Claremont Graduate University Reviews

"Claremont features flexible programming that enables me, as a working professional, to progress through my PhD coursework. The professors are knowledgeable and supportive. The environment is aesthetically pleasing. However, the cost is prohibitive and financial aid is not helpful in securing additional grants and funding to make it more affordable."

"Pluses: Individualized attention from Professors and small classes. Emphasis on quantitative methods that will help graduates get or get promoted in a knowledge-economy job. Minuses - Not really set up for part-time students, although there are some evening classes. Online classes are few and far between. Insipid, insufferable leftism, but not quite as bad as other colleges."

"CGU offers a variety of support for students from technology to writing. We have a few sites on campus for our physical and mental health well being. Our campus medical center can give referrals and has minor services. Mental health is critical for students under stressful situations with course load, finances, or personal issues and we can go talk to someone a number of times and then get referrals. We have great support from faculty and staff. We have special events from musical concerts to free lectures by notable people in many industries. On the downside living close to campus can be expensive (rents) if someone is not familiar with the area, but CGU provides a housing office that has listings for renting rooms or apartments."

"Top notch suportive relevant professors, administrators. Cohesive, small classes. Experrienced teaching faculty with relevant, real world expertise."

"SCGH is a rigorous graduate program and is a new model at CGU. I really enjoy the teachers and students, but am constantly confronted with the cost."

"For doctoral programs, CGU simply cannot compete with other schools. Almost no students receive full funding from the department, unless they receive external scholarships; most current PhD students receive only a 33% tuition remission. The faculty are mixed: some are great, many are not. The small school/class size appeals to many, but keep in mind that this limitedness also applies to the areas in which faculty can mentor/assist students. Do not be surprised if the faculty are not experts in the fields that you want to pursue. And because of the current financial situation at CGU, the schools are, more or less, obligated to admit more students than are qualified. The academic rigor in the classroom can be stimulating, but with the financial crunch, this stimulation continues to dwindle."

"It is an amazing program with faculty members who are supportive, approachable, and extremely intelligent, however in terms of finances you do feel left to fend for yourself almost entirely. It is a wonderful program, yes, but you often find yourself wondering whether it is truly worth it."

"Courses are intensive in the first year, but professors and classmates are very supportive. It's an exiting experience to study here in general."

"CGU has staff and faculty that enhances the educational experience because they are accessible and helpful from academics to support services"

"CGU is a graduate school set in a traditional college campus setting 25 miles from downtown Los Angeles. The Poli Sci program is very quantitatively oriented and tightly hooked in with the Econ program, so you can use the data analysis skills in any setting--business, government, health care--which is a real plus. Some classes are offered in the evening, which is convenient for working students. On the downside, most of the Econ classes are only offered during the day, so it can be tough for working graduate students. Transportation around the greater Los Angeles can be difficult if you don't have a car, but the commuter train station is an easy walk from the campus, and bus service seems generally reliable. The campus sits at the foothills of the mountains, but is flat, so biking around campus is easy."

"This school is great because of the small class sizes. They allow you to become very involved with the professors as well as other students. Its a small school atmosphere which really promotes learning. It has great classes and is very challenging. The biggest downside is the cost because it is very expensive."

"The School is great, but a bit expensive and aid is tough to come by in a form other than loans."

"I am in the PhD program for Positive Developmental Psychology. The program is great but does have its problems. The quality of the professors is high but you need to work very hard to get face time with a few of them, others are easy to correspond with. The program is difficult and engaging but not cutthroat like some PhD programs, all the students are very supportive. The two biggest problems here are the number of students in the programs, there are too many which gives professors a heavier workload and less time for students. The last problem is cost of living/ tuition, it is absurd. I have to take out ridiculous amounts of loans to stay afloat."

"The professors are proficient in the specific areas of study that I am focused on and have meaningful classes. This is why I love being a student at CGU and why I love studying political theory."

"While it is a difficult program, there are many ways to get help. The wonderful staff and well-known scholars at CGU will show you the way."

"Intimate environment, faculty that cares, the local area is very pretty and you are within a couple hours drive of many fun things, The only major con really is that it is expensive and the fellowship/aid leaves gaps and typically that is filled by loans."

"CGU has great faculty with years of experience in the field (many of the Public Health Professors were part of the Public Health Program at USC). Although it is relatively new, CGU is beginning to expand and offer a very comprehensive, challenging, and rewarding MPH program. I love the school so far and though I cannot yet vouch for what kind of job it will get me once I graduate, it seems everyone that graduates is able to find a job. The graduate housing is a bit expensive, and financial aid did not really offer me much money at all (the money I received from the school was through the public health department, which was a nice sum!), so that is something the school can work at. Overall though, great school, faculty, program, and environment!"

"My graduate program has a lot to offer in terms of depth and rigor. The degree is broad enough to allow students to explore what they are interested in, while maintaining a sense of continuity. The only con of my university is the location and the expected traffic on my way to and from campus. However, the drive is certainly worth it."

"This is the best and only Positive Psychology Ph.D in the world. I have received a top tier education and am very satisfied with my experience. However, the university would be wise to invest more resources into the development of the program."

"Pros - Great faculty, great program, great school. Cons - Relatively new, pricey tuition costs. While the program is relatively new, I think the program director does a great job of offering students many opportunities to supplement courses from other programs that they may be interested in. The relationship that SCGH has with the other schools within CGU is great in that they have many dual programs, and you actually have the opportunity of creating your own dual-degree program if it is not currently being offered. However, since it is relatively new, not all of the classes are able to be offered since the faculty are all also conducting research and often cannot juggle too many classes. If classes are not offered though, other courses can be substituted so it will not prevent you from progressing forward in the program. Tuition is quite costly, since it is a private school. Faculty are all wonderful though and are always available for students to meet or to do research with."