In an era when higher education is increasingly criticized for being exclusionary, overpriced, and ideologically rigid, Claremont McKenna College (CMC) under President Hiram Chodosh today offers a powerful counter-narrative: one rooted in democratizing access to top-tier education and fostering the kind of civic discourse essential to a functioning democracy.
In this light, it should be noted that the City Journal College Rankings recently ranked Claremont McKenna #1 in the metrics of support for free speech, faculty ideological pluralism, faculty teaching quality, student communal life, and its quality of alumni network.
And indeed when President Chodosh took the helm, he made equity of access a cornerstone of his vision for the college.
One of the most tangible manifestations of that vision is the CMC Opportunity Strategy - A $300 million commitment to expand post-graduate success for every student—including a lead gift from alumnus Henry Kravis for the Kravis Opportunity Fund—this initiative reduces debt, supports first-year internships, study abroad, and other key college costs of the full experience and opportunity for students from underserved backgrounds.
According to the college's Office of Admission and Financial Aid, CMC now meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for all admitted students, a critical benchmark that only around 70 colleges nationwide currently achieve.
However this commitment is not only ethical—it's strategic.
Research by the Brookings Institution and the Equality of Opportunity Project has consistently shown that highly selective colleges like CMC serve as economic mobility engines for low-income students.
So, by investing in access, CMC isn't diluting excellence; it's expanding its reach.
But access alone isn't enough. Higher education must also serve as a model for how to bridge differences.
CMC is meeting that challenge head-on through its Open Academy initiative, launched in 2018. The program rests on three pillars: freedom of expression, viewpoint diversity, and constructive dialogue.
Unlike many colleges that have seen the free speech crisis play out in viral headlines, CMC has embraced intellectual friction as central to its mission. The school regularly hosts speakers from across the ideological spectrum—from former Obama administration officials to conservative commentators.
This is not by accident; it's institutional design.
A survey from Heterodox Academy ranked CMC among the top liberal arts colleges fostering an environment conducive to free inquiry and open debate. And the college's own data shows that over 90% of students report feeling comfortable sharing their views in class, a figure that stands well above national averages. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) ranked CMC #1 for the second time this past fall.
President Chodosh's guiding philosophy here is straightforward but profound: "We can't solve the world's hardest problems if we can't even talk to each other."
His background in law and conflict resolution, including his work with the Global Justice Project in the Middle East and South Asia, informs his belief that civil discourse is not a luxury—it's a necessity.
CMC's approach isn't just reshaping its campus—it's influencing national conversations.
President Chodosh serves on the presidential leadership team of the Institute for Citizens and Scholars and has been a public voice on how colleges can build trust across divides. He's also been vocal on the role of liberal arts in fostering global citizenship and pragmatic leadership.
And while CMC is small—just over 1,300 undergraduates—it punches far above its weight.
The college consistently ranks in the top 10 for liberal arts schools in the U.S. and ranks #1 for alumni earnings among liberal arts colleges, according to PayScale and the Wall Street Journal.
That's not just prestige—it's proof of outcomes.
CMC under Chodosh's leadership illustrates that access and excellence are not trade-offs. They are mutually reinforcing.
That inclusive institutions can still be rigorous.
And that dialogue, not dogma, must define the academic experience.
In a time when many institutions retreat into partisan bunkers or ivory towers, Claremont McKenna is quietly building a new kind of academic community—one that invites more voices in, asks the hard questions, and prepares students to lead in a fractured world.
President Hiram Chodosh's tenure is a reminder that bold ideas, when matched with bold action, can redefine what higher education stands for.
More universities would do well to follow CMC's lead—not just in strategy, but in spirit.
