Communication and Media Studies at Claremont McKenna College

A highly selective liberal arts college charging $22,250 in estimated debt for earnings prospects that appear middling—around $38,000 based on comparable California programs—raises immediate questions about value. That's a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.58, which is manageable but unremarkable for a school with an 11% admission rate and SAT scores in the top 1% nationally. Other California programs are demonstrably producing better outcomes: Cal Poly SLO graduates in the same field earn over $62,000 their first year, while even Pepperdine and Santa Clara show figures above $48,000.

The challenge here is that we're working entirely with estimates—this program's actual graduate sample is too small for the Department of Education to report. That could mean the program is tiny and highly specialized, or it could simply reflect low enrollment. Either way, families investing in a Claremont McKenna education might reasonably expect returns closer to those top-performing programs, not the state median. The college's prestige and the 19% Pell grant rate suggest most families are paying significant amounts out of pocket for an outcome that comparable programs suggest will be solidly middle-of-the-road.

Without actual data, the core question becomes whether Claremont McKenna's network, reputation, and educational experience justify what appears to be a premium price for median-level earnings. If your child is considering this path, you'll want concrete answers about career support, alumni connections, and graduate school placement—factors that could make the investment worthwhile despite the estimated earnings figure.