City Town Info

Occidental College, California

Overview of Occidental College

Students attend Occidental College in Los Angeles, California, a large city. The school is a private, not-for-profit institution. Occidental College degrees go up to the Master's degree.

Areas of Study

The school has a greater breadth of degree programs (majors) than most colleges of its size. Occidental College is known for its programs in science, art studies, drama and performing arts, therapy and counseling, liberal arts, and conservation and resource management.

Occidental College Selectivity

The school is selective and does not offer open admission. One sign of prestige is that Occidental College only let in 41% of those who applied in 2005. Three quarters of students in 2005 had SAT verbal scores of at least 600. Half of math SAT scores of accepted students fell between 610 and 690. Many applicants are from out of state, an indication of the quality or special character of the school.

Faculty

The school maintains a faculty/student ratio (full-time) which is better than most colleges. Occidental College has a tenure system for senior faculty. The full-time faculty at the school is well-paid, which often goes with faculty quality.

Student Body

There are 1,839 students at Occidental College (as of 2005).

Student Life

Full-time students are the norm at the school. Occidental College has a residential or campus feel. The school offers dorm rooms to a higher percentage of its students than do most colleges. Occidental College values student athletics, and belongs to the Southern California Intercoll Athletic Conference.

The school reports its educational mission is:
"The mission of Occidental College is to provide a gifted and diverse group of students with a total educational experience of the highest quality -- one that prepares them for leadership in an increasingly complex, inter-dependent and pluralistic world. The distinctive interdisciplinary and multicultural focus of the CollegeÆs academic program seeks to foster both the fulfillment of individual aspirations and a deeply rooted commitment to the public good. This mission is anchored by four cornerstones: excellence, equity, community and service. These building blocks, in one form or another, have long been the basis for the CollegeÆs commitment to providing responsible leaders and citizens for our democratic society. Choosing them to support the future helps to ensure that the College remains true to its mission while adapting to a changing world."

More complete details are provided below.

Contacting Occidental College

Occidental College
1600 Campus Rd
Los Angeles, CA 90041-3392
General Phone: (323) 259-2500
Admissions Phone: (323) 259-2700
Financial Aid Phone: (323) 259-2548
http://www.oxy.edu

Occidental College Programs and Degrees (2005)

Occidental College awarded degrees in these major categories in 2005:

General CategoryDegreesMost Common Majors [see all]
Liberal Arts228English language and literature, sociology, international relations, history, economics courses, political science, economics, Spanish language, ...
Science57biology, physics, biochemistry, chemistry, geology, geophysics
Therapy And Counseling54psychology, cognitive science, psychobiology
Art Studies33art studies
Religion And Philosophy16religion, philosophy
Conservation And Resource Management14environmental studies, environmental science
Drama And Performing Arts13drama
Nutrition And Exercise Therapy12exercise science
Mathematics7mathematics
Music3music
Computer Science And Engineering1computer science
Education And Teaching1secondary teaching, elementary school teaching

Number of programs and degrees for Occidental College in 2005:

Degree LevelTotal
Awarded
Number of
Programs
Bachelor's degree43834
Master's degree13

Student Body

In 2005, Occidental College had a total enrollment of 1,839 students (1,821 full-time equivalent).

Students in the Freshman Class (2005):

GroupPercent
Men48%
Women52%
Full-Time100%
Part-Time0%

More details are available, using 2004 data:

Students By Class (2004):

GroupPercent
Undergraduate98%
Graduate2%

Racial Diversity (2004):
RacePercent
White53%
Black7%
Hispanic16%
Asian12%
American Indian1%
Other Races7%
(Foreign Students)4%

Students by Age (2004):

AgePercent
Under 182%
18-1946%
20-2143%
22-248%
25-290%
30-341%
35-390%
40-490%
50-640%

Incoming (Freshman) Students by Place of Residence (2004):
(From available data sampling)

ResidencePercent
California46%
Washington10%
Texas4%
Oregon4%
Colorado4%
Arizona3%
Massachusetts3%
New York3%
Foreign countries2%
Illinois2%
Minnesota2%
New Mexico2%
Hawaii2%
Nevada2%
Maryland2%
Idaho1%
Connecticut1%
Georgia1%
Utah1%
Ohio1%
New Jersey1%
Virginia1%

Occidental College Graduation, Retention, and Transfers

Retention Rates (2004):

GroupReturning From
Previous Year
Full-Time91 %

Occidental College Room and Board (2005)

Occidental College offers campus housing for 1,305 of its 1,821 (full-time) students. Freshmen are required to live on campus.

(Please refer to our profile of Los Angeles, California for details about the area surrounding the campus.)

The school does not offer students a meal plan.

