How to Get Into Pomona College: Acceptance Rate & Strategies

August 5, 2025

pomona acceptance rate

All of the member schools within the Claremont Consortium have excellent reputations, but Pomona College and its 1,766 brilliant undergrads edge out Claremont McKenna for the title of “Most Selective.” In fact, along with schools like Amherst, Williams, Swarthmore, and Bowdoin, Pomona College is one of the most revered liberal arts colleges in the United States. The Pomona College acceptance rate is around 6-7% each year, a far cry from 1988 when the Pomona College acceptance rate approached 40%.

Because elite liberal arts colleges are lesser-known to the average person than Ivy League universities, some parents/students make the mistake of assuming that a Pomona is easier to get into than a Penn or a Dartmouth鈥攖his assumption is simply incorrect. All colleges of this ilk, Pomona included, reject a fair number of valedictorians each year as well as those with near-perfect scores on the SAT/ACT. None of this is meant to scare you鈥攚e just want to make sure that students and parents alike possess an understanding of the following:

  • Pomona College acceptance rate (plus how to predict your chances with our free admissions calculator)
  • Pomona College Early Decision acceptance rate
  • GPA, SAT, ACT, and class rank of accepted Pomona College applicants
  • Admissions trends
  • Pomona College鈥檚 system for rating applicants
  • A look at the demographics of current Pomona College undergraduates
  • The percentage of accepted students who attend Pomona College (yield rate)
  • Tips for applying to Pomona College
  • How to assess whether applying to Pomona College is worth the $70 application fee (for you)

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Pomona College Acceptance Rate 鈥 Class of 2028

Looking at the unofficial Class of 2029 results, we see that 861 applicants were accepted (on track with the previous year). While we know that it was “the largest applicant pool ever,” the number is likely in line with the previous year. Therefore, the acceptance rate is likely similar to last year.

For the Class of 2028, Pomona received 12,239 applications (an all-time high) and admitted 867 students. This means the Pomona College acceptance rate was 7%.

Historical Pomona College acceptance rates are as follows:

Applicants Admits Acceptance Rate
Class of 2027 12,121 819 6.8%
Class of 2026 10,666 749 7%
Class of 2025 11,620 771 6.6%
Class of 2024 10,388 895 8.6%

Pomona College Early Decision Acceptance Rate

For the Class of 2028, Pomona received 1,726 applications and admitted 224. This translates to an Early Decision acceptance rate of 12.9%, in line with the previous year. However, the ED acceptance rate is still much friendlier than the regular decision figure.

What GPA do you need to get into Pomona?

Pomona does not report average GPA. However, based on class rank data (see below) as well as the average GPA at peer institutions, we’d recommend aiming for at least a 3.75 (and as close to a 4.0 as possible).

What class rank do you need to get accepted to Pomona?

Among enrolled 2025-25 first-year students, an astounding 90% hailed from the top 10%, while 99% earned a place in the top 25%. No students fell below the top half of their graduating class. Early data suggest that the Class of 2029 is similarly talented, with 89% of applicants in the top decile of their class.

What is the minimum SAT or ACT score for Pomona?

According to Class of 2028 statistics, the mid-50% SAT range for enrolled freshmen was 1500-1550. The mid-50% ACT score was 33-35.

Overall, just less than half of the enrolled Class of 2028 applied with test scores, a much lower figure than other highly selective institutions.

Admissions Trends & Notes – Class of 2029

  • 89% of admitted students were in the top 10% of their high school class.
  • 27% of students offered a place in the Class of 2029 were first-generation applicants.
  • The Class of 2029 hailed from 711 high schools around the U.S.
  • Pomona accepted 48 transfer students, 35 of whom are transferring in from a community college.
  • Accepted students hailed from all 48 states and 45 countries.
  • Pomona has announced that it will be permanently test-optional. If you do opt out of testing, you’ll be in good company, as over half of last year’s enrolled class did not submit testing alongside their application.

How Pomona College Rates Applicants

Pomona College labels eight factors as 鈥渧ery important鈥 to the admissions process: rigor of high school course load, class rank, GPA, recommendations, essays, extracurricular activities, talent/ability, and character/personal qualities. Factors that are 鈥渃onsidered鈥 are: standardized test scores, first-generation status, geographical residence, volunteer work, and work experience.

Since Pomona wants to see achievement and leadership outside of the classroom as well, it鈥檚 important to grasp what highly competitive colleges are looking for when evaluating extracurricular activities. In short, they are looking for evidence of commitment and achievement in a couple of areas as depth is far more important than breadth. For more on the topic, we recommend reading our blog: How Many Extracurricular Activities Do I Need for College?

