How to Apply to Economics at Pomona College: A Liberal Arts College That Does Not Admit by Major, an Economics Major Listed as DHS STEM-Designated, and Admission and Preparation for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

Pomona College is a liberal arts college in Claremont, California, and a member of the Claremont Colleges. It has no separate schools. Economics is taught by the Economics Department, which offers an economics major and minor. The pages I read do not distinguish a B.A. from a B.S. in economics and do not list separate tracks such as business economics; they say students may specialize in financial, managerial, international, industrial or other areas. This guide covers fall 2027 entry for US domestic students, international students (including applicants from China) and transfer students. Business and computer science have their own guides on this site, so they are not covered here.

1. Admission and the economics major

• Not admitted by major: you apply to the college, not the department. The application asks for a 150-word Academic Interest Statement about the subjects you may major in, or an academic interest if you are undecided. The pages I read do not state entry conditions for the economics major (such as a GPA threshold or capped places) or when you declare; ask the department (Rhonda R. Berón, rhonda.beron@pomona.edu) or check the course catalog. Pomona’s catalog is hosted on a third-party platform that I did not visit.
• Degrees and tracks: the department describes a major and a minor. Economics is also an area of concentration within four majors: environmental analysis; public policy analysis; philosophy, politics and economics (PPE); and gender and women’s studies.
• STEM designation: Pomona states that its Economics major is classified as a STEM designated-degree program by the Department of Homeland Security, giving F-1 students additional employment opportunities after graduation.
• What it covers: Pomona lists micro and macroeconomics, economic theory and policy, resource allocation, and statistics and econometrics, with an emphasis on theory, statistical analysis and the role of public policy.
• Consortium classes: Pomona offers about 630 classes, and students can cross-register at Scripps, Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd and Pitzer for more than 2,700 options in total.
• Practice and research: the department page mentions Sagehen Capital Management, where students manage real investment funds, plus an Economics Club and a Senior Colloquium. Pomona has a page on student summer research projects; international students may apply to the Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) and the Career Development Office’s internship programs, though F-1 students need Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorization before accepting an internship.

2. Preparation and course sequence

• High school preparation: the pages I read do not state which high school math is needed for economics. The international FAQ has an IB math note: for IB students who want a STEM major, Math Analysis HL is recommended as a recommendation, not a requirement; students not pursuing a STEM major can take whatever math is most appropriate, and Math Applications SL is considered the least rigorous of the four options. The note does not mention economics, so ask admissions how it applies.
• Six core courses: the department advises students to finish six core courses early, ECON 51, 52, 57, 101, 102 and 107/167, ideally before studying abroad so more electives open up. It encourages prospective majors, minors and anyone planning to take economic statistics to take ECON 57 early, and strongly recommends at least one economics course at Pomona before 101 or 102.
• Grade requirement: the department’s learning-objectives page says a C- is required in core courses.
• Placement exam: first-year students may take a department placement exam to skip ECON 51 or 52. Majors and minors can have the 51 or 52 requirement waived with satisfactory performance, but a student who skips both must take one additional economics elective. Exams are offered before fall classes, before spring pre-registration in November, and before fall pre-registration in April.
• AP, IB and A-Level credit: AP 4 or 5, IB Higher Level 6 or 7 and comparable A-Level results earn Advanced Standing credit (one credit for a year-long course exam, half a credit for a semester-long one), but at most two of the 32 credits needed to graduate. The pages do not say which AP or IB economics exam maps to which core course, or what calculus is required.
• Total credits and number of electives: not stated in the pages I read; check the catalog or the department.

3. Deadlines and materials

• Early Decision I: 8 November, decisions by 15 December, reply by 1 January.
• Early Decision II: 8 January, decisions by 15 February, reply by 1 March.
• Regular Decision: 8 January, decisions by 1 April, reply by 1 May.
• The page does not print a year, so confirm these dates apply to fall 2027 entry. Both ED rounds are binding and evaluated the same way.
• Platforms: Common App, Apply Coalition on Scoir or QuestBridge, with no preference. The fee is $80, waivable through the Pomona Access Pass form for aid applicants facing hardship.
• Essays: the 150-word Academic Interest Statement and a 250-word short response (a choice of three prompts).
• Recommendations and reports: school report and counselor recommendation, two recommendations from core-subject teachers (English, foreign languages, math, science or social sciences), and a counselor mid-year report by 15 February. Supporting documents need not arrive by the deadline.
• Test optional: SAT and ACT are not required; you may self-report scores and send official reports only if you enrol. ACT submitters must include Science. Pomona says about half of recent applicants submitted scores and there is no advantage in doing so. The pages I read do not say whether AP or IB scores are required.

