Pitzer College Pitzer College is a private residential liberal arts college located in Claremont , California , a college town approximately east of downtown Los Angeles . Pitzer College is one of the Claremont Colleges . Pitzer College has a curricular emphasis on the social sciences , behavioral sciences , international programs , and media studies . As it is one of the Claremont Colleges , consortium resources ( libraries , dining halls , etc . ) are shared and students from the school are encouraged to take classes at the other four undergraduate Claremont Colleges as well as at Pitzer . Likewise , students from the other Claremont Colleges are permitted to take classes at Pitzer . History . Pitzer 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 , poet and visionary John W . Atherton 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 1964 and became co - educational in the fall of 1970 . That first academic term began with ten professors and 153 students from sixteen states and five countries . Pitzer College Presidents Campus . Pitzer ’ s campus is located in Claremont , California , covering an area of approximately . The campus is located approximately west of LA / Ontario International Airport and Los Angeles can be accessed via Metrolink , with the station located approximately eight blocks southwest of campus . Access to campus is also provided via Interstate 10 and Interstate 210 . The campus includes 16 buildings , including 5 residence halls . Three of the residence halls ( Pitzer , Atherton and Sanborn ) were built in 2007 and are Gold LEED - Certified . They received two design awards . In December 2010 , the College broke ground on four new LEED - Certified residence halls on the northeast side of its campus , which were completed in fall 2012 . 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 include 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 ) . Currently , Foothill Boulevard / Historic Route 66 and Harvey Mudd College border the campus to the north , Claremont Boulevard to the east , Ninth Street to the south , and North Mills Avenue to the west . Possible future campus expansion into the Claremont University Consortium East Campus Property would extend the eastern boundary of campus towards Monte Vista Boulevard . 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 . 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 Trustee s . 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 . The building , a popular campus hangout , 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 , the EcoCenter and a guest room . The John R . Rodman Arboretum is part of the campus , and most landscaping 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 . The George C . S . Benson Auditorium opened in March 2009 and is designed to accommodate classes , panel discussions , film screenings , dance and musical performances , full theatrical productions , etc . The Commencement Plaza and Recreation Fields are located on the southwest edge of campus . The beach volleyball and basketball courts opened in April 2010 and the first commencement was held on the new Commencement Plaza in May 2010 . The plaza and fields are ringed by art benches , on which students can paint murals . Joint Science Modular Units were installed along the southwest corner of the campus , formerly the Sanborn Parking Lot . These opened in fall 2011 and house science labs , classrooms and offices . In the future , a second Joint Science building will occupy this space . A greenhouse , which houses the work of the Marquet / Ferre Vaccine Research Center at Pitzer College , is located northwest of the Grove House . It was completed in summer 2010 and work began there in fall 2010 . The main dining hall is in McConnell Center , and features an award - winning executive chef , organic and local ingredients and vegan and vegetarian options . The Pit - Stop Cafe , opened in fall 2009 , serves organic , fair - trade coffee and espresso drinks , plus sandwiches , salads and pastries . The Shakedown Cafe , located in the Gold Student Center , is student - run and features organic world cuisine . Located directly northwest of the main campus , the Robert J . Bernard Field Station is an nature preserve consisting of coastal sage scrub . The Outback is an undeveloped area of campus , bordered by Foothill Boulevard to the north , Claremont Boulevard to the east , Atherton and Sanborn Halls to the south , and Harvey Mudd College to the west . The area is characterized by plant communities that once covered most of the surrounding region , coastal sage scrub and chaparral . There are many different areas situated throughout the Outback including : a small gully in the northeast corner , a stone bench / rock couch situated near the southern edge , as well as a small stone seat further north , there is an unfinished stone pyramid , and a large tree near the center . The campus lies less than five miles ( 8 km ) south of the San Gabriel Mountains , on top of the alluvial fans that come from nearby San Antonio Canyon . The campus is