Occidental College Acceptance Rate, Admissions & Graduation

What kind of college it is

Occidental College is a private, nonprofit, four-year college focused on the liberal arts and sciences. Carnegie—the system that classifies the country’s colleges according to what they do—places it among highly residential baccalaureate colleges: at least half of its undergraduate students live in institution-owned housing, and at least 80 out of every 100 study full time. It also places it in its more selective admissions group.

None of those labels tells you how many out of every hundred applicants get in. That is separate information, and you will see it later. For now, take this away: it is a small school with campus life and an admissions door that is not automatic.

It is in the city of Los Angeles, within the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metropolitan area, in a large city of more than 250,000 residents. That does not mean the campus is right in the middle of the city. If your child were considering living at home, the only way to know whether that is practical is to drive the route on a weekday at the actual time of their classes. A map almost never tells the truth about traffic.

Occidental reports offerings through the master’s level, although most of what it does is undergraduate education. That is an institutional fact, not a promise that your child’s major has a path from undergraduate to graduate study. If that matters to you, ask directly in the program.

And one clarification worth making early: Occidental is not listed as a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 colleges in this directory, 138 have one of those three designations. Occidental’s absence from that list says nothing about which communities it serves or how your child will feel there. Ask directly: what cultural centers exist today, what student organizations are available, and, better yet, talk with someone already studying there.

Who shares the campus with your child

Occidental had 1,854 students enrolled in the most recent fall counted by the federal government. It is a medium-sized school—neither among the large nor the small ones—and, compared with the other 941 selective private four-year schools in this census, its size falls right in the middle of the table. All of that enrollment is undergraduate; there are no graduate students in that fall count.

Out of every 100 students, 17 reported themselves as Hispanic or Latino. It is not a majority, but it is not unusual either: compared with 941 similar selective private schools, Occidental ranks in the top quarter on this figure. There are more women than men in the undergraduate population—59 out of every 100 are women—and there are virtually no students ages 25 to 64; that group rounds to zero, which does not mean no one of that age is there, only that there are almost none.

Here is a figure worth considering carefully: less than half of first-time students, 36 out of every 100, had permanent residence reported in California. The rest come from other states, other countries, or their residence was not reported clearly. This number does not measure distance or travel cost, but if your family does not live in California, know that most of your child’s classmates do not either. If that applies to you, include plane tickets, moves, and trips in your real budget, because the cost of attendance reported by the school includes only a general transportation estimate, not that breakdown.

How classes and majors are structured

The academic year at Occidental is organized into semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks. The school accepts credit for AP exams, but not for life experience, and it does not enroll high school students in college credit courses. Saying that it accepts AP does not mean it grants credit for every exam: it does not state what scores it requires or whether those credits count toward your child’s specific major. Request the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand.

In a recent year, Occidental awarded 501 bachelor’s degrees across 15 families of majors. The family awarding the most degrees was social sciences, with 28 out of every 100 degrees—no other area comes close, but it does not dominate the total. The offerings are spread out, not concentrated in one thing. This counts degrees awarded in one year, not people or the current catalog of majors. Before deciding, ask about the exact major your child is interested in: how many graduated in it, how long it took, and what the curriculum is like.

The student-to-faculty ratio is 9 to 1, one of the lowest among the 941 selective private schools in this census—it is in the bottom quarter, meaning among the lowest ratios available. That sounds good, and it probably is, but that ratio does not measure actual class size or guaranteed attention. Ask directly how many students are in first-year classes.

Occidental also reports structured academic opportunities: study abroad programs and undergraduate research as a cocurricular activity. These are paths the school offers; how accessible they are for your child’s major must be asked case by case.

What getting in is like

There is no open admission here. Occidental reviews specific pieces before saying yes. Of nine considerations this count evaluates—excluding standardized tests and legacy status—it marks four as required: the high school record, the personal essay, letters of recommendation, and an English-proficiency exam for those to whom it applies. That means your child has to write. Gathering documents is not enough.

