Pomona College

Pomona College is a private liberal arts college located in Claremont, California, and is a founding member of the Claremont Colleges consortium. Established in 1887, the college offers undergraduate education grounded in the liberal arts and sciences, with students able to cross-register at the other Claremont Colleges. Pomona College grants Bachelor of Arts degrees across a wide range of disciplines in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. The college emphasizes small class sizes, close faculty-student interaction, and undergraduate research opportunities. It attracts students seeking a residential academic environment that combines the resources of a larger university setting with the scale and focus of a liberal arts college.

Pomona College was founded in 1887 by members of the Southern California Association of Congregational Churches who sought to establish a liberal arts college in the region. The college was incorporated in 1887, and classes began in 1888 in the city of Pomona before the institution relocated to Claremont, California, in the late 1880s. Cyrus G. Baldwin became the first official president of Pomona College in 1890, helping guide its early development. In the early twentieth century, Pomona College played a central role in the formation of the Claremont Colleges consortium, beginning with the establishment of Scripps College in 1926 and followed by other affiliated institutions. Over the decades, Pomona College expanded its academic programs, campus facilities, and research opportunities while remaining focused on undergraduate education. Today, Pomona College continues to operate as a liberal arts institution within the Claremont Colleges framework.