What the College Guides Say
| 1 | Ranking among liberal arts colleges for endowments per student |
| 1 | Best College Values (Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine, 2009 and 2010) |
| 2 | Ranking by The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education for first-year enrollment of Black students |
| 9 | Ranking by Hispanic Magazine among top college for Latino students |
| 15 | Among the 15 greenest colleges, according to Forbes Magazine (2010) |
Kiplinger's Personal Finance's Best Values in Private Colleges (2010)
"Pomona provides its students with a top-quality education in a setting that snowbound Ivy Leaguers can only dream of. This small school, with some 1,500 students, faces the stunning San Gabriel Mountains and basks in the Southern California sun. Almost all of its freshmen return for sophomore year, a sure sign of happy campers, and 90% of its seniors graduate on time, sparing their parents the expense of a fifth year. As for financial aid, if you need it, you get it." Read the Kiplinger's Best Values in Colleges issue.
The Fiske Guide to Colleges 2010
"Pomona College...is the undisputed star of the Claremont College Consortium and one of the top small liberal arts colleges anywhere. This small, elite institution is the best liberal arts college in the West." The Guide explains that "classes at Pomona are challenging" and "small...the average is 14 students--and the faculty makes a point of being accessible." The Guide also notes the wide variety of opportunities available for Pomona students: "Educational opportunities abound.... Students can spend a semester at Colby or Swarthmore, pursue a 3-2 engineering plan with the California Institute of Technology, or spend a semester in Washington, DC, working for a congressperson. Nearly one-half of the students take advantage of study abroad programs offered in 24 foreign countries, and many others participate in programs focusing on six cultures and languages at the Oldenborg Center." One student sums it all up: "Pomona offers a unique and desirable juxtaposition of rigorous academics and comfortable social atmosphere." Read the Fiske Guide to Colleges.
| 1 | Best Classroom Experience |
| 5 | Students Happy With Financial Aid |
| 14 | Dorms Like Palaces |
The Insider's Guide to the Colleges 2010 (The Yale Daily Press)
“This small liberal arts college tucked into Southern California boasts ‘very curious and passionate students’ and a location that’s ‘one hour from snow, one hour from the beach and one hour from Disneyland… Combining strong academics, an idyllic setting and an intimate atmosphere, Pomona boasts some of the happiest students in the country.’”
“Students at Pomona say their classes are ‘demanding,’ but that they ultimately have a lot of freedom to design their own educations.” “In general students say the workload is intense but ‘open-ended,’ with much more collaboration than competition.” “Students at Pomona frequently mentioned having casual meals with their professors…[and] getting advanced research opportunities as underclassmen.”
“With academic rigor and opportunities comparable to that if any liberal arts college and a relaxed, intimate atmosphere, Pomona is home to happy students, caring faculty and a sunny ‘California attitude.’” “’The smart, and personable people you will meet at Pomona and love for the rest of your life—that’s really the best thing about it,’ declared a senior.”
Other Useful Sites
The Princeton Review
In Princeton Review’s The Best 371 Colleges, 2010 edition, a survey of more than 122,000 students ranked Pomona College #1 for Best Classroom Experience, #5 for Great Financial Aid and #7 for School Runs Like Butter. Pomona was also ranked #14 for Dorms Like Palaces and #19 for Best Quality of Life. In Princeton Review’s Best Value College list, Pomona is ranked #9 among private colleges.
One student describes Pomona as “the best place on earth for a solid, well-rounded, and liberal-tilted education where students pitch each other into fountains on their birthdays.” While students are impressed with the “good faculty-to-student ratio,” “small class sizes,” and access to “a wealth of academic resources and extracurricular opportunities” as part of the Claremont University Consortium, Pomona students reserve their highest compliments for their professors who “are actually glad to be teaching, rather than merely putting up with the teaching so they can research.” “It is not uncommon to receive detailed comments on assignments and personal e-mails from professors.” One student unequivocally declares, “The professors are the soul of my academic experience." Read The Princeton Review.