It also considers, without requiring them, grades, class rank, whether the student completed the course plan the college requires, a portfolio or work sample, work experience, and whether a family member attended. That last point—legacy—is something your child cannot change. If it does not apply to your family, do not spend energy on it. Spend it on what is within your control.

The application fee is $70.

In the most recent cycle, Occidental received 6,573 first-time applications and offered admission to 2,622. That is 40 out of every 100. Compared with 942 selective private schools in this census, it falls on the lower side: seven out of every ten of those schools, or more, admitted a larger percentage of their applicants. On the other side of that calculation are 3,951 applicants who did not receive an offer. It is fine for Occidental to be on your child’s list. For it to be the only one is not.

And here is something almost no one looks at: out of every 100 admitted students, only 20 ultimately enrolled. The other 80 had a place here and did not take it. Do not read that as a stain—the federal record does not say why each person made the decision they made. What does matter is this: what others decided does not tell you what they will offer your child. Wait for their letter with the net price—what it will really cost you—before deciding whether this school stays on the list.

The SAT and ACT are not required at Occidental. If submitted, they are considered; if not, the application remains valid just the same. Of those who enrolled, only 23 out of every 100 submitted SAT scores, and among them the middle half scored between 690 and 750 in reading and writing, and between 670 and 750 in math. That range is for students who enrolled and submitted scores—not all applicants, and it is neither a minimum nor a guarantee.

Regarding transfers: of a cohort that entered in 2017 seeking a bachelor’s degree, only 11 out of every 100 are listed as having transferred to another school without completing here—a low proportion compared with similar schools. On the other hand, in the most recent fall, 41 students arrived at Occidental for the first time after having studied at another college. If your child were to arrive through that route, ask in writing, with the course list in hand, which credits will be recognized before they move. That number does not appear in any general report.

The sticker price and what is actually paid

At Occidental College, among 27 first-time, full-time students seeking a credential and receiving federal Title IV aid whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $18,872. Among 21 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $17,577; among 130 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $55,885. For dependent students, the band adds their parents’ income and their own.

Between the average for the lowest-income band (27 students) and that for the highest-income band (130 students), there is a difference of $37,013. These are group averages, not a prediction of your family’s price. Among first-year students who received any grant, the average was $47,113.

$18,872 was the average net price for the lowest-income families in the academic year 2022-23. That does not mean it is what your family will pay. It helps you know whether it is worth requesting the financial-aid letter.

Because the price changes so much from one income band to another, placing yours correctly is the first step. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time students seeking a credential and receiving federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or district rate. The overall average with grants, when it appears, describes first-time, full-time students seeking a credential who received federal, state, local, or institutional scholarships or grants. The one that matters is the aid letter you receive.

Aid and loans

Out of every 100 degree-seeking students at Occidental, 75 received some scholarship or aid that does not have to be repaid, with an average of $36,268 among those who received it. But compared with similar schools, this proportion falls in the quarter where grants reach fewer students.

Pay attention to an important distinction: Pell aid—the aid specifically for low-income families—reached only 16 out of every 100 students. That means at least 59 out of every 100 received aid that was not Pell, but came from another source: the school itself, the state, or another program. The report does not separate where each grant came from, so this cannot tell you what your child would receive. Ask directly who provides that aid, who qualifies, and what is needed to renew it each year. And remember: a high average among those who received aid does not mean yours will be that large. When the letter arrives, look at how much your family would have to pay out of pocket—that is the number to compare among schools, not the size of the advertised discount.

As for federal loans: 39 out of every 100 undergraduate students received them in the most recently reported year. That is less than half, and compared with similar schools, it is a low proportion. Among those who borrowed, the average amount was $6,049 that year. That percentage describes other families, not yours. What your child would need to borrow comes from their own financial-aid letter—wait for it before ruling out the school and before committing to it. And this average is for one year only, only for federal loans in the student’s name: it does not include what parents might borrow separately or the total debt someone has upon graduating.

Occidental also reports formal payment options: a prepaid tuition plan, an installment payment plan, and participation in a Promise program. It is worth asking about the details of each.

