Pitzer College Named No. 1 Baccalaureate Producer of Fulbright Recipients

Drawing on a deep culture of mentorship and student support, Pitzer College has been selected as the No. 1 producer nationwide of Fulbright students for 2025-26 in the baccalaureate category.

The U.S. Fulbright Program announced its new list of higher education leaders today on its website and at the Chronicle of Higher Education. This is also the College’s 17th consecutive year as a top producer of Fulbright awards.

“We’re honored by this recognition,” said Pitzer President Strom C. Thacker, a former Fulbright scholar in Mexico. “Pitzer prepares and supports students who are ready to take their learning beyond the classroom and into the world. This recognition reflects a campus culture, faculty, staff, and mentors deeply committed to helping students translate ambition into action and curiosity into global engagement.”

In its most recent cohort of recipients, Pitzer had 18 students selected for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, which is one of the largest cohorts in Pitzer Fulbright history. That success lifted the College to No. 1 in the baccalaureate category for 2025-26. Looking at all categories, Pitzer is among the top 23 in the nation for all institutions for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program for 2025-26.

Tied for second with 17 students are four schools—Amherst, Bowdoin, Williams, and Pomona Colleges—while other members of the Claremont Colleges on the list include Scripps (7 students) and Claremont McKenna (1 student). Pitzer’s next group of recipients will be announced by the U.S. Fulbright Program later this spring.

Noosha Malek, director of Pitzer’s Office of Fellowships and instructor of the IGLAS Fulbright courses, points to the College’s intentional approach to intercultural education as a key factor in Pitzer’s continued Fulbright success. Through structured advising and preparation, students are guided to develop projects grounded in responsible cultural engagement.

“It is a pleasure and a privilege to guide Pitzer students through the Fulbright process as they engage deeply with intercultural learning,” Malek said. “I am proud to celebrate their accomplishments. We are honored to be the nation’s top baccalaureate institution as Pitzer marks its seventeenth year as a top-producing institution.”

Dedicated to Student Success

In addition to the advising offered through Pitzer’s Office of Fellowships, the College also provides support through the Writing Center, where students can refine application materials and strengthen written communication as part of the Fulbright process.

Delaney Post ’26, a Fulbright applicant and embedded tutor in the Fulbright course taught by Malek, noted that students worked tirelessly to articulate their strengths, vulnerabilities, and aspirations, making the experience deeply meaningful. Stella Seid ’25 added that the process extends beyond acceptance, fostering bonding, teamwork, and self-discovery, while Tye Iverson ’26 highlighted how applicants transform their academic learning into real-world impact—making the experience inspiring for all involved.

For Stephanie Liu-Rojas, director of Pitzer’s Writing Center, Fulbright applicants are given a preparation that ranges from work on writing the application to practicing interviewing techniques learned from the Fulbright course.

“I am honored to be part of the Fulbright application process under Noosha Malek’s leadership and proud of the collaborative work of the Writing Center Fellows who support applicants through one-on-one tutoring,” Liu-Rojas said.

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government's flagship international academic exchange program. Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 400,000 accomplished students, scholars, teachers, artists, and other professionals with the opportunity to study, teach, and conduct research abroad. “Fulbrighters” exchange ideas, build people-to-people connections, and work to address complex global challenges.

About Pitzer College: Founded in 1963, Pitzer College is a leading liberal arts and sciences college and has been consistently ranked among the nation’s top higher education institutions by The Princeton Review. The College emphasizes environmental and interdisciplinary studies, the arts, humanities, and social, behavioral, and natural sciences. Pitzer College is a member of The Claremont Colleges, a unique group in U.S. higher education that consists of five undergraduate colleges and two graduate institutions. At Pitzer, students have access to all the resources of a major university while enjoying the benefits of a small liberal arts college experience and its personalized approach to education.

• Learn more about the Fulbright and other fellowship opportunities at Pitzer