Whittier College

Whittier, CA · Private

Official website

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Admission rate

Whittier College admitted 94.3% of applicants university-wide (2,388 of 2,533).

CohortAdmit rateAdmittedApplicants
University-wide94.3%2,3882,533
Men93.3%1,2071,293
Women95.2%1,1801,239

Also offers Early Action — the Common Data Set doesn't publish EA admit counts.

Of 2,388 admitted students, 249 enrolled (10.4% yield).

Whittier College U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections C1–C2 · 2023Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.

Test scores and GPA of admitted students

SAT (mid-50%)
1170–1290
ACT (mid-50%)
24–30
GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
3.003.99

Testing policy: Test-optional (considered if submitted)

Whittier College U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections C9–C12 · 2023Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.

Cost and financial aid

Published cost of attendance: $67,496/yr.

Out-of-state tuition$48,924
Fees, housing, food, books & other$18,572
Sticker cost of attendance$67,496/yr

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

Under $30k$21,718
$30k–48k$19,928
$48k–75k$24,973
$75k–110k$26,718
Over $110k$30,599

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.

  • Presidential Scholarship$30,000 per year (Presidential)
  • Dean's Scholarship$25,000 per year (Merit)
  • Whittier Scholarship$20,000 per year (Merit)
  • Trustee ScholarshipUp to $15,000 per year (Trustee)
  • Whittier Scholars AwardUp to $10,000 per year (Merit)
  • John Greenleaf Whittier ScholarshipFull tuition (Full Tuition)
  • Whittier College Need-Based GrantVaries (Need Based)

International applicants

Some aid available for internationals.

  • Presidential Scholarship$30,000 per year (Presidential)
  • Dean's Scholarship$25,000 per year (Merit)
  • Whittier Scholarship$20,000 per year (Merit)
  • International Need-Based Financial AidVaries (Need Based)
  • John Greenleaf Whittier ScholarshipFull tuition (Full Tuition)

Whittier College U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections G–H · 2023

Application requirements

US applicants

  • Common Application
  • Secondary School Report from college/guidance counselor
  • Two Letters of Recommendation: one from an academic subject teacher, second from teacher/counselor/coach/clergy/employer
  • Official high school transcript reflecting coursework through junior year
  • Virtual interview with admission counselor (for Instant Decision track) (optional)

International applicants

  • Common Application
  • Secondary School Report from college/guidance counselor
  • Two Letters of Recommendation: one from an academic subject teacher, second from teacher/counselor/coach/clergy/employer
  • Official high school transcript reflecting coursework through junior year
  • Virtual interview with admission counselor (for Instant Decision track) (optional)
  • English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
  • GPA credential conversion
  • Predicted Class XII marksheet
  • Financial documentation (I-20)

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

Essay prompts

Whittier College requires no supplemental essays.

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

Graduate outcomes

Median earnings
$59,492
Median earnings · 10 years after entry
Graduation rate
60%
Within 150% of normal time
First-year retention
69%
Return for year two · CDS Section B
Median debt
$24,937
At graduation

Whittier College · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023Earnings 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: #92

Academics and campus

Largest degree fields: Social sciences (17%), Business & marketing (14%), Biological & life sciences (11%).

Student–faculty ratio: 10:1 · 66% of class sections have under 20 students.

Whittier College U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections E, F, I · 2023Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.

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