Scripps College was founded in 1926, Claremont McKenna College in 1946, Harvey Mudd College in 1955, and Pitzer College in 1963. Two of these, Claremont McKenna and Harvey Mudd Colleges, are the only two colleges founded after World War II ranked among the top undergraduate colleges in the country. Keck Graduate Institute was founded with the enthusiastic support of the full consortium. Much of KGI's support infrastructure is obtained through The Claremont Colleges central programs and services. KGI's students and faculty have access to a top-quality library, equivalent to those of the nation's research universities.
Students can participate in a broad array of available courses offered by consortium members.
Connections with the Drucker Graduate Management Center supplement that part of the master's curriculum that addresses management, policy, and economic issues. KGI also interacts, both formally and informally, with the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden's graduate program in botany, with the strong applied mathematics programs at Claremont Graduate University and Harvey Mudd College, and with the well-recognized undergraduate science programs across all of Claremont's undergraduate colleges. The liberal arts traditions of The Claremont Colleges, as well as the professional programs of Claremont Graduate University, assure that KGI can effectively engage the many ethical, societal, and policy issues that arise with the evolving technology of the life sciences.