Pomona College facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Pomona College

Type	Private liberal arts college
Established	October 14, 1887 (1887-10-14)
Academic affiliation	Claremont Colleges
Endowment	$2.8 billion (2023)
Budget	$259 million (2023)
President	G. Gabrielle Starr
Academic staff	278
Total staff	Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
Undergraduates	1,732
Location	Claremont , California , United States 34°05′53″N 117°42′50″W / 34.09806°N 117.71389°W / 34.09806; -117.71389
Campus	Suburban, 140 Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).[convert: unknown unit]
Colors	Blue and white
Nickname	Sagehens
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division III – SCIAC
Mascot	Cecil the Sagehen

Pomona College is a private college in Claremont, California. It focuses on a wide range of subjects, known as liberal arts. The college was started in 1887 by a group of people who wanted a college like those in New England. In 1925, it became the first member of the Claremont Colleges, a group of nearby schools that work together.

Pomona is a four-year college for undergraduate students, meaning students usually attend after high school. About 1,700 students go there. It offers 48 main study areas and around 650 courses. Students can also take over 2,000 more courses at the other Claremont Colleges. Its campus is 140 acres (57 hectares) and is located about 35 miles (56 km) east of downtown Los Angeles.

Pomona is known for being very selective. It has one of the lowest acceptance rates for liberal arts colleges in the U.S. It is also one of the richest schools in the U.S. when you look at its money per student. Most students live on campus, and the student body is very diverse. The college's sports teams are called the Sagehens. They team up with Pitzer College and compete in NCAA Division III.

Many famous people have gone to Pomona College. These include winners of major awards like the Oscar and Nobel Prize. Former students also include U.S. Senators, ambassadors, and top business leaders. The college helps many students win special scholarships for further study.

History of Pomona College

How Pomona College Started

Pomona College opened its doors on October 14, 1887. It was created as a Christian school for both boys and girls. The founders wanted to build a college similar to those in New England. Classes first began in a rented house in Pomona, California.

The college soon moved to Claremont, California, where an unfinished hotel became its first main building, Sumner Hall. It kept the name "Pomona" even after moving. The first group of students graduated in 1894. There were 11 students in that first class.

In its early years, Pomona faced money problems but managed to add more buildings. The first Asian and Black students joined in 1897 and 1900. In 1911, the college stopped offering high school-level courses. It decided to focus only on a liberal arts education. The Phi Beta Kappa honor society started a chapter at the college in 1914.

Mid-1900s Changes

In the 1920s, Pomona's president, James A. Blaisdell, had an idea. He wanted the college to stay small but also have more resources. He was inspired by colleges like Oxford in England. So, on October 14, 1925, Pomona helped create the Claremont Colleges. This group of independent colleges shares resources like a big library.

During the Great Depression, fewer students could afford tuition. The college's budget was cut. During World War II, Pomona helped with the war effort. It hosted programs for military training.

After World War II

Pomona's longest-serving president, E. Wilson Lyon, led the college from 1941 to 1969. More students enrolled after the war, leading to new dorms and science buildings. The college's money grew thanks to a special fundraising plan.

President Lyon also made important decisions about civil rights. He supported Japanese-American students during a difficult time. He also started a student exchange program with Fisk University, a historically Black university. In the 1950s and 60s, the college became more open. Girls were allowed in dining halls that were once only for boys. Students also became more involved in politics, protesting the Vietnam War. The college also started programs for Black and Latino studies.

During the time of president David Alexander (1969-1991), Pomona became even more well-known. The college's money grew a lot. Many new student groups were formed. In the mid-1980s, more students came from outside California.

In 1991, the college changed dorm basements used by fraternities into common lounges. This made Greek life less central to campus social life.

Pomona in the 2000s

In the 2000s, Pomona started focusing more on being environmentally friendly. New buildings were designed to be very energy efficient. The college also began working with groups to help more students from lower-income families attend. It promised to cover the full financial need of all admitted students with grants, not loans. This helped increase the number of diverse students.

