Pitzer College

Pitzer is a small liberal arts school that some affectionately think of a cross between a summer camp and a college. As the middle child of the Claremont Colleges, Pitzer shares some facilities with the other “5Cs,” and students can take classes at those colleges. (Along with Pitzer, the consortium includes Harvey Mudd, Pomona, Scripps and Claremont McKenna colleges, plus two graduate schools.) Pitzer’s nontraditional academic philosophy allows students to design their own majors and choose gen-ed classes that interest them. The student body is full of laid-back, liberal, socially aware and intelligent free spirits. The campus is covered in graffiti, with outdoor art spaces provided for students to express themselves through murals. Students can shuffle in their flip-flops and tie-dye to quaint downtown Claremont during the day and spend nights hanging around the Mounds or other on-campus hotspots for live music and social festivities. The outdoorsy types often venture to nearby mountains, hot springs and beaches for weekend excursions, and Los Angeles is close for anyone looking for a metropolitan diversion.