relatively flat , with a 4 % uphill grade from southwest to northeast . Mount Baldy is north of the College and is visible from the campus . The Mount Baldy Ski Lifts is a popular spot for students to ski in the winter . On clear days , the Chino Hills are visible to the south and San Bernardino Mountains to the east . Finca La Isla del Cielo Pitzer owns and operates a 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 . The property borders the Hacienda Barú nature reserve . The Center is home to programs in Pitzer ' s science , language and international studies curricula . Pitzer Study Abroad Programs Pitzer College operates its own study abroad programs in Botswana , China , Costa Rica , Japan , Nepal and South Korea and runs exchanges with dozens of universities worldwide . Rankings . The U . S . News & World Report College and University rankings 2012 edition ranks Pitzer College as the 42nd best national liberal arts college overall , 13th nationwide for Most Students Studying Abroad and 14th in High School Counselors ' Picks . Pitzer College is the youngest school represented in the top 50 . The Business Insider listed Pitzer as one of The 20 Most Exclusive Colleges In America for 2012 . Pitzer was listed among Unigo . com ' s Top 10 Schools Where Students Follow the Beltway as Closely as Their Studies , and on Parade magazine ' s " College A - List . " In fall 2010 , Newsweek named Pitzer a Most Service Minded School , and Pitzer was in the top ten in the service category in Washington Monthly ' s 2010 College Guide . Pitzer was among Kiplinger ' s 2010 Best Values in Private Colleges . Additionally , the 2011 Princeton Review named Pitzer a Best Western College . Newsweek ranked Pitzer College # 11 nationally in " Most Service - Oriented Schools " in its College Rankings 2011 . In addition , Pitzer ranked # 2 in " Best Food , " # 5 in " Top Schools for Activists , " # 6 in " Happiest Students " and # 7 in " Free - Spirited Students . " In the most recent data reported by the National Science Foundation , Pitzer College ranked 8th in the number of alumni who pursued a Ph . D . in psychology , 29th in the number of alumni who pursued a Ph . D . in anthropology , and 38th in the number of alumni who pursued a Ph . D . in sociology , compared with 153 other private colleges and universities . The Princeton Review named Pitzer College as one of 81 schools to be included in its publication , Colleges with a Conscience : 81 Schools with Great Community Involvement and Pitzer College was selected by The Carnegie Foundation for their new elective Community Engagement Classification in 2007 . Academics . As a member of The Claremont College Consortium , Pitzer students have access to nearly all facilities available to students enrolled at the other colleges , in addition to all facilities administered by the Claremont College Consortium . Any student attending Pitzer can enroll in classes at the other four colleges , and can complete an off - campus major if the major is not offered by Pitzer . In October 2010 , The Chronicle of Higher Education listed Pitzer first in Fulbright Fellowships among all undergraduate institutions nationwide . In 2008 and 2009 , Pitzer received more Fulbright Fellowships per capita , than any other college or university nationwide . In 2010 , Pitzer students and alums were awarded a record 23 Fulbrights . In its history , Pitzer students and alums have been awarded 110 Fulbright Fellowships , in addition to dozens of other national awards , including Rotary Scholarships , Watson Fellowships , Teach for America placements , Coro Fellowships , Neuroscience Fellowships , among others . Pitzer offers over 40 majors , many of them cross - disciplinary , and each student is assigned a faculty advisor upon his / her arrival on campus . The College expects students to take an active part in planning that course of study , and has few distribution requirements . The student / faculty ratio is 11 : 1 , and 100 % of Pitzer ' s tenure - track faculty hold a PhD or the terminal degree in their field . Pitzer owns and operates the Firestone Center for Restoration Ecology , a Costa Rican biological reserve that serves as a logistical base for undergraduate research and education . The facility is located approximately two kilometers east of Playa Dominical , Costa Rica . The property borders the Hacienda Barú nature reserve . Over 70 % of Pitzer students study abroad , compared to under 2 % nationwide . In contrast with religious studies major at some universities , Pitzer offers a Secularism major . Admission . During the last five years the number of applications has grown by over 65 % . Pitzer received 4 , 227 applications for the 2016 entering admission class . For fall 2012 entry , Pitzer offered admission to 15 . 7 % of the applicant pool with an average 3 . 9 GPA . The combined ( optional ) SATs were 1 , 337 , or roughly 93 % percentile . 