Ranked ninth best liberal arts college in the U.S., Claremont McKenna is a private four-year college located in the city of Claremont, 30 miles east of Los Angeles. Founded as a men's college in 1946 as Claremont Men's College, it became co-educational in 1976. The college focuses primarily on undergraduate education, but in 2007 it established the Robert Day School of Economics and Finance, which offers a masters programme in finance.

Claremont McKenna College said in late January 2012 it submitted false SAT scores to publications such as U.S. News & World Report since 2005 to inflate the small, prestigious school's ranking among the nation's colleges and universities.