflation-adjusted).
Net price by family income
Brackets follow Scorecard definitions for the series shown (public vs private institution).
Latest income-band net prices available in the processed extract.
How difficult is it to get in?
Acceptance Rate
This institution is highly selective, accepting fewer than 3 in 10 applicants.
Applicants → admits → first-time enrollment from College Scorecard / IPEDS. Bar widths are scaled for readability at highly selective schools.
Test Scores
Test score data is not available for this institution.
Score distribution is not available for this institution.
Academic Requirements
GPA requirements are not published by this institution. Contact the admissions office for specific academic requirements.
Estimated GPA range is not available for this institution.
Enrollment & Student Demographics
Pitzer College reported total enrollment of about 1,227 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 41% male and 59% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes White (47.3%), Asian (12.9%), and Hispanic or Latino (12.1%). About 10.55% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Roughly 23.0% of students are first-generation college students.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
97.4% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at Pitzer College in 2024 is 1,227 students.
Undergraduate enrollment is about 1,268 students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
93.8%
2024 Retention Rate
Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall.
Retention rate over time compared to similar institutions.
Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity
Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.
College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).
Do students complete their programs?
Time to Complete
57.56% 100% Completion Time
83.39% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 57.56% of students graduating from Pitzer College completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Completions by Sex (Top Programs)
- Environmental Science: 41% male / 59% female
- Economics, General: 78% male / 22% female
- Research and Experimental Psychology, Other: 41% male / 59% female
IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).
Completions by Race & Ethnicity
Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.
Summed across program completion records in our extract.
Pitzer College graduates earn a median of $69,512 ten years after entry
Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of Pitzer College.
Evidence Median earnings 10 years after entry: $69,512. Median federal loan debt: $16,750. Average net price used in cost models: $34,191.
Method College Scorecard median earnings (10-year), median debt, and EDsmart ROI / payback models using campus net price.
Interpretation Institution-wide ROI and debt ratios summarize campus averages; program choice still drives individual outcomes.
Limitation Salary reflects median earnings ten years after entry; ROI is not program-specific.
Key takeaway Pitzer College graduates report median earnings of $69,512 ten years after entry—an institution-wide outcomes signal, not a program guarantee.
Return on Investment
Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for Pitzer College.
Top Programs by Completions
Largest 10 programs by IPEDS completions (54 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).
IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at Pitzer College.
Employment Outcomes
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for Pitzer College graduates.
How financially powerful is this institution?
Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for Pitzer College—endowment assets (fiscal year 2023), instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.
Institutional endowment
$170M
End-of-year assets · Fiscal year 2023
- California median 8.6× the median ($19.7M)
- Far West median 10× the median ($16.8M)
- U.S. median 6.4× the median ($26.4M)
- California median 19× the median ($7,407)
- Far West median 19× the median ($7,260)
- U.S. median 11× the median ($12,100)
Instructional Resources
- Full-time faculty share: 80.2%
- California median 40.8 pp above median (39.3%)
- Far West median 34.5 pp above median (45.7%)
- U.S. median 22.2 pp above median (58.0%)
- Average faculty salary (monthly): $12,503
- California median 1.2× the median ($10,166)
- Far West median 1.3× the median ($9,635)
- U.S. median 1.6× the median ($7,615)
- Instructional expenditure per FTE: $26,633
- California median 4.1× the median ($6,474)
- Far West median 3.8× the median ($7,030)
- U.S. median 3.7× the median ($7,288)
Instructional metrics from College Scorecard. Peer medians are campus-level; see the institutional financials deep dive. Detailed non-instructional staff counts are not included here.
Pitzer College at a glance
Pitzer College
Pitzer College is a private non-profit institution in Claremont, CA, classified as Baccalaureate Colleges: Diverse Fields.
- Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
- Environmental ScienceEconomics, GeneralResearch and Experimental Psychology, Other
- Largest enrollment groups
- White or Caucasian47.3%Asian12.9%Hispanic or Latino12.1%
Schools near Pitzer College
Other campuses in Claremont, CA when available, plus nearby institutions in California.
Similar schools
Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade B) within California, then by similar ownership and admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Pitzer College located?
Pitzer College is located in Claremont, CA.
What is Pitzer College's acceptance rate?
The acceptance rate at Pitzer College is 25.2% among first-time degree-seeking students reporting admissions data. IPEDS reports 3,464 applicants and 577 admits in the latest admissions cycle in our extract.
What is Pitzer College's tuition?
Pitzer College tuition (published undergraduate sticker price) is $65,192 in the latest College Scorecard data. Average net price after grant aid is $34,191 for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid.
How much does Pitzer College cost?
Reported tuition is $65,192 and average net price is $34,191 in the latest College Scorecard data. On-campus room and board is estimated at $22,150 annually.
Why is Pitzer College's net price so much lower than tuition?
At Pitzer College, published tuition is $65,192 while average net price is $34,191—about 48% lower. Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid (College Scorecard). Institutional aid therefore compresses sticker price into a lower typical undergraduate cost signal. The campus average still masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average. EDsmart Data treats the sticker–net gap as an analytical finding, not advice about individual aid offers.
What explains Pitzer College's return on investment in EDsmart Data?
EDsmart Data models ROI using campus average net price ($34,191), completion (83.4% within 150% of normal time where reported), and median earnings ten years after entry ($69,512). High completion and strong mid-career earnings relative to net cost raise modeled ROI; the estimate is institution-wide and not program-specific. Debt-to-earnings ratios, when available, further contextualize borrowing pressure. Limitations include suppressed fields, program mix, and labor-market variation over time.
What is the student body demographics at Pitzer College?
Pitzer College reports undergraduate enrollment of about 1,268 students, White (47.3%), Asian (12.9%) in federal College Scorecard data.
How many first-generation students attend Pitzer College?
About 23.0% of students at Pitzer College are first-generation college students.
What do graduates of Pitzer College earn?
Median earnings are $51,784 six years after entry and $69,512 ten years after entry.
What is the graduation rate at Pitzer College?
The 150%-time completion rate is 83.4% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.
How much debt do Pitzer College students have?
Median federal loan debt among completers is $16,750.
Is Pitzer College public or private?
Pitzer College is a private nonprofit institution located in Claremont, CA.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
- Related geography & profiles
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology & Data Scope
This profile uses institution-level fields from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, merged with IPEDS directory attributes where needed for locale, ownership, and program completions.
Benchmark rows compare this campus to NCES locale-type medians (for example Suburban) from our processed location extract. Implied U.S. medians are derived from locale-vs-national percentage fields in that extract—not a separate national Scorecard table.