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Occidental College

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VerifiedPrivate (Not for Profit)Estd. 1887
Founded
1887
Type
Private (Not for Profit)
University Guide

About Occidental College

Explore overview, courses, fees, admissions, campus life, scholarships and student accommodation guidance in one premium Admistay guide.

Established in 1887, Occidental College is one of the best private liberal arts and science colleges in LA, California, USA.  International students account for 7% of the total student population with students hailing from more than 56 countries including China, India, Singapore, Botswana, Brazil, and Germany.

Occidental College offers more than 45 major and minor programs and is best known for Biology, International Relations, Psychology, Sociology, and Economics. It is the only provider of a residential academic semester program at the United Nations. Occidental College ranks in the top 50 national liberal arts colleges in the U.S. according to the latest U.S. News and World Report. Also, it is one of the top 100 colleges in the U.S. as per THE World University Rankings.

Occidental College Ranking

The ranking of Occidental College by various ranking agencies are:

U.S. News & World Report

  • #40 in National Liberal Arts Colleges
  • #43 in Best Undergraduate Teaching
  • #59 in Best Value Teaching
  • #73 in Top Performers on Social Mobility

Times Higher Education World University Rankings

  • =100th in U.S. College Rankings

Niche Best Colleges

  • #18 of 564 in Best Colleges for Kinesiology and Physical Therapy in America
  • #21 of 394 in Best Colleges for International Relations in America
  • #31 of 1,674 in Most Liberal Colleges in America

Highlights

University Type Private
Mode of Programs Full Time; Part-Time
Most Popular Majors Economics; International Relations and Affairs; Biological Sciences; Diplomacy & World Affairs
Admission Acceptance Rate (Fall) 36.6%
Student-Faculty Ratio 9 to 1
Academic Calendar Semester
Intake Terms Fall; Spring
In-State Cost of Attendance 36,410 USD
Out-of-State Cost of Attendance 65,402 USD
Annual Endowment (2018) 61.4 million USD
Admission Helpdesk [email protected]
(800)207-1710

Occidental College Programs

  • Occidental College awards Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Arts degrees in over 45 minors, majors, and concentrations available from arts, humanities, and sciences. 
  • The most popular majors are Economics, Biology, Diplomacy & World Affairs, Sociology, Psychology, Mathematics, and Urban and Environmental Policy.
  • The college also offers pre-law and pre-health advising.
  • Apart from the pre-specified majors’ course guidelines, students get an opportunity to self-design their courses and make their academic journey uniquely interesting. 
  • Internships, Independent research, and other experiential learning programs are also available to students.
  • Occidental College organizes international study and research trips for students including international students. Some notable trips and internships under the program include United Nations internships, Washington trips, internships, Richter research abroad, and volunteering in political campaigns.
  • Unique programs provided by the college include the campaign semester and the U.N. program.
  • Occidental students move to New York every fall to participate in internships at United Nations agencies, NGO’s and country missions under the Kahane program.

Occidental College Campus

  • The 120 acres of Occidental College’s campus has over 60 buildings including academic buildings, administrative buildings, residence halls, and sports facilities. 
  • There are over 115 clubs, organizations, and teams. Students can join to learn leadership skills.
  • The college has reported that 81% of the total student population stays on campus, all four years of their program.

Occidental College Residence

  • There are over 16 residence halls, community housing halls, and apartments on-campus at Occidental College.
  • The college requires all students to live on-campus during the first three years of their program. The college reports that over 50% of the seniors chose to live on-campus housing during their last year.
  • There are 5 meal plans for students to choose from where one is given balances on their plan to use over the semester.

Occidental College Application Process

Occidental College has an acceptance rate of 37%, therefore, the admissions can get very competitive. For securing a place in the institution, one must take care of the following points before proceeding with the application -

  • Application Portal: UG: Common App; PG: University application portal
  • Application Fee: UG: 65 USD; PG: 60 USD
  • Student Class Profile -
    • Average Class Size: 18
    • Percentage of International Students: 7%
  • Standardized Test Scores: SAT Mathematics: 690; SAT EBRW: 690; ACT: 30;
  • GPA: UG: 3.69; PG: 3.0 and higher
  • Supporting Documents: 
    • A valid passport
    • Statement of Purpose
    • 2 to 3 Letter of Recommendation 
    • Oxy's Required Short Answer Questions
    • GPA of 3.76 or above
    • TOEFL or IELTS to demonstrate English Language Proficiency. (Optional for fall)
  • Visa for international students
  • Financial documents to prove the availability of funds
  • Resume if the program requires prior work experience
  • Application Deadline –
    • Early Decision 1: November 15

      Early Decision 2: January 1

      Regular Decision: February 1

Occidental College Cost of Attendance

The following table gives the estimated average annual cost of attendance.

