Pitzer College

Pitzer College, located in California, is liberal arts colleges and part of one of the Claremont Colleges, which include Claremont McKenna College, Harvey Mudd College, Pomona College and Scripps College. It is approximately 40 miles from downtown Los Angeles.

Pitzer started out as a women’s college in 1963 and the first academic term in 1964 began with just 11 members of faculty and 153 students. 

As it is one of the Claremont Colleges, resources, which include the libraries and dining halls, are shared between all students and they are also encouraged to take classes at the other four undergraduate Claremont Colleges as well.

The college has a particular emphasis on the study of social sciences, behavioural sciences, international programmes, and media studies. Interestingly, in contrast with religious studies degrees offered at the vast majority of universities, Pitzer offers a Secularism degree.

Some three-quarters of students study abroad during their studies at Pitzer college which include a semester in Costa Rica at the school’s Firestone Centre for Restoration Ecology. 

There are more than 100 student clubs and organisations on campus for students to participate in. These include: Climbing Club, Bowling and Making Friends, Cooking Club, Filmnatics, Psychological Student Association (PPSA), Breakfast Club and Reggae Fest.

Athletic teams at Pitzer College join with Pomona College to compete in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Sports teams include soccer, basketball, football, baseball, track & field, golf, tennis, water polo, swimming and diving. Moreover, Pitzer students also participate in the Claremont Colleges club sports programmes that compete nationally. 

Notable alumni include John Darnielle, an American musician and novelist best known as the primary member of the American band the Mountain Goats, Fabian Núñez, a labour union adviser and Democratic politician, and Anne Archer, an American actress who was nominated for an Academy Award for the 1987 film Fatal Attraction.