,·Private Liberal Arts College·Est. 1887
“Occidental College, founded in 1887 in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles, is a highly selective liberal arts college that combines the intima”
Occidental College, founded in 1887 in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles, is a highly selective liberal arts college that combines the intimacy of a small college with the resources and energy of one of the world's great cities. With approximately 2,000 undergraduates and an 11:1 student-faculty ratio, Occidental — known as 'Oxy' — is distinguished by its commitment to equity, community engagement, and the cultural richness of its Los Angeles location. The college's diverse student body and urban setting create an educational experience that is both intellectually rigorous and deeply connected to the real world.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
Test Optional — You can submit scores if they help your case, but they're not required.
Official SourceEarly Decision I
Binding
Early Action
Non-binding
Early Decision II
Binding
Regular Decision
Transfer
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Tuition & Fees (All Students)
$66,274
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
Occidental offers 45 majors and minors with particular strengths in politics, diplomacy, economics, biology, and the arts. The college's unique United Nations Program is one of the only undergraduate programs in the country that places students in actual UN offices for semester-long internships. Oxy's Campaign Semester allows students to work on political campaigns for academic credit. The college's proximity to Hollywood supports strong programs in media arts and culture. With 70% of classes having fewer than 20 students and extensive undergraduate research opportunities, the academic experience is personal and intellectually demanding.
4 years
Oxy's signature international-affairs major, paired with the Oxy@the-UN semester in NYC — the only program in the country embedding undergraduates full-time at the United Nations Secretariat and Missions.
4 years
Uses Los Angeles as a policy laboratory — students work directly with LA City agencies, nonprofits, and research centers on housing, transit, and environmental-justice problems.
4 years
One of the oldest interdisciplinary social-justice majors in the US; combines philosophy, literature, cultural studies, and activism with a required senior thesis.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $66,274
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
