Pomona College

What is the history of Pomona College?

Pomona College was founded in 1887 as a liberal arts college and opened in the city of Pomona, California. It moved to nearby Claremont in 1889, retaining its original name.

Pomona later became a founding member of The Claremont Colleges, a group of neighboring institutions that developed around the idea of sharing resources while maintaining separate identities. That arrangement still shapes the student experience: Pomona awards its own degrees and sets its own admissions policies, while students can use certain shared libraries, services and academic opportunities. The college remains a small, undergraduate-focused institution rather than a branch of a larger university.

What are the faculties and departments at Pomona College?

Pomona College is organized as an undergraduate liberal arts college, not as a collection of separate professional schools. It awards bachelor's degrees across the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences and arts.

Its academic departments and programs include fields such as biology, chemistry, computer science, economics, English, history, mathematics, music, politics, psychology and public policy analysis. Students can also pursue interdisciplinary work, including cognitive science and environmental analysis. Pomona's curriculum includes first-year seminars and general education requirements alongside the major.

Students may be able to take approved courses at other undergraduate Claremont Colleges, expanding the range of classes available beyond Pomona's own departments. Cross-registration does not mean every course is open to every student: prerequisites, capacity, schedules and home-college rules still matter. With a reported student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, Pomona is structured around relatively close contact with instructors, although actual class sizes vary.

What is the location of Pomona College?

Pomona College is in Claremont, California, an inland community east of Los Angeles. Its campus sits within the adjoining Claremont Colleges, so students can reach other consortium facilities on foot.

Claremont has a compact downtown near campus and a Metrolink rail station with service toward Los Angeles. Regional trips still take planning: transit schedules, travel times and the need for a car depend on the destination. Ontario International Airport is the nearest major commercial airport and may be more convenient than Los Angeles International Airport for some itineraries. Pomona's residential character also matters when evaluating the location; most students live on campus rather than commute daily.

What is the mission and vision of Pomona College?

Pomona College describes its purpose as providing a liberal arts education that develops students' intellectual breadth, critical inquiry and capacity to contribute beyond the classroom. Its educational approach asks undergraduates to study across disciplines as well as in depth within a major.

Pomona is an independent, nonsectarian college. The mission is useful context for applicants weighing its curriculum against a more narrowly vocational program: students can explore many fields, but they must also plan how a major, electives, research and practical experience fit their goals. The college's stated aspirations describe what it seeks to provide, not a guaranteed outcome for every student.