Pomona admissions officers cite the following qualities as being of primary importance when evaluating candidates:

  • A love for learning, and a willingness to challenge yourself and go outside your “comfort zone”
  • An openness to new ideas and rejection of easy answers
  • An appreciation for a collaborative learning environment
  • Personal character 鈥 be it grit, kindness, diligence, or serving others
  • Creativity and innovation
  • Appreciation for/involvement in the visual and/or performing arts (for students with talent in dance, drama, music, and/or visual arts, we encourage the submission of an online arts supplement)

Who Actually Gets Into Pomona?

Let鈥檚 look at the demographics of Pomona College’s undergraduate student body. The states that saw the greatest number of Class of 2028 admits were:

  1. California (232)
  2. New York (55)
  3. Illinois (41)
  4. Texas (36)
  5. Washington (29)
  6. Florida (22)
  7. Maryland (18)
  8. Arizona (17)
  9. Oregon (16)
  10. Colorado (15)

As at any highly selective liberal arts college, Pomona applicants from states with very few applicants will receive an admissions boost. This preference for geographic diversity often benefits applicants hailing from places like West Virginia, Idaho, the Dakotas, and other less-populated U.S. states.

The greatest number of international admits came from the following countries:

  1. China (19)
  2. India (10)
  3. United Kingdom (10)
  4. Canada (9)
  5. South Korea (9)

In terms of ethnic identity, the breakdown of admitted students into the Class of 2028 was as follows:

  • White: 29.4%
  • Asian: 21.3%
  • Latina/o: 17.9%
  • Black: 5%
  • Two or More Races: 6.9%
  • International: 14%

A look at the gender split reveals that the college admitted far more women than men into the Class of 2028.

  • Men: 46%
  • Women: 54%

The intended majors/concentration areas of enrolled Class of 2028 students are:

  • Humanities: 24%
  • Interdisciplinary Fields: 25%
  • Social Sciences: 20%
  • Natural Sciences: 26%
  • Undecided: 4%

Pomona College鈥檚 Yield Rate

Pomona College鈥檚 yield rate鈥攖he percentage of accepted students who elect to enroll, divided by the total number of students who are admitted鈥攊s 50%, slightly lower than previous years. For comparison, this is in the ballpark of other top liberal arts schools like Swarthmore College, Williams College, and Amherst College.

Tips for Applying to Pomona College

If you plan on joining the 12,000+ Pomona College hopefuls for the next admissions cycle, you should know the following:

  • Pomona is permanently test-optional.
  • If Pomona is your top choice, you鈥檒l want to strongly consider applying ED I by November 8 or ED II by January 8. The Regular Decision deadline also falls on January 8, but the acceptance rates are significantly lower in this round.
  • This school no longer offers optional
  • Pomona College does not consider 鈥demonstrated interest鈥 so you will not be judged on whether or not you made a campus visit, contacted an admissions officer, etc.
  • Prospective students can apply through the Common Application or Coalition Application.
  • You鈥檒l need to submit a Mid-Year Report in late February, so remember to keep those grades up throughout your senior year of high school.
  • Make sure to dedicate sufficient time and effort to the supplemental prompts required by Pomona College.

Essays

In the 2025-26 cycle, the essays and short answer prompts were as follows:

1. What draws you to the subject(s) you selected as potential major(s)? If undecided, share more about one of your academic passions or interests. (150 words)

2. Pomona is home to a diverse community of faculty, staff and students who, through close ties and collaboration, enable each other to identify and explore their greatest passions. Considering this, respond to one of the following (250 words):

  • Option 1: Reflecting on a community that you are a part of, what values or perspectives from that community would you bring to Pomona?
  • Option 2: Describe an experience you had outside the classroom that changed the way you think and/or how you engage with your peers. What was that experience and what did you learn from it?
  • Option 3: Choose any person or group of people in your life and share how they would describe you.

Should I apply to Pomona?

Remember that the Pomona College acceptance rate is just 7%, and that just about everyone admitted finished at or near the top of their high school class. If you check these boxes, then you鈥檒l certainly be a competitive applicant at Pomona, but those with additional attributes and talents will fare best.

Pomona College Acceptance Rate — Final Thoughts

As the school states, they are looking for candidates who exhibit a 鈥渓ove for learning, and a willingness to challenge yourself and go outside your comfort zone.鈥 Any student applying to a school of Pomona鈥檚 caliber also needs to have a proper mix of 鈥渢arget鈥 and 鈥渟afety鈥 schools on their college list. More on creating a balanced college list can be found here.

Ready to start crafting your college applications? Consider reviewing the following: