Occidental College

Los Angeles, CA · Private

Official website

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Admission rate

Occidental College admitted 44.2% of applicants university-wide (2,854 of 6,461).

CohortAdmit rateAdmittedApplicants
University-wide44.2%2,8546,461
In-state45.0%1,3412,982
Out-of-state52.8%1,2662,398
International applicants22.8%2471,081
Early Decision (binding)47.9%223466
Men40.8%1,0522,580
Women47.1%1,7303,672

Early Decision applicants were admitted at 47.9%, vs 44.2% overall — ED is a binding commitment.

Of 2,854 admitted students, 509 enrolled (17.8% yield).

Occidental College Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C1–C2 · 2024 — Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.

Test scores and GPA of admitted students

SAT (mid-50%)
1400–1495
ACT (mid-50%)
31–34
GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
3.25–3.99

Testing policy: Test-optional (considered if submitted)

Occidental College Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C9–C12 · 2024 — Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.

Cost and financial aid

Published cost of attendance: $88,656/yr.

Out-of-state tuition$65,678
Fees, housing, food, books & other$22,978
Sticker cost of attendance$88,656/yr

Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)

Under $30k$20,705
$30k–48k$17,655
$48k–75k$21,468
$75k–110k$28,033
Over $110k$54,959

U.S. Dept. of Education · College Scorecard — average net price by family income (Title IV, from IPEDS) · 2023

US applicants

Need- and merit-based aid available.

  • Dean's Scholarship — $30,000 per year (Merit)
  • Faculty Scholarship — $25,000 per year (Merit)
  • Oxy Merit Scholarship — $10,000 - $25,000 per year (Merit)
  • Tiger Scholarship — $20,000 per year (Merit)
  • International Need-Based Financial Aid — Varies (up to full demonstrated need) (Need Based)
  • Occidental Grant — Varies (Need Based)
  • Occidental Need-Based Grant — Varies (up to full demonstrated need) (Need Based)
  • Presidential Scholarship — Full tuition (Full Tuition)
  • Trustee Scholarship — Full tuition (Full Tuition)

International applicants

Meets full demonstrated need for internationals.

  • Dean's Scholarship — $30,000 per year (Merit)
  • Faculty Scholarship — $25,000 per year (Merit)
  • Oxy Merit Scholarship — $10,000 - $25,000 per year (Merit)
  • Tiger Scholarship — $20,000 per year (Merit)
  • International Need-Based Financial Aid — Varies (up to full demonstrated need) (Need Based)
  • Occidental Need-Based Grant — Varies (up to full demonstrated need) (Need Based)
  • Presidential Scholarship — Full tuition (Full Tuition)
  • Trustee Scholarship — Full tuition (Full Tuition)

Occidental College Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections G–H · 2024

Application requirements

US applicants

  • Personal essay
  • Early Decision agreement (if applying Early Decision)
  • High school transcript
  • School report
  • Counselor recommendation letter
  • Midyear transcript
  • Midyear report
  • Letter of recommendation (one from a 10th, 11th, or 12th grade teacher in a core subject)
  • Optional short answer (max 250 words): Why are you applying to Occidental? Why do you think Occidental is the right place for you to pursue your interests? (optional)
  • Admission interview (optional)
  • College transcripts (if applicable) (optional)
  • Standardized test scores (SAT/ACT) (optional)
  • Additional letter of recommendation (optional)
  • Arts supplement via Slideroom on Common App (optional)

International applicants

  • Personal essay
  • Early Decision agreement (if applying Early Decision)
  • High school transcript
  • School report
  • Counselor recommendation letter
  • Midyear transcript
  • Midyear report
  • Letter of recommendation (one from a 10th, 11th, or 12th grade teacher in a core subject)
  • Optional short answer (max 250 words): Why are you applying to Occidental? Why do you think Occidental is the right place for you to pursue your interests? (optional)
  • Admission interview (optional)
  • College transcripts (if applicable) (optional)
  • Standardized test scores (SAT/ACT) (optional)
  • Additional letter of recommendation (optional)
  • Arts supplement via Slideroom on Common App (optional)
  • English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
  • GPA credential conversion
  • Predicted Class XII marksheet
  • Financial documentation (I-20)

Occidental College · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025

Essay prompts

The Common App personal essay is required (one of 7 shared prompts).

Draft these in the free Essay Coach

Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 3, 2026

Graduate outcomes

Median earnings
$75,951
Median earnings · 10 years after entry
Graduation rate
80.9%
Within 150% of normal time
First-year retention
89.8%
Return for year two · CDS Section B
Median debt
$23,000
At graduation

Occidental College · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023 — Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.

Published rankings

  • U.S. News Liberal Arts: #35
  • WSJ: #399
  • Forbes: #110
  • Niche: #150

Deadlines

  • 2026-11-15Early Decision — Binding early round
  • 2027-01-10Regular Decision — Standard deadline

Occidental College Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C21–C22 · 2024

Academics and campus

Largest degree fields: Social sciences (22%), Visual & performing arts (15%), Biological & life sciences (12%).

Student–faculty ratio: 10:1 · 63% of class sections have under 20 students.

Occidental College Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections E, F, I · 2024 — Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.

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