Mission, History & The Claremont Colleges
Founded in 1963, we’ve got progressive roots and a singular, enduring mission
Pitzer College’s mission is to produce engaged, socially responsible citizens of the world through an academically rigorous, interdisciplinary liberal arts education emphasizing social justice, intercultural understanding, and environmental sensitivity.
Meaningful participation of students, faculty, and staff in College governance and academic program design is a core value. Our community thrives within the mutually supportive framework of The Claremont Colleges, which provide an unsurpassed breadth of academic, athletic, and social opportunities.
Our Origin Story
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From Our Founding, We’ve Embraced the Spirit of Inquiry, Participation, Adventure
Pitzer College was named for philanthropist and orange grower Russell K. Pitzer (1878-1978). Founded in 1963 as the sixth institution of The Claremont Colleges, we began as a residential liberal arts campus for women with a curricular emphasis in the social and behavioral sciences.
Classes began in 1964 for a student body of 153. Founding faculty, students, and staff shaped Pitzer as a liberal arts innovator. Pioneering programs embraced interdisciplinarity in teaching and learning, creative and cooperative classroom experience, and community governance, encouraging every voice to be heard equally and fully.
Pitzer received accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges in 1965. By 1968, enrollment had grown to about 550, and in 1970 Pitzer became coeducational, as 80 men joined 618 Pitzer women.
The Claremont Colleges
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A Nationally Distinguished Higher Education Consortium
Founded in 1925 and patterned after the Oxford-Cambridge collaborative model, The Claremont Colleges consistently place at the top of national rankings including Forbes, Money, U.S. News & World Report, and the Princeton Review.
Each college – five undergraduate and two graduate – has its own campus, students and faculty, and distinctive mission. Each offers top-notch curricula, small classes, distinguished professors, and personalized instruction.
Take classes at your Pitzer home base, and choose from more than 2,000 more offered across the Colleges! Access an endless variety of intellectual, cultural, and social activities at the seven campuses, in Claremont, and throughout the Los Angeles area – from arts and culture, to distinguished lecture series, to a robust athletics program and the unparalleled Southern California outdoor experience.
The “5C” Undergraduate Campuses of The Claremont Colleges
Founding member of the consortium in 1887, Pomona College offers majors in the arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences, as well as interdisciplinary studies.
Founded in 1926, Scripps College is a women’s college that offers an interdisciplinary curriculum, intensive intellectual environment, and a rich residential experience designed to prepare student to think critically and solve complex problems.
Founded in 1946, Claremont McKenna College specializes in economics, political science, international relations, and public policy as well as majors in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities.
Founded in 1955, Harvey Mudd College specializes in engineering, mathematics, computer science, and the physical and biological sciences and also includes coursework in the humanities, social sciences, and the arts.
Founded in 1963, Pitzer’s interdisciplinary educational experience emphasizes social justice and intercultural understanding, and the College is a leader in environmental sciences and sustainability.