Living in Claremont and the Los Angeles area

Location, location, location.

That’s the first rule of real estate, and it’s often high on a student’s priority list when it comes to choosing a college. After all, four years is a long time to be in a place you’d rather not even visit. One major difference is between urban and rural or suburban campuses, while another important factor is the region of the country where a college is located. Those who thrive at urban universities love all of the off-campus options for food, entertainment, even work opportunities. Rural campuses often offer a beautiful or peaceful natural environment with few distractions and a focus on campus life, while suburban campuses can offer a bit of both.

Scripps is located in Claremont, CA, a town of 35,000, located just within Los Angeles County’s border. We claim L.A. status, but we live in the shadow of the beautiful San Gabriel Mountains, which offer great hiking, biking, and even skiing opportunities in the winter. Drive east an hour and a half, and you’re in Palm Springs. An hour west, and you’re at the Pacific Ocean. If you like outdoor adventures (and there is a Claremont Colleges club for that), you will be in a prime location for surfing, rock-climbing, hiking, camping, or horseback riding. The heart of the town itself is “the Village,” a downtown area with shopping, dining, and entertainment in walking distance (about 20 minutes) of Scripps’s campus. Students wander the farmer’s market on Sunday mornings, and enjoy all the ice cream and frozen yogurt options, cafés, the independent movie theaters, and the jazz and comedy clubs. When the parents visit, you will also have plenty of restaurant options—from diners, to Afghan food, to sushi or Italian fare.

When Claremont gets too small, there’s always L.A. We have a MetroLink station in the Village, where you can catch a commuter train into downtown L.A., or you can check out one of our Zipcars, cars shared by Claremont College students and rented by the hour. We also sponsor student trips to Dodger games, theater productions, museums, the beach, Disneyland, or other attractions on a regular basis. Just get on the bus!

Living in Claremont offers a bit of everything: outdoor adventures, small-town charm, and easy big city access. Not a bad place to be for the next four years if you choose to come to Scripps.

Tina, Admission Counselor