- AcademicsA
- ValueA
- DiversityA
- CampusB+
- AthleticsC+
- Party SceneB
- ProfessorsA-
- LocationB+
- DormsC+
- Campus FoodA
- Student LifeA-
- SafetyC
Occidental College is ...
Private not-for-profit
Athletic Division
NCAA Division III (with football)
Athletic Conference
Southern California Intercoll Athletic Conference
Address
1600 Campus Rd
Los Angeles, CA 90041
Website
From Occidental College
Occidental College's beautiful campus in Los Angeles serves as a springboard for putting theory into practice. In more than 40 majors and minors, students benefit from a small-classroom environment with stimulating faculty. Our distinctive approach offers a chance to explore new ideas, and the academic rigor on campus is enhanced by internships and partnerships across L.A. Consciously collaborative, our students seek to embrace difference and make a difference in the world. Occidental is reinventing the liberal arts and sciences for a new generation of problem solvers, creators, and thinkers.
Occidental College Rankings
Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and millions of reviews.
Admissions
Acceptance Rate
46%
SAT Range
1200-1420
ACT Range
28-31
Application Fee
$65
SAT/ACT
Required
High School GPA
Required
Accepts Common App
Yes
Will You Get In?
Test Scores and GPA for Occidental CollegeSee Other Colleges
Cost
Net Price
$31,990/ year
National
$15,523Average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, as reported by the college.
Academics
Professors
A-
Based on faculty accomplishments, salary, student reviews, and additional factors.
Student Faculty Ratio
10:1
Evening Degree Programs
No
- 89%
- of students agree that professors put a lot of effort into teaching their classes.27 responses
- 69%
- of students agree that it is easy to get the classes they want.32 responses
- 50%
- of students agree that the workload is easy to manage.32 responses
Majors
Most Popular Majors
Economics
66 GraduatesBiology
44 GraduatesInternational Relations and National Security Studies
43 GraduatesPsychology
33 GraduatesSociology
32 GraduatesPolitical Science and Government
28 GraduatesBiochemistry and Molecular Biology
27 GraduatesArts
24 GraduatesSpanish Language and Literature
23 GraduatesMathematics & Statistics
22 Graduates
Students
Full-Time Enrollment
1,952Undergrads
Undergrads Over 25
1%
Pell Grant
21%
Varsity Athletes
20%
Campus Life
Freshmen Live On-Campus
100%
Poll
- 48%
- of students say that Greek life is average, and no one will treat you differently if you don't join.33 responses
Poll
- 62%
- of students say varsity sporting events are attended, but not a huge part of campus life.39 responses
After College
Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation
$49,700/ year
National
$33,028Graduation Rate
81%
National
49%Employed 2 Years After Graduation
91%
National
83%- 56%
- of students feel confident they will find a job in their field after graduation.18 responses
Occidental College Reviews
423 reviews
All Categories
Occidental College is one of the most underrated colleges out there. It has excellent faculty who are committed to seeing their students realize their fullest potential and succeed in whatever they are passionate in. Great facilities, beautiful campus, great location, excellent weather year-round. I have formed lifelong friendships and gained great faculty and professional mentors and I am proud to call myself an alum there. Thanks to Oxy, I was able to get connected to many great opportunities such as study abroad, and now I am a Fulbright grantee. It is definitely a very liberal campus so may be difficult for conservative students but this climate definitely challenges conservative students to clearly think through their opinions and convictions, ultimately molding everyone to be a more careful thinker, more articulate speaker and writer, and better global citizen.
Living on campus is essential to beginning your student life at Occidental. There were about 10 dormitories, of varying sizes and locations on campus. When I was there - late 60's early 70's - there were dorms for men and others for women and others mixed. Eating together in the student union was also an essential part of life at Occidental. There was some diversity when I was there, but more importantly everyone came from a top-notch academic background. Except for its location (near Los Angeles), I would rate Occidental a solid A all around. The only thing I would change is putting the campus in a small New England town (Dartmouth, Middlebury).
My over experience at Occidental college was great, I have a great time visiting a college that I didn't know was nearby to where I live. I get to meet new people with the comfort of my mentors and get to ask them my questions. The program that I'm currently in, MOSTe , has introduced this college to me. We have visited the college so many time, it almost feels like home. The tours that we go on are always fun. We get to have a view on how college really is rather that hearing the complaint that everyone has to say. This experience was really an eye opener and gave us a new point of view on college.