Hampshire College vs Pomona College

Hampshire College and Pomona College, two esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Hampshire, known for its innovative curriculum and emphasis on self-directed learning, boasts a 44% acceptance rate, while Pomona, renowned for its rigorous academics and strong sciences, has a highly selective 9% acceptance rate. Hampshire's student body is diverse, with 44% identifying as students of color, compared to Pomona's 53% white student population. Both colleges offer a wide range of majors, with popular choices at Hampshire including social sciences, arts, and humanities, and popular choices at Pomona including social sciences, biological sciences, and engineering. With graduation rates of 79% and 89% respectively, both institutions ensure that their students are well-prepared for their post-graduate endeavors. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about these two exceptional colleges and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Hampshire College	Pomona College
Overview
Location	Amherst, Massachusetts	Claremont, California
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	72.0%	96.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	75.1%	6.6%
Application fees		$70
SAT range	N/A	1470 - 1570
ACT range	N/A	33 - 35
Students submitting SAT score		37.0%
Students submitting ACT score		29.0%
Total number of applicants	1,340	11,620
Total number of admissions given out	1,007	771
Admitted students who chose to enroll	133	451
Yield rate	13.2%	58.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$66,658	$74,873
Average net price	$30,168	$17,000
Tuition	$51,000	$56,284
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,520 Meal plan: $5,912	Room/dormitory: $10,666 Meal plan: $7,858
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $36,653	57.0% Average amount $53,094
Students receiving federal student loan	64.0% Average amount $4,793	4.0% Average amount $4,273
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $8,793	6.0% Average amount $11,349

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	472 Men 38.1% Women 61.9%	1,764 Men 45.4% Women 54.6%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	6.4%	11.3%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,180	1,612
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Visual & Performing Arts English Language and Literature Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences Ethnic Studies	Computer and Information Science Multidisciplinary Studies Psychology Ethnic Studies Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	7:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	62.4%	93.0%
Dropout rate	37.3%	4.3%
Transferred out	N/A	2.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $19,720 Year 2: $19,829 Year 3: $23,704	Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $110,738 Year 2: $128,737 Year 3: N/A Public Policy Analysis (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: N/A Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,038 Year 2: $77,213 Year 3: N/A

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