by Bianca Mirica | Special to the Courier

All five undergraduate Claremont Colleges earned national recognition in recently released collegiate rankings, each placing among the nation’s top 50 small colleges in the Forbes 2025–26 list and performing strongly in the 2025–26 U.S. News & World Report Liberal Arts College rankings.

Both sets of evaluations assess academic institutions on factors such as strongly constructed academic curricula, close-knit communities and postgraduate outcomes.

Across research on higher education, evidence suggests college rankings have a measurable impact on applicant behavior and institutional policies. A study from The Rockefeller Institute of Government has found that a one spot improvement in rankings can correlate with roughly a 1% uptick in applications.

However, a 2023 review by NORC at the University of Chicago underscored the limits of rankings and cautioned against interpreting them too literally. The report found that year-to-year fluctuations often stem from changes in methodology, such as shifting the weight placed on graduation rates, faculty resources or alumni earnings, rather than sudden changes in institutional quality.

For the Claremont Colleges, continued inclusion in the top tiers reinforces their profile among the nation’s leading liberal arts institutions.

Claremont McKenna College earned the No. 5 position on the Forbes list and shares seventh place with Pomona College in the U.S. News & World Report rankings. Pomona College also placed seventh on the Forbes list.

Pomona noted that national visibility, bolstered by rankings, continues to shape its ability to attract applicants worldwide. Receiving the highest number of applications in its history, Pomona enrolled a class with 24% first-generation students and 55% domestic students of color, representing 41 states and 26 countries.

President Gabrielle Starr emphasized that while rankings carry weight in the admissions process, they represent only part of the institution’s mission.

“Rankings matter, as they are often the first point of reference for prospective students and their families and advisors,” Starr said in a statement. “However, the decision to seek out and to join a community of scholars such as Pomona is the end result of a deeper inquiry. We remain fortunate in our ability to attract some of the most promising minds from around the world, regardless of need, to this community. This is, indeed, a special place.”

Harvey Mudd College placed 13^th on the Forbes list and 10^th in the U.S. News ranking. Scripps College was recognized at No. 36 on the Forbes list and No. 37 in the U.S. News standings. Pitzer College was listed at No. 39 on the Forbes list and No. 37 by U.S. News.

Scripps President Amy Marcus-Newhall said the rankings provide an opportunity to recognize recent progress while also underscoring the limits of such measures.

“Every member of the Scripps community can take pride in this recognition,” Marcus-Newhall wrote in an email. “While I believe that rankings don’t capture all that makes Scripps College an exceptional institution, I’m proud of the improvement in our social mobility and best value rankings; these reflect the generosity of our supporters who are helping Scripps provide its transformative education for more students regardless of their financial need.”

Pitzer President Strom C. Thacker said the recognition reflects more than numerical placement.

“Pitzer’s strong showing in various rankings this year is an affirmation of our mission to connect liberal arts excellence with meaningful student outcomes,” Thacker wrote on Pitzer College’s website.

Harvey Mudd College and Claremont McKenna College did not respond to requests for comment for this story.

Bianca Mirica is a Pomona College student, writer, and journalist exploring the intersections of culture and education.