Types of Expenses Cost
Tuition 55,890 USD
Room and Board 16,034 USD
Required Fees 596 USD
Books and Supplies 1,240 USD
Transport 1,050 USD
Personal and Misc. Expenses 1,700 USD
Occidental Student Health Insurance Program Premium Cost 2,594 USD
Total 79,194 USD

Occidental College Scholarships

  •  International students have access to merit-based scholarships and a limited amount of need-based scholarships.
  • To be eligible for need-based scholarships, international students must show outstanding academic and extracurricular achievements and also fill out the International Student Financial Aid Application form.
  • Financial aid is awarded to two international students every year.
  • A student who wishes to apply for any scholarship should read the policies and procedures very carefully and submit the application for financial aid with the admission application.
  • Oxy's need-based financial aid grant is based on the following three components:
    • Student's academic year budget (cost of attendance)
    • Student and family resources (expected family contribution)
    • Student's financial aid eligibility (need)
  • A small number of new students who have achieved the maximum degree and maintain this achievement at Oxy earn Merit scholarships. Students completing their application are immediately reviewed for merit scholarships; a special application procedure is not necessary.

Occidental College Alumni Network

The benefits and services available to Occidental graduates are given below:

  • Career and networking support
  • Access to athletic facilities, library, and other campus facilities using Alumni Access Card
  • Exclusive retail discounts and finance and insurance programs

Some notable alumni of Occidental College are as follows:

  • Barack Obama - President
  • Ben Affleck - Oscar-winning director, writer, and actor
  • Gabriela Cowperthwaite - Documentary filmmaker
  • Jack Kemp - Congressman and NFL quarterback

Occidental College Placements

  • The average salary of Occidental College alumni according to Payscale was 68,740 USD.
  • The early-career salary of college graduates with less than 5 years of experience is 56,800 USD.
  • Around 94% of graduates were either fully employed, enrolled in graduate school, or pursuing both.
  • Some of the top graduate schools attended by Occidental graduates include Harvard, Stanford, UC Berkeley, University of Chicago, etc.
  • Occidental College conducts more than 200 events annually on career education seminars, alumni speech, on-campus recruitment, and career development events at its campus.

FAQs

Ques. What is the acceptance rate of Occidental College?

Ans.Occidental College is very selective while accepting students for its admissions. The acceptance rate in fall was 37% only.

Ques. Does Occidental College provide on-campus living facilities to students?

Ans.Yes. Occidental College is a residential college where around 81% of total students live on-campus.

Ques. What is the SAT or ACT score required for Occidental College admissions?

Ans.The average SAT score between 1300 to 1480 or an ACT score between 28 to 32 is required for Occidental College admissions.

Ques. Does Occidental College provide scholarship or financial aid to its admitted students?

Ans.Yes. About 56% of total full-time undergraduate students receive some kind of financial aid in the form of merit-scholarships, need-based grants and scholarships, student loans and work-study programs.

Ques. What is the total student enrollment at Occidental College?

Ans.The total undergraduate student enrolment at Occidental College is 2055.

Ques. Is Occidental College a good school in the U.S.?

Ans.Occidental College has been ranked by reputed websites/institutions like Forbes, US News, Times Higher Education, and Niche in top lists. It is quite a good liberal arts & science college in the U.S. that ranks #40 in national liberal arts colleges in the U.S. News and World Report.

Ques. What are some top majors available at Occidental College?

Ans.Some top majors offered by Occidental College are Economics, Biological Sciences, International Relations, Sociology, Mathematics, Psychology, etc.

Ques. What is the tuition at Occidental College?

Ans.The tuition at Occidental College is 55,980 USD.