In 2017, G. Gabrielle Starr became Pomona's tenth president. She is the first woman and first African American to hold this position. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021, the college switched to online classes.

Pomona College Campus

Pomona's campus is 140 acres (57 hectares) in Claremont, California. This is a nice suburban town about 35 miles (56 km) east of downtown Los Angeles. The campus is next to the Claremont Village, which is the city's main shopping area.

In its early days, Pomona quickly grew. It added many buildings as more students joined. Architects created plans for the campus to have a central open space. Buildings were designed to connect visually.

Many older buildings have a Mission Revival style. They have stucco walls and red tile roofs. Newer buildings mix in other styles like modern and postmodern. This creates a campus with many different looks. Most buildings are not very tall, and they are made for both indoor and outdoor use.

The campus has 88 facilities, including 70 buildings. It is divided into North Campus and South Campus by Sixth Street. Most academic buildings are on the western side. A natural area called the Wash is on the eastern side. Pomona's campus has been used in many movies and TV shows.

Pomona works to make its campus more sustainable. New buildings must meet high environmental standards. The college also replaces grass with plants that need less water. It aims to have zero carbon emissions by 2030.

South Campus Highlights

South Campus has dorms for first-year and second-year students. It also has academic buildings for social sciences, arts, and humanities. Frank Dining Hall is at the east end of a row of dorms. Sumner Hall, which houses admissions, is north of the dorms. Oldenborg Center is a special dorm for foreign language students. It also has a dining hall.

South Campus has several arts buildings. Bridges Auditorium is a large hall for concerts and speakers. Bridges Hall of Music is a smaller concert hall. The Benton Museum of Art has a collection of about 19,000 art pieces. These include old paintings and art from Native Americans. The Seaver Theatre Complex has two theaters for plays. The Studio Art Hall, built in 2014, is known for its cool design.

Many of Pomona's main social science and humanities buildings are on the west side of College Avenue. This includes the Carnegie Building, a beautiful old library from 1908. Historic Victorian houses are also along this street.

Marston Quadrangle is a large grassy area in the center of campus. It has California sycamore and coastal redwood trees. North of this quad is Alexander Hall, the main administration building. The Smith Campus Center (SCC) has many student services and common areas. East of the SCC is the Center for Athletics, Recreation and Wellness.

At Sixth Street and College Avenue are the college gates, built in 1914. These gates were once the northern edge of the campus. They have two quotes from Pomona's fourth president, James A. Blaisdell. One side says, "let only the eager, thoughtful and reverent enter here." The other side says, "They only are loyal to this college who departing bear their added riches in trust for mankind." New students walk south through the gates when they arrive. Graduating students walk north through them before they leave.

The eastern part of campus is called the Wash. It has a large group of coast live oak trees. This area also has many sports fields, an outdoor theater, and an observatory. The Pomona College Organic Farm is also here. It is a place where students learn about sustainable farming.

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  Harwood Court
  (view as a 360° interactive panorama)

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  Bridges Hall of Music

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  Bridges Auditorium

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  The Carnegie Building

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  The Wash

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  Path to Marston Quad

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  Mason Hall

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  Lebus Court

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  Crookshank Hall

North Campus Features

North Campus was designed by architect Sumner Spaulding. It has dorms for third- and fourth-year students. It also has academic buildings for science subjects.

The academic buildings are on the west side of North College Way. This area includes Dividing the Light (2007). This is a special art installation by artist James Turrell.

The dorms include the Clark halls. The North Campus dining hall is Frary Dining Hall. It has a high ceiling and famous murals. These include Prometheus (1930) by José Clemente Orozco.

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  Walker Hall

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  Norton-Clark III courtyard

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  Dividing the Light skyspace

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  Arcade along Bixby Plaza
  (view as a 360° interactive panorama)

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  Walker Beach, looking north

Other College Facilities

The college owns several other properties. These include the Trails Ends Ranch, a wilderness area. It also has the Mildred Pitt Ranch and the Halona Lodge retreat center. The astronomy department runs a telescope at the Table Mountain Observatory.