Campus life and what is available beyond classes

If your child enters full time in their first year, living on campus is not optional: Occidental requires it for first-time, degree-seeking students. Institution-controlled housing capacity is 1,650 students. That means room and board are not an expense that can be cut from the bill—they are included from day one.

Occidental did not mark any ROTC opportunity in its most recent report—neither the general box nor any of the three military branches—while 926 of 1,786 four-year institutions in this guide did. If your child’s plan depends on that, ask admissions directly before crossing off the school: this field says what was reported, not everything that exists.

The school does compete in intercollegiate athletics and is affiliated with the NCAA, with reported membership in basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. If that interests you, write directly to the coach for the sport: ask whether there is room, what division they compete in, and whether athletic aid is available.

Regarding distance education: Occidental offers it at the undergraduate level, but in the most recent count, zero out of every 100 students took their entire course load at a distance. All took at least one in-person class. And the school reported that it does not have a complete program that can be completed entirely at a distance. If that is relevant to you, confirm it in writing with the specific program.

The library operates with paid staff and its annual spending exceeded the threshold of $100,000 recorded by the government. It has physical and digital collections and participates in interlibrary loan. That is the floor, not a guarantee that databases exist for the major your child is interested in—that must be asked by major name.

Occidental also reports several support services: combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students and graduates, child care on campus, participation in the Yellow Ribbon program for veterans, a dedicated contact point for military families, and a published services page for people with disabilities. Their being reported does not say how accessible or effective they are in practice; confirm that by asking directly.

How likely your child is to stay and graduate

Here are the numbers many families look for first, and for good reason.

Of a recent cohort of students who entered for the first time, full time, 87 out of every 100 were still enrolled at Occidental or had already graduated one year later. Compared with 930 similar selective private schools, Occidental ranks in the upper part. This number combines two different groups—those still enrolled and those who had already graduated—and does not say what happened to the rest.

Regarding graduation: of those who entered seeking a bachelor’s degree in 2017, full time and without having attended another college before, 85 out of every 100 graduated within six years or less—480 of 564 students. At the four-year mark, the figure drops to 72 out of every 100; the difference of 13 points is what it takes one group to get from the fourth to the sixth year. Compared with 920 similar selective private schools, Occidental is among those graduating the most students: nine out of every ten in that group, or more, reported an equal or lower proportion.

A high percentage does not mean the same will happen to your child. It means that cohort, at that school, had enough time. What is in your hands is making sure they enter with their credits in order and that, from the first semester, they know who their academic adviser is and when courses for their major are available for enrollment.

There is an even longer view: following a cohort that entered between July 2015 and June 2016, at the eight-year mark, 83 out of every 100 had a degree or certificate from Occidental. Among those who received Pell aid, the figure was 86 out of every 100—four points above the group without Pell. Compared with 935 similar selective private schools, Occidental ranks in the top quarter on this indicator. It is a cohort from several years ago; it does not determine whether your child will graduate here or how long it will take. It is worth asking about the program’s current supports and the outcomes of more recent cohorts.

What this article cannot tell you

This overview does not include what people who leave Occidental earn or what work they do. That information requires another source, and it is not authorized here. Nor can it tell you whether your child specifically will feel at home on that campus, whether their exact major has the support they need, or how much your family will pay until the financial-aid letter arrives.

What comes next

You now know in depth one of the three pieces you need to decide: who Occidental College is, what it requires, what it costs, and what results it has had with earlier cohorts. The other two pieces do not live in any federal report: what your child wants to study and what they have built so far, and what your family can and is willing to pay.

If you live in California, consider the real trip to campus. If your child is aiming for a specific major, ask admissions for the details of that major, not the average for the entire school. If money is the central concern—and it almost always is—complete the FAFSA and wait for the letter before crossing off or falling in love with this option.

The numbers in this article do not change. What can change is how well you use them to decide together.

The data in this article come from IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) and the United States Department of Education, corresponding mainly to the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles, as indicated in each section. Best College Aid does not represent Occidental College or any government agency; this article is independent informational material.