Cost & aid
What it costs
In 2023–24, the average first-year paid an estimated $63,885 in total (tuition, housing, food, books and other costs, after grants), $39.6K more than the national median. The 43% who received grants paid $33,895 on average; the other 57% paid the full sticker price of $86,500.
- Full price
- $86,500 a year
- tuition, housing, food, books, and other costs
- Need-based aid
- Published data end at $110K
- use the college's net price calculator for higher incomes
Cost by family income
Per year for a typical family of four with one child in college. Up to $110K it is the average price federal aid recipients paid (2023–24).
Hover, tap, or use the arrow keys to read the price at an income.
- Published federal figures
View as a table
| Family income | Price per year |
|---|---|
| $0–30K | $15K a year |
| $30–48K | $7K a year |
| $48–75K | $16K a year |
| $75–110K | $19K a year |
| $150K | Published data end at $110K |
| $200K | Published data end at $110K |
| $250K | Published data end at $110K |
| $300K | Published data end at $110K |
| $350K | Published data end at $110K |
| $400K and above | Published data end at $110K |
At $150K: Published data end at $110K
Published data end at $110K; use the college's net price calculator for a number.
Your own number depends on the details below, so use the college's calculator for it.
What can change this
- Savings and investments above a typical amount raise the price. The curve assumes typical assets.
- Home equity: some colleges that use the CSS Profile count it. Check this college's own aid page or calculator.
- Divorced or separated parents: colleges with their own formula usually ask for both parents' finances.
$63,885
Tuition, housing, food, books & other expenses, after grants · 2023–24
43% got grants averaging $52,605; 57% got none.
Who pays what
Share of first-year students, 2023–24.
Housing and food use the college's on-campus rates, so the estimate runs high where many students live at home. “Other expenses” is the college's estimate of personal and transportation costs. Loans aren't subtracted because they're repaid.
$13.5K
≈ $143/month for 10 years
2.4 yrs
of median salary to cover 4 years of net price
About 1 in 5 undergrads borrows federally.
Everyone who borrowed and left, whether or not they graduated.
Who actually gets aid
Aid generosity
ModerateGrants cover 26% of the $86,500 full price on average across all first-years (moderate), more than at 16% of colleges.
$22,615 in grants per first-year ÷ $86,500 full price.
Who gets grants and scholarships
Full-time first-year students (321), 2023–24
About 1 in 2 first-year students got no grant aid and paid the full sticker price of $86,500.
Where the aid comes from
Share of first-year students receiving each; averages are per recipient.
Aid by family income
The whole first-year class (321)
- Federal aid + grants75avg grant $57.7K
- Grants, no federal aid63avg grant $46.6K
- No grants183pay full price
Students with grants but no federal aid usually got the college's own need-based aid (without federal loans or Pell) or merit aid.
By family income: only students who received federal aid (75 of 321), because income is only reported for them.
From Claremont McKenna College's Common Data Set
First-years and all full-time undergraduates, 2024–25.
| First-years | All full-time | |
|---|---|---|
| Have financial need | 39%130 students | 38%520 students |
| Need met, on average | 100% | 100% |
| Need fully met | 100% | 97% |
| Average aid package | $72,875 | $69,763 |
| Average need-based grant | $66,407 | $62,679 |
| Average need-based loan | $4,823 | $5,327 |
| Merit aid without need | – | 8%average $19,332 |
Each college decides what a family needs, so “100% of need met” can mean different prices at different colleges. Merit awards that went toward a student's need count as need-based here.
Applying for aid
For fall 2026 entrants.
If your parents are divorced or separated, the other parent also files the .
Families who own a business or farm also file a .
Priority date: January 17 · Deadline: February 1 · Aid offers: on a rolling basis from March 22 · Reply by: May 1
Dates for fall 2026 entrants; the next cycle's are usually similar.
What the college's own scholarships consider
| Academics | ✓ | not marked |
|---|---|---|
| ROTC | ✓ | not marked |
| Leadership | ✓ | not marked |
A blank means the college didn't mark it, not that it never counts.
International students
Need-based and merit aid offered.
International applicants file: the CSS Profile, another form ().
Sources:IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, 2023–24;College Scorecard, most recent release;Claremont McKenna College Common Data Set 2025–26, 2024–25;Claremont McKenna College Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2026 entrants;Claremont McKenna College Common Data Set 2025–26, 2025–26;IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD), 2025–26;Common Data Set, most recent releaseAbout the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)