Along the north side of campus are shared buildings. These are used by all the Claremont Colleges. The colleges also share the Robert J. Bernard Field Station.

How Pomona College is Run

College Leadership

Pomona College is a private, nonprofit organization. It is managed by a board of trustees. This board makes sure the college's long-term goals are met. They hire the college's president, who is G. Gabrielle Starr since 2017. The president oversees the college's daily operations.

The college has about 880 employees. Students and teachers also help make important decisions. This is called a shared governance model.

Claremont Colleges Partnership

Pomona is the first member of the Claremont Colleges. This group is often called the "7Cs." It includes five undergraduate colleges and two graduate schools. All of them are in Claremont. Each college is independent, but they work together a lot.

They share resources like a main library and health services. Experts praise the colleges for working so well together. Pomona is the largest and wealthiest of the undergraduate colleges.

Money and Student Aid

Pomona has a large amount of money called an endowment. It is one of the top 10 richest schools per student in the U.S. This money helps fund about half of the college's yearly budget.

For the 2024-2025 school year, tuition is about $65,000. The total cost to attend is around $89,414. Many students receive financial aid. In 2023-2024, over half of students got financial help. The average aid package was over $63,000. Pomona promises to meet the full financial need of all admitted students. This means they give grants, not loans, so students don't have to borrow money.

Learning at Pomona College

Pomona offers a liberal arts education. Students earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. The college uses a semester system. Students usually take four classes each semester. To graduate, students need 32 credits and a good GPA. They also need to complete requirements for their major.

Pomona offers 48 main study areas, called majors. Most also have a smaller study area, called a minor. Students can study arts, humanities, natural sciences, or social sciences. Some students choose to study two majors.

Classes and Teachers

Individually, Pomona offers about 650 courses each semester. Students can also take classes at the other Claremont Colleges. This gives them access to about 2,700 courses in total. It's easy to sign up for classes across the colleges.

All classes at Pomona are taught by professors. There are no teaching assistants leading classes. The average class size is 15 students. Most classes have fewer than 30 students. The college has 278 teachers. This means there are about 7 students for every teacher.

Teachers and students often form close relationships. The college even provides free meals for teachers to eat with students. The college also has centers to help students with writing, math, and foreign languages.

Research and Study Abroad

More than half of Pomona students do research with teachers. The college has a Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP). Over 200 students get paid to do research with professors. Students can also do their own research projects with a teacher's help.

About half of Pomona students study abroad. The college offers 68 programs in 37 countries. Students can also study away in places like Washington, D.C.

The Career Development Office (CDO) helps students with their future jobs. It offers career advice and helps students find internships. Many students get paid to do internships through the Pomona College Internship Program (PCIP). The office also connects students with former graduates for advice.

After Graduation

Most Pomona graduates go on to graduate or professional school. The college is known for sending many students to top medical, business, and law schools.

Graduates work in many fields. These include technology, education, finance, and healthcare. Pomona alumni earn good salaries after they graduate. The college is also a top producer of students who win special scholarships for advanced study.

People at Pomona College

Becoming a Student

Admissions statistics
2023 entering classChange vs. 2018
Admit rate	6.8% ( −0.8)
Yield rate	50% ( −3)
Test scores middle 50%*
SAT EBRW	730–770 ( +20 median)
SAT Math	750–790 ( +25 median)
ACT Composite	33–35 ( +1 median)
High school GPA†
Top 10%	85% ( −6)
Top 25%	97% ( −3)
Top 50%	100% ( no change)
*2023 data among students who chose to submit †Among students whose school ranked

Students can apply to Pomona using different applications. Some students apply early for a binding decision. Pomona also accepts students through special programs like Posse Foundation.

Pomona looks at many things when deciding who to admit. They care most about how challenging your classes were, your grades, essays, and recommendations. Your activities outside of school and your character are also very important. Pomona does not consider if your family members went there.

Pomona has a very low acceptance rate. For the 2023 class, only 6.8% of applicants were admitted.