Occidental College Admissions and Selectivity (2005)

Acceptances:

GroupApplicantsAcceptedPercent
Accepted
EnrolledPercent of
Accepted Enrolled
Total5,1142,08641%43621%
Men2,10886641%21024%
Women3,0061,22041%22619%

Standardized Test Scores:

Test25th Percentile75th Percetile
SAT Verbal600690
SAT Math610690
ACT Composite2731

Application Requirements:

ItemRequirement
GPArecommended
Class Rankrecommended
High School Recordrequired
College Prep Programrequired
Recommendationsrequired
Formal Demonstration of Competencenot required
Standardized Tests (SAT and/or ACT)required
Percent of Applicants Submitting SAT86%
Percent of Applicants Submitting ACT14%
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)required
Other Standardized Testsnot required

Admissions Phone Number: (323) 259-2700

Occidental College Expenses and Financial Aid (2005)

Expenses and Financial Aid:

ExpenseAmount
In-state tuition and fees$ 31,137
Out-of-state tuition and fees$ 31,137
Room and board$ 8,672
Room charge$ 4,758
Board (meal plan) charge$ 4,360
Books and supplies$ 870
Other expenses$ 1,021

Financial Aid:
Occidental College participates in Federal Title IV financial aid programs. (The school's OPE ID is 124900)

Financial Aid Phone Number: (323) 259-2548

Occidental College Faculty

Occidental College has a tenure system for faculty.

Salaries for full-time faculty:

Full-Time Faculty (2004):

Full-Time Faculty LevelContract LengthNumber MenAvg Salary MenNumber WomenAvg Salary Women
Professoracademic year42$90,94624$92,353
Associate professoracademic year15$67,78416$67,332
Assistant professoracademic year5$58,3978$59,284
Instructoracademic year19$48,93616$47,549
All faculty totalacademic year81$74,79464$70,763

*: salaries are not displayed where there are fewer than 3 professors in the category.

Occidental College Athletics

Athletic Conferences (2005):

SportConference
FootballSouthern California Intercoll Athletic Conference
BasketballSouthern California Intercoll Athletic Conference
BaseballSouthern California Intercoll Athletic Conference
TrackSouthern California Intercoll Athletic Conference

Occidental College Degree Programs (2005)

ART STUDIES
Art/Art Studies, General

COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
Computer Science

CONSERVATION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Science
Environmental Studies

DRAMA AND PERFORMING ARTS
Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General

EDUCATION AND TEACHING
Elementary Education and Teaching
Secondary Education and Teaching

LIBERAL ARTS
American/United States Studies/Civilization
Anthropology
Asian Studies/Civilization
Economics, General
Economics, Other
English Language and Literature/Letters, Other
Foreign Languages and Literatures, General
French Language and Literature
History, General
International Relations and Affairs
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
Political Science and Government, General
Sociology
Spanish Language and Literature
Women's Studies

MATHEMATICS
Mathematics, General

MUSIC
Music, General

NUTRITION AND EXERCISE THERAPY
Kinesiology and Exercise Science

RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY
Philosophy
Religion/Religious Studies

SCIENCE
Biochemistry
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Chemistry, General
Geology/Earth Science, General
Geophysics and Seismology
Physics, General

THERAPY AND COUNSELING
Cognitive Science
Physiological Psychology/Psychobiology
Psychology, General

College and Career Sections of the Site

  • College Search Tools and Reference. Find colleges by location, size, degree programs, athletics, admission requirements, student body characteristics, and more.
  • Career Directory. Detailed info on hundreds of career types, including numbers of jobs and salaries by city.

Occidental College Highlights

(Details are provided further down on this page.)

What Sets Occidental College Apart:

CategoryTrophy 
% of degrees in art studies
(vs. all colleges)
Top 2%Occidental College % of degrees in art studies
Student SAT scores
(vs. all colleges)
Top 6%Occidental College Student SAT scores
Salaries of full-time faculty
(vs. all colleges)
Top 7%Occidental College Salaries of full-time faculty
Dorm rooms per full-time student
(vs. all colleges)
Top 7%Occidental College Dorm rooms per full-time student
% of students from other states
(vs. all colleges)
Top 8%Occidental College % of students from other states
% of degrees in drama and performing arts
(vs. all colleges)
Top 8%Occidental College % of degrees in drama and performing arts
% of degrees in liberal arts
(vs. all colleges)
Top 9%Occidental College % of degrees in liberal arts
% of degrees in science
(vs. all colleges)
Top 10%Occidental College % of degrees in science
Faculty/student ratio (full-time)
(vs. all colleges)
Top 10%Occidental College Faculty/student ratio (full-time)
Selectivity (based on % of applicants accepted)
(vs. all colleges)
Top 11%Occidental College Selectivity (based on % of applicants accepted)
% of degrees in conservation and resource management
(vs. all colleges)
Top 13%Occidental College % of degrees in conservation and resource management
% of degrees in therapy and counseling
(vs. colleges with similar degree levels)
Top 14%Occidental College % of degrees in therapy and counseling
Number of degree programs
(vs. all colleges)
Top 19%Occidental College Number of degree programs
Explanation of the Highlights categories

Notable:
Grants credits for AP courses
Career counseling
Career placement services
Student employment services
On-campus day care
Option to study abroad
Offers campus housing
Offers part-time study
On-campus library
Offers campus housing
Tenure system for quality teaching
NCAA athletic conference member

Hotels Near Occidental College

Los Angeles Hotels Near Occidental College

Link to This Resource Page

Information is not guaranteed to be correct. Please check with individual schools for the most accurate and recent information.

Copyright © 2004-2008, Moving Traffic, Inc. All Rights Reserved.