Occidental College is a private nonprofit institution offering bachelor's degrees based in Los Angeles, California. It enrolls 1,877 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorWestern Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Good
66/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes87
Value20
Affordability8
Selectivity90
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Occidental College admits 44.2% of applicants, which makes it genuinely competitive, so your application needs to be strong.
Acceptance Rate
44.2%
Selective
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1380 – 1520
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
31 – 34
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Occidental College is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Stable ↑
3.2 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $38,263 a year on average, it sits above what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. That is a serious number, so the earnings further down matter more here than usual. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$66,274
Room & Board (on-campus)
$19,252
Books & Supplies
$1,250
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$1,880
Total Cost of Attendance
$84,800
Application fee: $70 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$20,705
$30,001 – $48,000
$17,655
$48,001 – $75,000
$21,468
$75,001 – $110,000
$28,033
Over $110,000
$54,959
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$5,50010%percentile
$11,97525%percentile
$23,000Medianpercentile
$27,00075%percentile
$32,00090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $19,000
↓ $4,000
No Pell $19,000
↓ $4,000
Female students $19,305
↓ $3,695
Male students $17,250
↓ $5,750
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $9,080, less than completers ($23,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
86% of students who start here finish within six years, and 89% come back after first year. Most people who start here leave with the degree they came for. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
86%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
89%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Strong completion signals. Most students who start, finish.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $75,951 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$75,951
Earning > $25K
86%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$55,600
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$64,700
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$54,700
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$65,300
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$58,200
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $9,100, about 14% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
9.5 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 96% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 1,877 students, a mid-sized community.
Total Enrolled
1,877
Part-Time
1%
First-Generation
18%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 45.6%856
Hispanic 17.6%331
Asian 16.1%302
Other 10.2%191
International 5.0%93
Black 4.4%83
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Occidental College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Occidental College offers
a varied set of programs:
30 distinct programs across
15 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 9 students for every instructor here: small classes, and staff who are likely to know your name.
Student : Faculty
9:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$800M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$108,139
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
198 instructional faculty across 4 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
63
32%
$146,066
Associate Professors
39
20%
$113,028
Assistant Professors
41
21%
$89,735
No Rank
55
28%
$74,948
Pros & Cons of Occidental College
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Occidental College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Very high published cost of attendance (full-pay families pay much more than the net-price average)
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
No graduate programs offered at this institution
Best for:
Based on the data, Occidental College is a fit for
students prioritizing post-graduation earnings.
Frequently Asked Questions about Occidental College
The questions families ask most about Occidental College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Occidental College hard to get into?
Occidental College is selective but not extremely competitive. Its acceptance rate is 44.2%. Strong academic credentials and a thoughtful application materially improve your odds.
What is the acceptance rate at Occidental College?
44.2% of applicants are admitted. Around half get in, so a solid application has a real chance. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Occidental College?
Aim for 1520 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1380 and 1520 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Occidental College?
Aim for 34 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 31 and 34 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Occidental College cost?
Budget around $38,263 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Occidental College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $75,951 a year against a net price of $38,263, about 2.0 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Occidental College known for?
Mostly Economics, Experimental Psychology, International Relations. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Occidental College graduates earn?
About $75,951 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Occidental College accredited?
Yes. Occidental College is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission.
How many students attend Occidental College?
1,877 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Occidental College?
86% finish within six years. Most people who start here graduate, which is the signal you want. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Occidental College a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Occidental College located?
Occidental College is located in Los Angeles, California.
What programs does Occidental College offer?
30 different programs, most commonly Economics, Experimental Psychology, International Relations. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Occidental College?
9 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Related Colleges in California
Other colleges in California share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
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