Pitzer College

Pitzer was made the sixth institution of the Claremont Colleges when it was founded in 1963 as a women's college by Russell K. Pitzer (1878–1978), a California citrus magnate, philanthropist, and Pomona College alumnus. In April 1963, John W. Atherton , the dean of faculty and a professor of English at Claremont Men's College (now Claremont McKenna College) was hired as Pitzer's first president, and over the next seventeen months he recruited students, faculty, and trustees and constructed Scott and Sanborn Halls just in time for the fall 1964 semester. During the college's first year, students and faculty created the curriculum and the school's system of governance. The college graduated its first class of students in 1965 and became co-educational in the fall of 1970. [ 6 ] [ 7 ] The first academic term in the fall of 1964 began with eleven professors and 153 students from sixteen states and five countries. Pitzer's sixth president, Melvin L. Oliver , was the first African American to lead any of the five Claremont Colleges. Presidents John W. Atherton (1963–1970) Robert H. Atwell (1970–1978) Frank L. Ellsworth (1979–1991) Marilyn Chapin Massey (1992–2002) Laura Skandera Trombley (2002–2015) Thomas Poon (2015–2016, acting and interim) Melvin L. Oliver (2016–2022) [ 8 ] [ 9 ] Jill A. Klein (2022–2023, interim) Strom C. Thacker (2023–present)

The Rodman Arboretum surrounds the Grove House at Pitzer College. Pitzer's campus is in Claremont, California, covering an area of approximately 35 acres (14 ha) . The campus is located approximately 10 mi (16 km) west of LA/Ontario International Airport and Los Angeles can be accessed via Metrolink . Access to campus is also provided via Interstate 10 and Interstate 210 . The campus comprises sixteen buildings, including five residence halls. West and East Halls earned Platinum LEED certification when they opened 2012. [ 10 ] The Pitzer College campus occupies the northeast corner of the Claremont Colleges property, which contains seven institutions of higher education coordinated through the Claremont University Consortium . The Claremont Colleges comprise Pomona College (founded in 1887), Claremont Graduate University (1925), Scripps College (1926), Claremont McKenna College (1946), Harvey Mudd College (1955), Pitzer College (1963), and Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences (1997). At present, the campus is split approximately in half by Pitzer Road. Harvey Mudd College is adjacent to Pitzer's north, Scripps to the west, and Claremont McKenna to the south. [ 11 ] Brant Clock Tower Contemporary architecture characterizes the majority of Pitzer's buildings, several of which were designed by Gwathmey-Siegel following major donations from Eli Broad , a board member emeritus and former chair of the Pitzer College Board of Trustees . [ 12 ] A notable exception is the Grove House, a California bungalow built in 1902 for a local citrus grower during the height of the Arts and Crafts movement . [ 13 ] The building, a popular campus hangout to this day, was purchased for $1.00 and moved to Pitzer in 1977 under the direction of professor emeritus Barry Sanders . The Grove House is home to a cafe, the Women's Center, the Hinshaw Gallery and the EcoCenter. [ 14 ] Most landscaping on the campus follows principles of xeriscaping .

Several varieties of citrus and other fruit are grown throughout campus and an organic community garden , dedicated grove and chicken coop are located north of Mead Hall. [ 15 ] The 10-acre John R. Rodman Arboretum, an attempt to save surviving native chaparral vegetation from demolition, was founded in 1984. It contains 16 themed gardens with drought-tolerant, native landscaping. [ 16 ] [ 17 ] The campus also includes auditoriums, sports courts, and science buildings. Located directly northwest of the main campus, the Robert J. Bernard Biological Field Station , a resource of The Claremont Colleges, is an 86-acre (35 ha) nature preserve consisting of coastal sage scrub . [ 18 ] The Outback Preserve, located in the northeast section of campus, occupies just over three acres of the John Rodman Arboretum. The preserve is home to one of the rarest ecosystems in the world: Alluvial Sage Scrub. Undergoing ecological restoration as part of the Outback Restoration Project, the preserve is a living-learning laboratory. The project seeks to restore the Outback Preserve to a more intact alluvial sage scrub ecosystem, removing invasive plants and ensuring the success of native species. Each semester there are a small number of courses utilizing the Outback Preserve. Courses are open to all students at the Claremont Colleges. [ 19 ] Pitzer owns and operates a 145-acre (59 ha) field station on secondary growth rainforest , the Firestone Center for Restoration Ecology . The facility is located approximately two kilometers east of Playa Dominical , Costa Rica . [ 20 ] The property borders the Hacienda Barú nature reserve. [ 21 ] The center is home to programs in Pitzer's science, language and international studies curricula. [ 22 ]

Quick facts Academic rankings, Liberal arts ... Academic rankings Liberal arts U.S. News & World Report [ 23 ] 36 Washington Monthly [ 24 ] 52 National Forbes [ 25 ] 54 WSJ /College Pulse [ 26 ] 77 Close The U.S. News & World Report College and University rankings 2025 edition ranks Pitzer College as tied for the 36th best national liberal arts college overall, and tied for 54th in "Top Performers on Social Mobility" out of 211 evaluated liberal arts colleges. [ 27 ] In 2015, Pitzer was recognized nationally as the 8th most selective liberal arts college; 20th most selective among all college and universities; 44th in best freshmen retention rate; and 55th for highest proportion of classes with fewer than 20 students. [ 28 ] [ 29 ] [ 30 ] [ 31 ] [ 32 ] In Forbes ' 2019 college rankings, Pitzer was named 54th best among the 650 top-ranked colleges, universities and service academies in the U.S. [ 33 ] In addition, Pitzer was named the 44th best private college, the 22nd best liberal arts college, and the 11th best college in the West. [ 33 ]