Scripps College
Scripps College is a private women's liberal-arts college in Claremont, California, and a member of the five-college Claremont Consortium, pairing an intimate campus of about 1,100 students with shared courses, dining, and athletics across the neighboring colleges. Known for its signature interdisciplinary Core curriculum and a Spanish Colonial Revival campus on the National Register of Historic Places, Scripps admitted about 40% of roughly 3,200 applicants for its most recent class, with enrolled first-years posting middle-50% SAT scores of 1430–1500 and 32–34 on the ACT. The social and biological sciences and the visual and performing arts are the most-conferred fields, and a 10-to-1 student-faculty ratio keeps classes small. Scripps is test-optional and meets 100% of demonstrated financial need.
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Scripps admissions statistics
Acceptance Rate
Total applicants, admitted students, and enrolled students for the most recent admission cycle.
Early Decision
Scripps offers binding Early Decision. Applying early can meaningfully change your odds — but ED commits you to enroll if admitted.
Admit rate by application plan
% admitted~1.3× higher admit rate applying early.
Standardized Tests
Scripps is currently test-optional — you may apply without submitting scores.
SAT Accepted?
ACT Accepted?
Test Optional?
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Class Rank
Where Scripps's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.
Based on the 13% of enrolled students who reported a class rank. Scripps does not publish an average GPA.
Admissions Factors
How Scripps weighs each part of your application.
Rigor of High School Record
Academic GPA
Standardized Test Scores
Application Essay
Recommendations
Extracurricular Activities
Character / Personal Qualities
Talent / Ability
First Generation
Level of Applicant's Interest
Class Rank
Volunteer Work
Work Experience
Geographical Residence
State Residency
Alumni Relation
Racial / Ethnic Status
Religious Affiliation
Cost of Attendance
Estimated full-time annual cost from Scripps's Common Data Set.
Private universities charge the same tuition regardless of state residency.
Financial Aid
Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.
Major Distribution
Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.
Student Diversity
Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.
Student-Faculty Ratio
The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.
Campus Life
On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.
Enrollment by Gender
Since some students did not report gender, totals may not fully reflect the student body.
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Frequently asked questions about Scripps admissions
Is it hard to get into Scripps College?＋
Scripps is selective but not in the single-digit range: it admitted about 39.9% of applicants in the most recent cycle, offering admission to roughly 1,288 of about 3,230 applicants and enrolling 301 first-years. Admission is holistic, with the rigor of your high school record, academic GPA, application essay, and personal qualities all weighed as very important factors.
What GPA do you need to get into Scripps College?＋
Scripps no longer publishes an average admitted GPA, but its class sits near the top of the high school cohort. Among enrolled first-years who reported a class rank, about 63% were in the top tenth and 90% in the top quarter of their graduating class. There is no hard cutoff, but academic GPA and the rigor of your course load are both weighed as very important factors.
Is Scripps College test-optional, and what SAT or ACT do you need?＋
Yes, Scripps is test-optional, so you may apply without submitting scores, and standardized test scores are only a considered factor in its review. Among enrolled students who did submit, the middle 50% scored 1430-1500 on the SAT and 32-34 on the ACT, with median scores around 1480 SAT and 33 ACT.
How does Early Decision work at Scripps College?＋
Scripps offers two binding Early Decision plans, ED I and ED II; it does not offer Early Action. In the most recent cycle the early rounds drew 275 applications and admitted 141 students. Because ED is binding, it is meant for applicants who are certain Scripps is their first choice.
How much does Scripps College cost, and does it meet financial need?＋
Tuition and required fees run about $68,532 per year, with the total cost of attendance higher once housing and food are added. Scripps meets 100% of demonstrated financial need; about 41% of first-years receive need-based scholarship or grant aid, with an average need-based package near $59,623.
Is Scripps College a women's college?＋
Yes. Scripps is a women's liberal-arts college, and its undergraduate enrollment of about 1,103 students is almost entirely women. It is also part of the five-college Claremont Consortium, so students share courses, dining, and athletics with the neighboring Claremont colleges while keeping a small, roughly 10-to-1 student-faculty ratio.
What are the most popular majors at Scripps College?＋
The social sciences are the most popular area at about 17% of bachelor's degrees, with the biological sciences close behind near 13%. The visual and performing arts, communication, and psychology round out the most-conferred fields, reflecting Scripps's strength across the humanities, sciences, and arts.
Does the application essay matter at Scripps College?＋
Yes. Scripps rates the application essay as a very important factor in its holistic review, on the same tier as your GPA, course rigor, and personal qualities, and above standardized test scores, which are only considered. With admission at about 40%, a specific, well-revised essay is one of the clearest places to stand out.
Source: Scripps College Common Data Set 2025-2026. Figures transcribed 2026-06-25. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with Scripps. Banner photo by Lure Photography (Sergio Sanchez), via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).