55 % of the class entering in 2012 came from outside California , from 220 different high schools . The major geographic areas outside California represented , in order , are New York , Illinois , Washington , Massachusetts and Oregon . In 2004 Pitzer became the first college on the West Coast to join the SAT - Optional Movement by making the SAT optional for all applicants . Student body . Overview . Pitzer College enrolls approximately 950 students , making it the third largest of the five undergraduate Claremont Colleges ( Claremont McKenna and Pomona have larger student bodies , while Harvey Mudd and Scripps are smaller ) . Pitzer College ranks 25th nationwide among all Baccalaureate Colleges for percentage of its students who study abroad , and Pitzer has the highest rate of study abroad among the Claremont Colleges . Students of color constitute over 30 % of the total student body and Pitzer enrolls the largest number of international students of any school within the Claremont Consortium . Community involvement . The Pitzer College community is especially known for its involvement outside of the classroom . Its students donate over 100 , 000 hours to community service annually . In 2008 and 2009 , the College was named to the President ’ s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll . This distinction recognizes students , faculty , and staff for helping to build a culture of service and civic engagement . Much of Pitzer ' s community engagement occurs under the auspices of the Community Engagement Center ( CEC ) ( formerly Center for California Cultural and Social Issues ) , which strives to root community - based pedagogy more deeply into the College ' s curricular and research agendas . By providing financial , technical and logistical support to develop innovative community - based projects as well as an institutional infrastructure to sustain and evaluate them , the Center engages international , national and local resources in a cooperative network aimed at defining and realizing the goals of various community partners . The CEC runs the Pitzer in Ontario Program , a comprehensive semester - long service learning and cultural immersion program with a strong theoretical foundation in the human sciences informed by the best practices in the field of experiential education . The program integrates extensive internship experiences in city , private or non - profit organizations with interdisciplinary coursework that provides the theoretical framework from which social and urban issues can be effectively evaluated . Through living in Ontario , students have the opportunity to engage firsthand the diversity of voices , perspectives , and agendas that are driving those demands , and to come to a better understanding of the many layers of engaged citizenship . At the Campus Compact 20 / 20 Visioning Summit on October 17 , 2006 , the Corporation for National and Community Service recognized Pitzer as one of 28 California campuses distinguished for community service and Hurricane Katrina relief efforts . Pitzer College received Mother Jones Magazine 2006 Campus Activism for Thinking Outside of the Box . Pitzer College students including former Speaker of the California State Assembly Fabian Nunez ‘ 97 were instrumental in founding the Pomona Day Labor Center . Through the Community Engagement Center dozens of Pitzer students volunteer each semester with programs at Camp Afflerbaugh and California Youth Authority Chino . Athletics . Pitzer College joins with Pomona College to field the Sagehen sports teams in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference . Sagehen teams include soccer , basketball , football , baseball , track & field , golf , tennis , water polo , swimming and diving . Pitzer students also participate in the Claremont Colleges club sports programs that compete nationally . There is a cross - town rivalry between the Sagehens and the Stags , fielded by Claremont McKenna , Harvey Mudd and Scripps Colleges . Cecil the Sagehen is the school mascot , who often leads the crowd in the fight song , “ When Cecil the Sagehen Chirps , ” which includes the lyric “ Our foes are filled with dread / Whenever Cecil the Sagehen flies overhead ! ” He also travels the world in support of Pitzer . Some recent Sagehen accomplishments include : Events and traditions . Kohoutek Music and Arts Festival : or Kohoutek , began in 1974 and is a student - run multi - day outdoor music and arts festival held each spring on the Pitzer campus . The event , which is free and open to all Claremont Colleges community members , is named after Comet Kohoutek , discovered by Czech astronomer Lubos Kohoutek . Past groups that have headlined Kohoutek include : O . A . R , Blackalicious , The Roots , Tea Leaf Green , Breakestra , Zolar X , Lyrics Born , Akron / Family , Zion I and Toubab Krewe . Last year ' s headliners were Matt & Kim , Blu and Mr . Lif and featured a performance by special guests Mandrill . The festival generally includes a number of non - music components including off - campus and student vendors , fire performances , a farmers market , and other activities . Dining with Democracy : is a student - run speaker series that brings politicians and community activists