Spotlight on Pitzer College

Back in July I ran a spotlight on Scripps College, and this week I return to the Claremont Colleges to look at Pitzer, a private coeducational liberal arts college located in Claremont, California. Founded in 1963, Pitzer is a young college that nevertheless frequently finds itself high in the rankings of small colleges. Pitzer College takes pride in its educational philosophy. Students don't have required general education classes they need to complete; instead, they work with advisors to develop a study plan that meets educational objectives such as interdisciplinary learning and intercultural understanding.

For a school of about 1,000 students, Pitzer College has a remarkably diverse and international student body. The curriculum is particularly strong in the social sciences, and a significant number of students participate in study abroad and community service. Also, potential applicants shouldn't be fooled by the small size of Pitzer. As a member of the Claremont Colleges, Pitzer students have easy access to the classes and campus resources of all seven schools in the consortium. And for those urban yearnings, Pitzer students can take a short walk to the Metrolink for easy transport to Los Angeles.

Pitzer is highly selective. You can learn more about the costs and admissions criteria in the Pitzer College profile, and be sure to poke around the Pitzer website. If you have impressions of Pitzer to share with our readers, please do so in the College Admissions Forum.

Every week I spotlight an excellent college or university that might be off the radar of many college applicants. If you'd like to recommend a school, please do so here in the Forum.

Related Links:

• Top Liberal Arts Colleges
• Claremont McKenna College
• Harvey Mudd College
• Pomona College
• Scripps College

photo by Whoaboy / Wikimedia Commons