Pitzer College: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Malibu, California · Private nonprofit · Selective · CDS 2024-2025
Pitzer College is a private institution located in Malibu, California with a selective admissions profile. For the most recent reporting cycle, Pitzer College admits between a quarter and half of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 50%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1367 and an ACT composite around 28. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $45,409 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Pitzer College is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for Pitzer College?
Admitted students at Pitzer College typically present unweighted GPAs in the 3.6–3.9 range with several honors or AP courses. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
What does Pitzer College weight in admissions?
Pitzer College reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2024-2025). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • Academic GPA
- • Application essay
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Talent/ability
- • Character/personal qualities
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
- • Recommendations
- • Volunteer work
- • Standardized test scores
- • Interview
- • First generation status
- • Work experience
- • Class rank
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • Geographical residence
- • State residency
- • Level of applicant's interest
SAT and ACT scores Pitzer College typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 620–740, with an EBRW midpoint near 670. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 26–32. A score at or above this school's 75th percentile materially improves your child's odds, particularly when paired with a rigorous course load.
| 25th percentile | 1300 |
| 50th percentile | 1370 |
| 75th percentile | 1440 |
| % submitting SAT | 18% |
| 25th percentile | 29 |
| 50th percentile | 31 |
| 75th percentile | 32 |
| % submitting ACT | 10% |
- • Test-optional: Standardized test scores are not required, but may be submitted and considered.
- • Policy detail: Considered if submitted
How much does Pitzer College actually cost?
Published tuition is $66,742 for in-state students and $66,742 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $23,270 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $45,409 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 20% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | $71,860 |
| Room and board | $22,480 |
| Average net price (after aid) | $45,409 |
| Application fee | $70 (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for Pitzer College
| Regular deadline | Jan 15 |
| Notification date | Apr 1 |
| Reply deadline | May 1 |
| Offers Early Action | Yes |
| EA deadline | Nov 1 |
Will my child graduate from Pitzer College?
Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.
Other colleges in California parents ask about
- Stanford University4% acceptance
- University of California-Berkeley12% acceptance
- University of California-Los Angeles9% acceptance
- University of Southern California10% acceptance
- University of California-Davis42% acceptance
- University of California-Irvine26% acceptance
- University of California-San Diego25% acceptance
- University of California-Santa Barbara63% acceptance
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Pitzer College
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Pitzer College recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about Pitzer College
What GPA do I need for Pitzer College?
Admitted students at Pitzer College typically present unweighted GPAs in the 3.6–3.9 range with several honors or AP courses.
What SAT or ACT score does Pitzer College typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 620–740, with an EBRW midpoint near 670. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 26–32.
How much does Pitzer College actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Pitzer College after grants and scholarships is $45,409 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is Pitzer College realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, Pitzer College is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by Pitzer College, and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.