Ques. Does Occidental College offer merit scholarships?

Ans.Yes. Occidental College offers a limited number of merit scholarships to high achieving students who continue to maintain academic success at the college.

Ques. What is the gender diversity at Occidental College?

Ans. About 42% of the total student population is male and the rest of them are female.

Courses & Fees

Compare courses in a cleaner, easier way

Explore tuition, duration, language, eligibility, and exam requirements without the clutter.

Courses

25

Fee from

₹58,84,645.5

Exams

IELTS · TOEFL

Showing 5 of 25 bachelors

Overview
Degree TypeBachelor
Duration4 years
Study ModeFull Time
LanguageEnglish
Fees
Tuition FeeINR 58.8 L/Yr
Native FeeUSD 62,850 /Yr
Fee trendTuition progression
Official Program Page
Admission Guide

Admission Process

Occidental College invites international admissions into its Spring, Fall and Summer sessions. It is one of the most notable colleges in the USA for Liberal Arts. Located in California, a total of 7,501 students applied for admission in Occidental College but out of them only 562 students were admitted in the class of 2023. 7% of all the students admitted were International students. 

Occidental College provides an opportunity to pursue higher education across a number of undergraduate and graduate programs. These programs are offered across 45 disciplines, most popular being Art & Art History, Cognitive Science, Biochemistry, Linguistics, Public health, Theatre and many more. 

Acceptance rate in Occidental College is 37 %. This implies that taking admission in this College isn’t a piece of cake; students must show their potential to become a part of this institute. Occidental focuses most emphasis on a student's course rigor and their performance in the classroom. They also depend on various standardized test scores to give their performance additional context.

  • Last date to submit an application for Early Decision I is November 15.
  • International students need to submit an application form for Financial Aid till May 1.  
  • To enroll at Occidental College, students must have Student Health insurance costing 2,594 USD.
  • Average cost of attending Occidental College is 72,610 USD.

Highlights

Application Portal Online Portal
Application Fee UG: 65 USD
MA Biology: 60 USD
Degrees Offered Bachelor's and Pre-professional
Academic calendar Semester
Intake seasons Fall/Spring/Summer
Acceptance Rate 37%
Average GPA 3.64
SAT score 1370
ACT score 30
Mode of Payment Master-Card/American Express/Visa
Letters of Recommendation Required (2)
Interview Not Required
Financial Aid Stafford Loans, Federal Loans and Scholarship
International Admissions [email protected]

Occidental College Admission Deadlines

Occidental College provides a place in their programs by offering two rounds of Early Decision. The rate of admission for early admission is quite high as compared to that of Regular Decision. College reserves 33% of the seats in the First year class for students in Early Decision round while remaining seats (2/3 seats) are reserved for those applying for Regular Decision.

Early Decision (ED) Application Deadline Decision Notification
ED I November 15 Mid-December
ED II January 1 Early-February

Occidental College International Students Admission

Occidental College provides opportunities to any student with great potential and determination to do something good for the society regardless of their native country. At least 7% of the students in this college constitute International students. Occidental College gives admission to international students with excellent Secondary School record, good academic GPA and Application essay.

Admission requirements

To apply for any of the programs in the University, International students must submit following documents prior to their admission:

  • Required Oxy Short Answer questions
  • School report
  • Counselor recommendation form
  • Application fee or fee waiver
  • Official Transcript
  • Standardised test score 
  • International Student Financial Aid Application (ISFAA)
  • 2 Letters of recommendation
  • Early Decision Agreement while applying for Early Decision
  • Any other program-specific supplements

Along with submitting English Proficiency Test score, International students can submit English Language Supplement in the form of third-party interviews. Deadline for the interview are:-

  • Early Decision I – November 15
  • Early Decision II – January 1
  • Regular Decision – February 1

Submission of Early Decision Application includes Early Decision Agreement with signatures from parent or guardian and a counselor.

Students can mail their documents along with an application form to their postal address or e-mail address.

English Proficiency Test Score for International Students

Those International students whose Native language isn’t English must demonstrate English Language proficiency. Occidental College accepts scores of TOEFL, IELTS and DET (Duolingo English Test).

