How to get into Claremont McKenna
What 41 admitted applicants actually had: their grades, test scores, activities, awards and intended majors, counted from 150 Claremont McKenna results that students posted for the 2019 to 2026 cycles. Every number below is counted, not estimated.
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Claremont McKenna admits by the numbers
Median unweighted GPA
3.87
Middle half 3.81 to 4.00
Median SAT
1,525
Middle half 1,490 to 1,538
Median ACT
34
Middle half 31 to 35
Median weighted GPA
4.35
Middle half 4.16 to 4.59
Results posted: 41 admitted, 80 rejected, 29 waitlisted. People who post results are a self-selected group, so this is not the Claremont McKenna acceptance rate; the official rate is in Claremont McKenna’s Common Data Set.
Admitted vs. rejected: grades are not the difference
| Median | Admitted | Rejected |
|---|---|---|
| Unweighted GPA | 3.87 | 3.90 |
| SAT | 1,525 | 1,515 |
| ACT | 34 | 35 |
When the rejected applicants’ numbers sit this close to the admitted ones, the decision was made somewhere else in the file: the activities, the essays and the letters. That is where the rest of this page looks.
What Claremont McKenna admits did outside class
Share of admitted applicants listing at least one activity of each type.
- Nonprofit/Service66%
- Debate/MUN/Speech59%
- Athletics49%
- Advocacy/Politics46%
- Internship46%
- Journalism/Writing44%
- Tutoring/Teaching29%
- Research27%
Held a leadership role
83%
Founded something
56%
National or intl. award
71%
Did research
27%
Intended majors of Claremont McKenna admits
- Political Science17%
- Economics15%
- Business10%
- Public Policy10%
- International Relations7%
- Computer Science5%
Who got in
Of the admitted posters, 20% first-generation, 22% low income, 32% underrepresented minority, 15% legacy, 0% recruited athlete and 17% international.
Three recent Claremont McKenna admits
2026 cycle · RD · Public Policy
Health-policy-minded DECA leader and club-sports captain who worked through housing and utility instability.
GPA 3.87 UW · SAT 1510 · Original post
2026 cycle · RD · Economics
Debate champion and civic organizer who co-founded a national debate organization and runs student education outreach.
GPA 4.00 UW · SAT 1550 · Original post
2026 cycle · Economics
Debate-focused student with public speaking coaching, nonprofit vocational-school work abroad, and law-related research.
GPA 4.00 UW · SAT 1550 · Original post
Where else Claremont McKenna admits got in
Claremont McKenna admissions questions
- What GPA do you need to get into Claremont McKenna?
- Among 41 applicants who posted a Claremont McKenna admission on r/collegeresults, the median unweighted GPA was 3.87 and the middle half reported 3.81 to 4.00 (35 reported a GPA). Claremont McKenna sets no minimum GPA; these are what admitted posters reported.
- What SAT score do you need for Claremont McKenna?
- Among 41 applicants who posted a Claremont McKenna admission on r/collegeresults, the median SAT was 1,525 and the middle half scored 1,490 to 1,538 (26 reported an SAT). The median ACT was 34.
- What extracurriculars do Claremont McKenna admits have?
- The most common activity types among admitted posters were nonprofit/service (66%), debate/mun/speech (59%), athletics (49%), advocacy/politics (46%). 83% held at least one leadership role and 71% listed a national or international award.
- What is the Claremont McKenna acceptance rate?
- The official rate is published by Claremont McKenna in its Common Data Set. These pages do not compute one: people who post results are a self-selected group, so the share of admits among them is far higher than the real rate.
Applying to Claremont McKenna?
A Specialist who got into a school like Claremont McKenna can read your student’s file against these numbers and say where it stands out and where it doesn’t.
Source: self-reported results posts on r/collegeresults, each linked from our Database, counted across the 2019 to 2026 cycles with transfer applicants excluded. Aristo Scholars is not affiliated with Claremont McKenna. All colleges