Claremont McKenna College SAT & ACT Scores

CMC adopted a test-optional policy for students applying for fall 2021 entry and has extended it each year since. Its current extension runs through the fall 2027 entry term, and the college says it will return to a test-required policy for the fall 2028 admission cycle. If you are in the high school class of 2028, plan to take the SAT or ACT. For fall 2027, you choose on the application whether to have scores considered, and you have seven days after submitting to change that choice once. CMC superscores the SAT and the ACT by taking your highest section scores across test dates, but it does not combine scores across the two tests. It reviews self-reported scores, and you must report every section from each test date you want counted.

Enrolled first-year students who sent the SAT had a median of 1510. The middle half scored 1480–1540, so a quarter scored 1480 or lower and a quarter scored 1540 or higher. Section ranges were 730–760 in Reading and Writing and 740–790 in Math.

34% of the enrolled class sent SAT scores. Because CMC is test-optional this cycle, these ranges describe only students who chose to submit. CMC's testing FAQ notes that its score averages rose during its test-optional years and says it does not want students to be discouraged from submitting.

If your SAT is at or above 1510, it sits in the upper half of what enrolled submitters reported, and sending it is a reasonable choice. If it is below 1480, weigh whether your transcript and essays tell a stronger story without it. Students applying for fall 2028 or later will need to send a score either way.

The middle half of enrolled ACT submitters scored 33–35, with a median of 34. English scores ran 34–35 and Math scores ran 31–34. CMC superscores the ACT by section across test dates.

14% of the enrolled class sent ACT scores. CMC accepts either test and does not mix SAT and ACT sections into one superscore, so send the test where your scores are stronger. A composite of 35 or higher is in the top quarter of enrolled submitters.

CMC offers two binding Early Decision rounds, Early Decision I and Early Decision II, along with Regular Decision. It does not offer Early Action.

For fall 2027, a practical target is an SAT of 1540 or an ACT of 35, which puts you in the top quarter of enrolled students who submitted. Scores around 1510 or 34 are in the middle of the range. With an admit rate of 9.4%, scores below 1480 or 33 may not add much, and applying without them is allowed this cycle.

Test scores are one part of a CMC application, alongside your transcript, course choices, recommendations, essays, and activities. CMC says applicants should look at their academic record as a whole and decide whether their scores complement it. Younger students should plan for testing, because CMC will require scores starting with the fall 2028 cycle.