Test Score
TOEFL (iBT) 100
TOEFL (paper based test) 600
IELTS 7.0
DET 120

Some International students can be asked for a Skype interview in the month of February or March to confirm their proficiency in English language.

Visa for International students

International students require an F1 student visa to study in the USA. This visa also allows the students to work on campus. Documents required to apply for the Visa:

  • A valid passport
  • I-20 or DS-2019 document mailed by the College
  • Evidence of financial support
  • Acceptance letter from Occidental University
  • Proof of permanent residence outside United States
  • Two Passport-sized photographs
  • Non- immigrant Visa application from US Embassy itself
  • Receipt for payment of I-901 SEVIS fee

Other requirements are:

  • Evidence of English proficiency
  • Application fee
  • Personal interview
  • School records to verify academic preparation

In case of any query regarding visa application, students can contact the university.

Financial Aid

Eligible students are provided with financial aid of 100%. International students are required to complete International Student Financial Aid Application (ISFAA) along with their application form. Financial aid is provided to international students through merit scholarships, work-study and student loans to meet their requirements during the course of study.

Occidental College Undergraduate Admissions

Occidental College provides Bachelor’s degrees in various disciplines including Agriculture, Legal Arts, American Studies, Architecture, Psychology, Law/legal studies, Legal arts and Science technologies. Students can postpone their enrolment for maximum 1 year after admission. Students have to submit all the documents to College before the deadline. Average cost of pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Occidental College is 76,600 USD.

Where to apply: Online Portal

Application fee: 65 USD

Admission requirements: Following documents must be submitted prior to the admission

  • Oxy’s required short answer questions
  • Application fee
  • School report
  • Counselor recommendation form
  • Official transcript
  • Standardised test score 
  • Midyear report after first term of senior year
  • Two letters of recommendations from teachers
  • While applying for Early Decision, complete a binding Early Decision Agreement
  • Supplements (where specified) like
    • Artistic supplement
    • Interview

Occidental College Graduate Admissions

Graduate programs in Occidental College cost the students 56,576 USD. Occidental College provides a Graduate degree in the discipline of Biological and Biomedical Sciences. To get admission in Master of Arts in Biology, students need to apply before the deadline.

  • Deadline for admission in Fall Semester – March 1
  • Deadline for admission in Spring Semester – October 1 

To get admission in Master of Arts in Biology, following requirements must be fulfilled by the students:

Requirements MA Biology
Application form Required
Application fee 60 USD
Official Transcript Required
Letter of recommendation Three
Resume Required
Personal Statement Required
GRE/GMAT Score GRE General Test
GRE Subject Test in Biology
Financial Aid Provided
Essay Required

Applicants must apply for Financial Aid by submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online before April 19. Applications for the admission in the Graduate program must be submitted directly to the Graduate office.

Students can pursue Double Majors in any of the disciplines but they require to maintain a good GPA. They can request for any information regarding admission directly from the Counselor by visiting the university’s website. They can also contact the College through their official website or on the given Mail address:

Address: Occidental College
1600 Campus Road M-18
Los Angeles, CA 90041

Main Phone Number: (323) 259-2700

Admission Toll-Free Number: 1800-825-5262

Admission Fax Number: (323) 341-4875

Admission Email address: [email protected]

Placements & Recruiters

Occidental College Placement Details

Occidental College in Los Angeles, California, United States placement details include salary insights, top recruiters, and hiring trends to help students understand career outcomes and campus opportunities.

Students usually compare highest package, average package, and recruiter profile before applying. This section gives a compact overview of career outcomes and placement visibility in Los Angeles, California, United States.

Recruiters
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Salary Metrics
0/2
Placement Metric

Highest Package

N/A

Represents the top salary package reported in the available placement information.

Placement Metric

Average Package

N/A

Shows the typical package range students may expect based on the available average salary data.

Placement information is currently limited.

More salary or recruiter data may be updated later for this college.

Rankings over the years

Year-wise highlights from global and country rankings available for this university.

2019

Highlights
2019
  • Best overall country rank: #94
  • Overall: #94 in country
  • Top source: FORBES
  • 1 ranked streams
  • Focus areas: Overall
  • 1 ranking record in 2019

Contact Information

1600 Campus Road

+1-323-259-2500