UCI vs. Claremont McKenna

Should I go to University of California Irvine or Claremont McKenna College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UCI or Claremont McKenna is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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University of California Irvine vs. Claremont McKenna College comparison
University of California Irvine Claremont McKenna College College 3 College 4
University of California Irvine Claremont McKenna College
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Overview

UCI Claremont McKenna
Location Irvine, CA Claremont, CA
Setting Rural Fringe Large Suburban
Enrollment 36,582 1,384
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #93 #17
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uci.edu claremontmckenna.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCI Claremont McKenna
Tuition (In State) $11,834 $63,800
Tuition (Out of State) $42,611 $63,800
Room & Board $18,423 $19,650
Avg Net Price $14,647 $29,978
Avg Grant Aid $21,533 $52,149
% Receiving Grant Aid 65% 53%

Admission

UCI Claremont McKenna
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 121,101 5,799
Admitted 30,962 645
Acceptance Rate 25.6% 11.1%
Enrolled % 21.9% 49.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.75 3.89
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Very High Elite
Applicant Competition High Very High
ACT Range 26/33 33/35
SAT Range 1230/1430 1450/1560
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2025 Jan 5, 2026

Academics

UCI Claremont McKenna
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (23%)
  • Biology (16%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Social Sciences (44%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Business (7%)
  • General Studies (7%)

Outcomes

UCI Claremont McKenna
Graduation Rate 85% 91%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $61,800 $97,800
Making Student Loan Payments 76% -
Median Student Loan Debt $17,000 $14,967
Median Loan Payment $175 $154

Diversity

UCI Claremont McKenna
% Men 10% 0%
% Women 10% 0%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 15% 42%
% Black 2% 4%
% Hispanic 25% 14%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 7%
% International 16% 17%
% Unknown Race 1% 6%

Students

UCI Claremont McKenna
% In-State 77% 36%
% Out-of-State 8% 45%

Campus

UCI Claremont McKenna
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Irvine is larger than than Claremont McKenna based on total student enrollment (36,582 students vs. 1,384 students)

UCI vs. Claremont McKenna Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCI or Claremont McKenna?

  • Claremont McKenna College is 439.1% more expensive to attend than UCI for in-state tuition ($63,800.00 vs. $11,834.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 49.7% higher at Claremont McKenna than University of California Irvine ($63,800.00 vs. $42,611.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Irvine than Claremont McKenna ($14,647 vs. $29,978)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Irvine are 6.7% lower than costs at Claremont McKenna College ($18,423 vs. $19,650)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Irvine than Claremont McKenna College (65% vs. 53%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Claremont McKenna College students is 142.2% larger than aid received University of California Irvine ($52,149 vs. $21,533)

UCI vs. Claremont McKenna Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UCI or Claremont McKenna? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Claremont McKenna or UCI .

  • The average SAT score at Claremont McKenna College (1408) is 233 points higher than at UCI (1175)
  • Incoming Claremont McKenna students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at UCI (27)
  • Accepted freshman Claremont McKenna students have a 0.14 point higher average high school GPA (3.89) than students at UCI (3.75)
  • UCI has a higher acceptance rate (25.6%) than Claremont McKenna (11.1%)

UCI vs. Claremont McKenna Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCI or Claremont McKenna? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Claremont McKenna and UCI.

  • The graduation rate at Claremont McKenna is higher than University of California Irvine (91% vs. 85%)
  • Graduates from Claremont McKenna College earn on average $36,000 more per year than UCI graduates after ten years. ($97,800 vs. $61,800)
  • Claremont McKenna College students graduate with a $2,033 lower median federal student loan debt than UCI graduates. ($14,967 vs. $17,000)
  • Claremont McKenna graduates are paying $21 less per month on federal student loans than UCI graduates. ($154 vs. $175)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/