The Claremont Colleges is a consortium of seven independent institutions of higher education located in Claremont, California, founded in 1925. The group comprises five undergraduate liberal arts colleges - Pomona College, Scripps College, Claremont McKenna College, Harvey Mudd College, and Pitzer College - alongside two graduate institutions: Claremont Graduate University and Keck Graduate Institute. The consortium was conceived as a collegiate university design inspired by Oxford University, allowing students enrolled at any member institution to access academic programmes, extracurricular activities, and services across all seven colleges.
The Claremont Colleges Services (TCCS), a shared services organisation employing over 400 staff members, manages administrative and student-facing operations across the consortium. This structure enables the member institutions to function as a unified academic community while maintaining their independence. Students benefit from the resources and breadth of offerings typically associated with a large university whilst retaining the personal engagement characteristic of smaller colleges.
The consortium model allows member institutions to coordinate academic programming, extracurricular activities, and operational functions, reducing administrative redundancy and improving service quality. TCCS focuses on delivering innovative, high-quality, and cost-effective services that support the collective educational mission of the seven colleges.