Los Angeles, CA · Private · 1,877 undergraduates · urban
Occidental College
Selective
Occidental uses paired first-year seminars to establish a common writing-and-inquiry experience while keeping students on a residential Los Angeles campus.
Institutional profile
Well established Strong in academic standing, and strong in student experience.- Admission
- 39.9% admitted
- Price by income
- Varies across five income ranges
- Completion
- 82.5%
6,573 applicants in the reported year
Compare recent average annual costs by household income
$75,951 median earnings 10 years after enrollment
What sets Occidental College apart
Academic design
First-year students take seminars in both fall and spring, using small discussion courses to develop writing, argument, research, and interdisciplinary inquiry.
Campus pattern
The Eagle Rock campus is a self-contained residential setting inside Los Angeles, giving students city access without a downtown or commuter-campus daily rhythm.
A signature opportunity
The two-semester First-Year Seminar sequence anchors Occidental's Core Program before students specialize.
Can I get in?
39.9% admitted
Start with the academic record, then make the intended direction and school-specific fit concrete.
Recent applicant pool
6,573About 40 in every 100 applicants were admitted.
Academic range
Of admitted students, 23% submitted an SAT, and 13% submitted an ACT. Treat the ACT range as a guide to the students who submitted that test, not to everyone admitted.
In the season card
Where your GPA sits in the entering class
The full entering-class GPA distribution for Occidental College, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.
See where I landIn the season card
What Occidental College weighs when it reads a file
See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.
- Course rigor
- GPA
- Test scores
- Essay
- Recommendations
- Extracurriculars
- Demonstrated interest
What moves the application
The evidence that separates a strong file
Show preparation for this curriculum
First-year students take seminars in both fall and spring, using small discussion courses to develop writing, argument, research, and interdisciplinary inquiry.
Make institutional fit specific
Occidental uses paired first-year seminars to establish a common writing-and-inquiry experience while keeping students on a residential Los Angeles campus.
Use the application route carefully
Keep academic direction and school-specific choices coherent across the application.
How to apply
Rounds, route, and required materials
Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and assemble each required item once.
Check eligibility for a fee waiver
Can I afford it?
Compare annual cost by household income.
Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.
In the season card
Average annual cost by household income at Occidental College
Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.
- $0–30k
- $30–48k
- $48–75k
- $75–110k
- $110k+
Is it worth it?
Completion, debt, and earnings
Read completion, borrowing, field mix, and earnings together. One university-wide earnings figure does not describe every student path.
Degree completion across the reported entering cohort
First-year students who return for year two
And what that comes to against what they earn.
Reported 10 years after enrollment
Academic portfolio
Largest bachelor’s fields
How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.
Economics
Research and Experimental Psychology
International Relations and National Security Studies
Biology, General
Computer Science
What is campus life like?
Occidental College beyond the classroom
The Eagle Rock campus is a self-contained residential setting inside Los Angeles, giving students city access without a downtown or commuter-campus daily rhythm.
A defining academic feature
First-year students take seminars in both fall and spring, using small discussion courses to develop writing, argument, research, and interdisciplinary inquiry.
What shapes an ordinary week
The Eagle Rock campus is a self-contained residential setting inside Los Angeles, giving students city access without a downtown or commuter-campus daily rhythm.
A reason to look closer
The two-semester First-Year Seminar sequence anchors Occidental's Core Program before students specialize.