to campus . All speeches are open to the Claremont College community . Following the speech a private dinner is held with the speaker and randomly selected students , faculty , and staff . Participants have included : Alfre Woodard , Christopher Hitchens , Chalmers Johnson , the Honorable Kimba Wood , John Hueston , Mike Bonanno of The Yes Men , Ralph Nader , Don Beck , Brian Swimme , and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi . Groove at The Grove : generally refers to those concerts or other performances held on Thursday nights at the Grove House , but the term may be used at other times as well . The event represents Pitzer ' s most consistent contribution to the weeknight arts and music scene at the Claremont Colleges . Acts set - up on the front steps of the Grove House with the audience standing immediately in front of the structure . Numerous student and professional groups have performed at the event , including We Are Scientists . Hammocks on The Mounds : refers to the hanging of hammocks on the Pitzer Mounds , the uneven grassy area located directly north of McConnell Center . The hammocks are generally donated by students and / or alumni , or purchased by the student government . The College declared November 2 to 9 , 1998 Pitzer College Hammock Week , stating that community members are encouraged to " bring a hammock to the mounds , string it up and just hang around . " It has since become an annual tradition at the College . Halloween in the Halls is an annual community outreach program held inside select College residence halls . Occurring during a single evening / night on or near Halloween , the event draw hundreds of local elementary school students to trick - or - treat between students ' rooms in the Pitzer College dorms . There is often a decoration competition between participating hallways , and prizes are awarded to those halls that receive top placement . Orientation Adventure : or OA is the College ' s pre - Welcome Week program for incoming First - Year , Transfer , and New Resource students . The newly mandatory student - led program offers multi - day thematic trips throughout California . Over the program ' s history themes have included , among others , backpacking , sustainability , coastal biking , grassroots movements , surfing , and Los Angeles arts & music . Trips generally vary in length from three to six days and destinations of past trips have included : Sequoia National Park , Kings Canyon National Park , Chávez National Center , San Gabriel River Trail , Newport Beach , Los Angeles , San Onofre , community gardens , and San Diego . Murals provide unique visual atmosphere to Pitzer college . Murals are painted by students , staff , and guests artists on the interiors and exteriors of campus buildings and along the pillars that line the Mounds . Diverse themes include portraits , politics , literature , and purely whimsical imagery . Snackie Snack occurs weekly , and is a free late - night snack featuring food from local businesses served by the Pitzer Activities Programming Board . During exam periods , Snackie Snack is served by the president and members of the cabinet . " Reggae Fest " : or " The Bob Marley Festival " , " BobFest " or " One Good Thing Festival " began in 2003 as a fall concert event . " BobFest " occurs during the first weekend in November and features Reggae , Dancehall , Afrobeat , and World music . The festival runs over the course of a single day and features 5 - 9 live , professional bands , free food and beverages . The event has been hosted by California reggae personality Junor Francis each year since its inception . Student life . Residence halls . The majority of Pitzer students live on campus in one of five residence halls : Atherton Hall , Holden Hall , Mead Hall , Pitzer Hall and Sanborn Hall . Each hall is equipped with laundry rooms , common rooms for meetings or social gatherings , study rooms , full kitchens and has a full - time in - residence hall director . All Pitzer residence halls , balconies included , are non - smoking . Through the Faculty in Residence Program , each year two members of the Pitzer faculty live in one of the two faculty apartments in the residence halls on campus , and design and run events for students . The dean of students and the assistant dean of students also live on campus . First - and second - year students are not permitted to bring cars to campus , although exceptions can be made on a case - by - case basis . Atherton Hall is a four story building adjacent to the Gold Student Center . Atherton accommodates 62 students . Rooms are double occupancy with two rooms sharing an adjoining vanity , bathroom and shower . Common areas include a living room , six study rooms , and laundry facilities . The basement level of Atherton Hall is home to the mailroom , a music practice room , the Lenzner Family Gallery , art studio with classroom , and the Writing Center . Pitzer Hall is a four story building southeast of the Gold Student Center that houses 78 students . Rooms are double occupancy , with two