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Summary
Occidental College is a private institution that was founded in 1887. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,089, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 120 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Occidental College's ranking in the 2012 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, 37. Its tuition and fees are $42,960 (2011-12).
The Occidental campus is located in the suburban neighborhood of Eagle Rock, 8 miles from downtown Los Angeles. Downtown L.A. is brimming with opportunities for college students: internships, dining, nightlife, and more. Freshmen must live on campus, and they are allowed to have cars. That’s a good thing, because the campus is within an hour’s drive of big-time attractions like Venice Beach, Disneyland, and Sunset Strip in Hollywood. Parking on campus is free with a permit, and about two-thirds of students bring cars. Students can choose from more than 100 clubs and organizations to get involved in on campus. Occidental has a handful of sororities and fraternities, and a coed organization, which draw about 15 percent of students. Even more students compete on the school’s sports teams, the orange and black Tigers, which are members of the NCAA Division III Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Occidental students can also take classes at CalTech and Art Center, and can earn joint degrees at CalTech, Columbia University, and the University of Southern California's Keck Graduate Institute.
This liberal arts college is notable for its diverse undergraduate student body; about 60 percent of students are Caucasian, about 15 percent are Asian American and another 15 percent are Latino, and about 5 percent are African American. Females make up a little more than half of the student population. Occidental’s picturesque campus has been featured in many motion pictures, including Clueless, Orange County, Jurassic Park III, and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. Notable alumni of the small school include Marsha Evans, president and CEO of the American Red Cross; Andrea Elliott, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for the New York Times; and Robert Richter, a documentary producer whose work has been featured on major stations like PBS and the Discovery Channel. President Barack Obama attended Occidental for two years before transferring to Columbia University.
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A nationally recognized, private residential college of the liberal arts and sciences, and one of the few located in a major city, 124-year-old Occidental is at the forefront of interdisciplinary, intercultural education that integrates the classroom with community-based learning. Our small size and strong sense of community, rigorous curriculum, superb faculty, diverse student body and access to the resources of Los Angeles make Occidental the best of both worlds: intimate in scale, but infinite in scope. Some 79 percent of Occidental students receive some form of financial aid. Occidental graduates thrive in a wide range of careers, from science, medicine, and the law to the arts, business, teaching, and public service. |
General Information
| School type | private, coed college |
| Year founded | 1887 |
| Religious affiliation | N/A |
| Academic calendar | semester |
| Setting | urban |
| 2010 Endowment | $298,890,606 |
Applying
When applying to Occidental College, it's important to note the application deadline is January 10, and the early decision deadline is November 15. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due January 11. The application fee at Occidental College is $50. It is more selective, with an acceptance rate of 41.9 percent.
For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.
| Selectivity | more selective |
| Fall 2010 acceptance rate | 42% |
| Application deadline | January 10 |
| SAT/ACT scores must be received by | January 11 |
Academic Life
The student-faculty ratio at Occidental College is 9:1, and the school has 62.7 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Occidental College include: Economics, General; International Relations and Affairs; Biology/Biological Sciences, General; English Language and Literature/Letters, Other; and Art/Art Studies, General. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 92.8 percent.
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| Student-faculty ratio | 9:1 | ||||||||||
| 4-year graduation rate | 80% - High | ||||||||||
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Student Life
Occidental College has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,089, with a gender distribution of 43.5 percent male students and 56.5 percent female students. 80.0 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 20.0 percent of students live off campus. Occidental College is part of the NCAA III athletic conference.
See what students are saying about life at Occidental College.
| Total enrollment | 2,102 |
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| Collegiate athletic association | NCAA III |
Campus Info & Services
Occidental College offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, women's center, health service, and health insurance. Occidental College also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Of the students at Occidental College, 60 percent have cars on campus. Alcohol is permitted for students of legal age at Occidental College.
| Students who have cars on campus | 60% - Medium |
| Health insurance offered | Yes |
| Students required to own/lease a computer | No |
More About Campus Info & Services
Paying for School
At Occidental College, 55.8 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $30,832.
Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs.
| Tuition and fees | $42,960 (2011-12) |
| Room and board | $11,990 (2011-12) - High |
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* Overview details based on 2010 data