4. By type of applicant

US domestic students

• Pomona is private, and the cost page lists a single tuition figure with no in-state or out-of-state split and no in-state preference.
• Admission is need-blind for US citizens, permanent residents and undocumented students; Pomona says admitted students with demonstrated need are offered aid meeting 100% of that need. There are no merit or athletic scholarships; all aid is need-based.
• Foreign nationals at US high schools are admitted need-aware.

International students

• How to apply: same forms and deadlines as other first-year applicants, any plan. Pomona says the overall admit rate for international students is roughly the same as for US citizens and permanent residents. You do not need the Common App international supplement. For foreign nationals schooled outside the US, admission is need-aware, but Pomona meets the full need of every admitted international student.
• English: applicants from schools where English is not the primary language of instruction must submit TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo; self-reporting is allowed and enrolling students send official reports. The international applicants page lists minimums of TOEFL 5 (new scale), IELTS 7 and Duolingo 130; the FAQ gives TOEFL iBT 100 and TOEFL ITP Plus for China 627, with the same IELTS and Duolingo minimums; there are no sub-score minimums. InitialView, Vericant and Duolingo interviews are optional and do not replace the English test. The pages do not describe specific waiver conditions beyond English being the primary language of instruction.
• Transcripts: non-English transcripts need official translations; if secondary school in your country is three years (grades 10–12), also send your grade 9 transcript, with no need to recalculate your GPA.
• Proof of funds: admitted foreign nationals must submit an International Student Certification of Finances before enrolling.
• Aid: Pomona meets 100% of demonstrated need without using loans to meet need, and says 41% of international students receive need-based aid averaging nearly $74,000 a year. International students can request reimbursement for one trip home during their four years.

Applicants from China

• Pomona has no China-specific page, and the pages I read do not say whether the Gaokao is considered or how it is treated: not published. Ask admissions (admissions@pomona.edu).
• Pomona says it evaluates each applicant in their own local context rather than comparing them with students from US schools, that officers are familiar with the educational systems of most countries, and that you are welcome to add information about your own system.
• For English, the TOEFL ITP Plus for China Solution (minimum 627) is explicitly accepted.
• Three-year high schools should send grade 9 results, and transcripts need official English translations.

5. Costs and aid

• 2026-27 (US$, on campus): tuition 71,660, fees 420, housing and food 23,590, billable total 95,670; plus travel and personal costs of 1,500 to 2,600 and medical insurance of about 3,312 (international students must enrol in the college plan). From fall 2026, books and supplies are provided at no extra charge. Pomona says costs have risen about 3% to 5% a year recently.
• The pages I read do not mention any extra charge for economics.

6. Transfer students

• Deadlines: 15 February 2027; aid application 1 March; decisions by 9 April; reply by 1 June; supporting documents accepted until 5 March. Fall entry only.
• Eligibility: anyone who will have completed at least one year of full-time college work by entry applies as a transfer. Transfers enter as sophomores or juniors (8 to 16 credits) and must spend at least four full-time semesters at Pomona to earn the B.A. Bachelor’s degree holders are not eligible.
• Materials: Common App or Apply Coalition with three essays (a 650-word personal essay and two Pomona essays, including a 400-word academic interest statement), official transcripts from all colleges, a college report, a mid-term report and two academic evaluations from college instructors. The fee is $80, waivable. Testing is optional.
• Credit: a credit evaluation comes with the offer; at most 16 course credits transfer, usually for in-person courses at regionally accredited institutions with a C or better and a comparable course at the Claremont Colleges.
• Preparation: no courses are required for transfer applicants; Pomona recommends completing general education courses first and lists economics among Social Institutions & Human Behavior courses. The pages say nothing about required economics courses or a GPA threshold for transferring into the major.
• International transfers: eligible for aid meeting 100% of need, but must apply for aid when applying for admission.

Checklist

US domestic students:

• Apply by 8 November (ED I) or 8 January (ED II, RD) and confirm the dates are for fall 2027
• Write the Academic Interest Statement (economics is fine); tests are optional, and ACT submitters include Science
• Ask the department when you declare the major and how many courses it needs

International students, including those from China:

• At a non-English-medium school, TOEFL 100 (5 new scale), IELTS 7 or Duolingo 130
• Send grade 9 results if your high school is three years; attach official translations
• Request aid when you apply; ask admissions how the Gaokao is treated

Transfer students:

• Deadline 15 February 2027, fall only; at least one year of full-time college work
• Up to 16 course credits transfer; at least four semesters at Pomona

Sources: Pomona College, Paths to apply and deadlines; International applicants; International applicant FAQs; Transfer applicants; Cost of attendance 2026-27; Economics major; Economics Department; Economics courses and requirements; Learning objectives; Undergraduate research. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 figures; the first-year deadline page does not print a year, so confirm the dates are for fall 2027 entry). Check Pomona for the latest details.