Student Body Life

As of 2024, Pomona has 1,732 undergraduate students. Students are known for being relaxed, focused on academics, and politically liberal.

The student body is about half men and half women. Most students are under 22 years old. About 65% of U.S. students are non-white. 14% of students are from other countries. This makes Pomona one of the most diverse colleges in the U.S. Students come from all 50 U.S. states and over 60 foreign countries.

Pomona has been working to enroll more students from lower-income families. It is ranked high for its economic diversity.

Famous Alumni and Faculty

Student Life at Pomona

Living on Campus

Pomona is a residential campus. Almost all students live in one of the sixteen dorms for all four years. First-year students live on South Campus. Older students usually live on North Campus. Dorms offer different room types, including singles and shared suites.

New students are placed into a "sponsor group." This group has 10 to 20 new students and older student mentors. These mentors help new students get used to college life. A fun tradition is "fountaining," where students are thrown into a campus fountain on their birthday!

Pomona's social life is connected to the other Claremont Colleges. Many activities and events are shared among the schools.

Pomona runs its own dining services. All students living on campus must have a meal plan. This plan can be used at any of the seven dining halls across the Claremont Colleges. The food is known for being healthy and tasty. Frary Dining Hall offers a late-night snack Sunday through Wednesday.

Student Groups and Activities

Some student groups are just for Pomona students. Others are open to students from all the Claremont Colleges. There are almost 300 clubs and organizations across the five colleges.

The Associated Students of Pomona College (ASPC) is the student government. It gives money to clubs and plans student events. These events include dances and "Ski-Beach Day."

Pomona has many clubs and support offices for students with different backgrounds. These include groups for female, non-white, international, and LGBTQ+ students. The FLI Scholars group supports first-generation and low-income students.

The Pomona Student Union (PSU) hosts discussions about political and social issues. Other groups include a mock trial team and a model UN team. Pomona's secret society, Mufti, is known for leaving funny notes around campus.

Pomona's music department has several groups. These include an orchestra, band, and choir. All students can get free private music lessons.

The Draper Center for Community Partnerships helps students get involved in the local community. They offer mentoring for local youth and English tutoring for college staff. They also organize volunteer trips during spring break.

Pomona has two co-educational Greek organizations. They do not have special housing. Greek life is not a big part of the social scene at Pomona.

College Traditions

The Number 47

The number 47 is a special inside joke at Pomona College. It started in 1964 with a film project. Students found the number 47 appearing everywhere. Now, it's a fun part of campus life. The clock tower even chimes on the 47th minute of the hour!

Other Fun Traditions

New students start their time at Pomona with an "Orientation Adventure" (OA) trip. They spend four days off campus. This program helps them meet new friends and get ready for college.

Every spring, the college has "Ski-Beach Day." Students go skiing in the morning and then head to the beach in the afternoon. This tradition started way back in 1891.

Since the 1970s, Pomona has used a wall called Walker Wall. It's a place where students can share their thoughts and ideas freely.

Getting Around Campus

Pomona's campus is right next to the Claremont train station. Students can take the train to Los Angeles Union Station. Buses also connect to nearby cities.

Pomona has a "Green Bikes" program. Students can rent bicycles for free each semester. Older students can park their cars on campus. The college also has cars that students can rent for trips. A special bus called the "Sagecoach" takes students to off-campus events.

Sports at Pomona

Pomona's sports teams play together with Pitzer College. They are called the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens. There are 11 women's teams and 10 men's teams. They compete in NCAA Division III. The mascot is Cecil the Sagehen, which is a type of bird. The team colors are blue and orange. Their main rival is the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) teams.

Students can also join club sports or intramural sports. These include dodgeball, flag football, and surfing. The physical education department offers fun classes like karate and social dance.

Sports History

Pomona's first sports teams started in 1895. The name "Sagehen" first appeared in 1913. Pomona was one of the founding members of its sports conference in 1914. In 1970, Pomona's sports program joined with Pitzer College.

Images for kids

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  Pomona College seal

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  Pomona College logo

See also

In Spanish: Pomona College para niños