rooms sharing an adjoining vanity , bathroom and shower . Common areas include a living room , eight study rooms , and laundry facilities . The first floor houses the Office of Admission . One of the two Faculty in Residence apartments is also in Pitzer Hall . Sanborn Hall is a two - part three story building east of the Gold Student Center . Sanborn houses 178 students . Rooms are double occupancy with two rooms sharing an adjoining vanity , bathroom and shower . Common areas include a living room , nine study rooms , laundry facilities and a kitchen . One of the two Faculty in Residence apartments is also in Sanborn . Holden Hall is a two story building housing 180 students in four wings . Rooms are double occupancy , with two rooms sharing an adjoining bathroom and shower . Common areas include a living room , television lounge , two study rooms , a kitchen and laundry facilities . Mead Hall is a three story , six - tower complex which houses 225 students . Each suite shares a common living room with four or eight residents in each unit . Common areas include a community kitchen , laundry facilities and a television lounge . Mead is home to Career Services , Center for Asian Pacific American Students , The Rabbit Hole ( substance abuse education and outreach program ) , the Marquis Library , and the Writing Center . This hall offers a Substance Free Tower and a Community Involvement Tower that exemplifies one of the College ’ s educational objectives : awareness of the social and ethical implications of action . Residence life in the Involvement Tower is generally self - governed within the parameters of Pitzer ’ s residential life policies , subject to amendment by Pitzer College Student Senate . Students are required to attend Tower meetings and participate in Pitzer ’ s community or the community at large . Residential Life Project . Pitzer is currently engaged in a multi - year , multi - million dollar Residential Life Project to significantly expand the facilities of the College . The Residential Life Project is expected to be completed in three phases over the next 10 to 15 years . Phase One , which included Sanborn , Pitzer , and Atherton Halls , was completed and inaugurated in September 2007 . The College broke ground on Phase II , which incorporates four new residence halls , a demonstration kitchen , an archive , a board room and program / faculty offices , in December 2010 . It is scheduled to be completed by August 2012 . Robert Redford and Ed Begley , Jr . were the keynote speakers at the dedication ceremony of the Residential Life Project . The residence halls opened in 2007 received LEED Gold recognition from the United States Green Building Council in 2008 . The College expects Phase II to receive Platinum certification . ( Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design ( LEED ) is the national standard for sustainable buildings created by the U . S . Green Building Council . When Pitzer ' s Residential Life Project is complete , the College expects to become the first college in the nation to have all Gold or Platinum LEED certified residence halls . Student clubs and organizations . There are more than 150 student clubs and organizations available to join within the Claremont College consortium . Notable amongst these is the Green Bike Program ( GBP ) , a student run bicycle collective that maintains a full service shop , as well as fleet of 100 + recovered and reused bicycles that are raffled off free of charge each semester for student use . The GBP works to provide an alternative mode of transportation to combat the predominate and destructive car culture in Southern California , as well as to reduce consumption and consumerism while increasing the practical use of recycled and reused materials . The GBP maintains a strong DIY ethic , and has become a social hub for both student and community activism . Cost and financial aid . For the 2010 - 2011 academic year , tuition is $ 37 , 512 , a double room is $ 7 , 540 , the meal plan is $ 4 , 410 , and other fees are $ 3 , 610 . Over fifty percent of Pitzer students receive financial assistance in loans , work study , scholarships , and / or institutional grants . Pitzer utilizes the Federal FAFSA and the CSS Profile to determine financial need , and Pitzer has stated a commitment to meeting 100 % of every student ' s demonstrated financial need . The average financial aid package at Pitzer is $ 36 , 500 , and over the past five years , Pitzer has lowered the average cumulative debt of its students by 24 % - - from $ 22 , 000 to $ 16 , 000 . Pitzer ' s Office of Admission states a commitment to building a student body that " reflects a wide range of economic , ethnic , racial and geographic representation . " Notable alumni . Government and politics Arts , media and entertainment Other Commencement speakers . 2013 : Jon Lovett 2012 : Angela Davis 2011 : Max Brooks 2010 : Cory Booker 2009 : David Feldman ( comedian ) 2008 : Samantha Power 2007 : Eric Schlosser 2006 : Fabian Nunez 2005 : Sarah Weddington 2004 : Bernadine Dohrn 2003 : Naomi Wolf