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Pomona College, of Claremont, California, is known as one of the premier liberal arts colleges in the country. Located 35 miles east of Los Angeles, Pomona situated on a 140-acre campus within an hour of mountains, desert, and beaches. Established in 1887 by a group of Congregationalists who sought to recreate a “college of the New England type” on the West Coast, Pomona is committed to its mission of educating men and women who show exceptional promise. Several notable alumni have come out of Pomona College, including a United States Senator, a Pulitzer Prize-winner, several Academy Award-winners, and Walt Disney Company executive, Roy E. Disney.
Academic Programs
Pomona College follows a comprehensive curriculum and offers nearly 50 undergraduate majors and 600 courses in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Major and minor options include Anthropology; Biology; Computer Science; Economics; English; International Relations; Linguistics; Cognitive Science; Mathematics; Media Studies; Philosophy, Politics & Economics; Physics & Astronomy; Religious Studies; Science, Technology & Society; and Theatre.Accredited through the Western Association of Schools and Colleges since 1949, Pomona is the founding member of The Claremont Colleges, a unique consortium of seven colleges and graduate schools which include Claremont McKenna College; Scripps College; Pitzer College; Harvey Mudd College; Claremont Graduate University; and Keck Graduate Institute, in addition to Pomona College. These seven colleges share dining halls, libraries, and other facilities and offer a combined 2,700 courses for students to select from. Through the consortium, Pomona students are given the advantage of attending a small liberal arts college with the resources of a large university.
Student Life
Pomona’s student body of over 1,600 is divided nearly in half between male and female students with representatives from over 49 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and nearly 50 nationalities. Made up of a close-knit, diverse community of scholars, scientists, entrepreneurs and artists, nearly all students choose to live on-campus during their entire four-year stay. Pomona offers a total of sixteen residence halls throughout the campus and three dining halls. Over 250 student-lead clubs and organizations exist, providing students with an array of choices for involvement in a vibrant community life. Approximately 80 domestic and international summer internships are available to students and nearly 50% of students choose to study abroad in 59 programs spread across 34 countries.College sports also make up a large part of the student-community. As an NCAA Division III school, Pomona is also a member of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) and sponsors over 21 athletic teams. Approximately 20% of Pomona’s students compete on a varsity team and hundreds more participate in club and intramural sports.