Pitzer College: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics

Pitzer College is a private liberal arts college with an admissions rate of 13.7%. Founded as a women's college in 1963, Pitzer College is now a highly-ranked, coeducational college. Pitzer is one of The Claremont Colleges, a consortium of seven schools. Students at Pitzer share facilities and can cross-register for classes at schools in the consortium including Scripps College, Pomona College, Harvey Mudd College, and Claremont McKenna. Pitzer has an 11-to-1 student/faculty ratio, a diverse student body, and strong liberal arts credentials that earned it a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. Pitzer has educational objectives rather than core requirements, and the curriculum is highly interdisciplinary with an emphasis on social justice, intercultural understanding, and environmental sensitivity.

Considering applying to this highly selective college? Here are the Pitzer College admissions statistics you should know.

Acceptance Rate

During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, Pitzer College had an acceptance rate of 13.7%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 13 students were admitted, making Pitzer's admissions process highly competitive.

SAT Scores and Requirements

Pitzer College has a test-optional standardized testing policy. With the exception of applicants to the Joint Medical Program, home-schooled applicants, and those students who attend schools that do not provide grades, applicants to Pitzer may submit SAT or ACT scores to the school, but they are not required to do so. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, 32% of admitted students submitted SAT scores.

This admissions data tells us that of those students who submitted scores during the 2018-19 admissions cycle, most of Pitzer College's admitted students fall within the top 20% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-baed reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to Pitzer scored between 670 and 730, while 25% scored below 670 and 25% scored above 730. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 680 and 750, while 25% scored below 680 and 25% scored above 750. While the SAT is not required, this data tells us that a composite SAT score of 1480 or higher is competitive for Pitzer College.

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Requirements

Pitzer College does not require SAT scores for admission for most applicants. For students who choose to submit scores, note that Pitzer participates in the scorechoice program, meaning that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates. Pitzer does not require the essay section of the SAT or SAT Subject tests.

ACT Scores and Requirements

Pitzer College has a test-optional standardized testing policy. With the exception of applicants to the Joint Medical Program, home-schooled applicants, and those students who attend schools that do not provide grades, applicants to Pitzer may submit SAT or ACT scores to the school, but they are not required to do so. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, 30% of admitted students submitted ACT scores.

This admissions data tells us that of those who submitted scores during the 2018-19 admissions cycle, most of Pitzer College's admitted students fall within the top 7% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to Pitzer received a composite ACT score between 30 and 33, while 25% scored above 33 and 25% scored below 30.

Requirements

Note that Pitzer College does not require ACT scores for admission for most applicants. For students who choose to submit scores, Pitzer participates in the scorechoice program, meaning that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all ACT test dates. Pitzer does not require the ACT writing section.

GPA

In 2019, the average high school GPA for Pitzer College's incoming class was 3.89, and over 67% of incoming students had average GPAs of 3.75 and above. These results suggest that most successful applicants to Pitzer College have primarily A grades.

Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph

The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to Pitzer College. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account.

Admissions Chances

Pitzer College has a highly competitive admissions pool with a low acceptance rate and high average GPAs. However, Pitzer has a holistic admissions process and is test-optional, and admissions decisions are based on much more than numbers. A strong application essay, writing supplement, and glowing letters of recommendation can strengthen your application, as can participation in meaningful extracurricular activities and a rigorous course schedule. Pitzer's curriculum has a strong focus on social justice and intercultural understanding, and their website notes that they look for evidence of an applicant's "socially conscious independence." Pitzer also encourages applicants to participate in an optional interview. Students with particularly compelling stories or achievements can still receive serious consideration even if their grades and scores are outside Pitzer's average range.

In the graph above, the blue and green dots represent accepted students. You can see that the majority of successful applicants had high school averages of "A-" or better, combined SAT scores of 1200 or higher, and ACT composite scores of 26 or better. Your high school grades and extracurricular involvement are going to be far more important than standardized test scores due to Pitzer's test-optional admissions process.

If You Like Pitzer College, You May Also Like These Schools

• Pomona College
• Occidental College
• University of California - Santa Cruz
• Pepperdine University
• Santa Clara University
• Vassar College
• New York University
• Harvey Mudd College

All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and Pitzer College Undergraduate Admissions Office.