Occidental College
Occidental College at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Occidental College Featured Rankings
About Occidental College
According to Wikipedia, Occidental College is a private liberal arts college in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1887 as a coeducational college by clergy and members of the Presbyterian Church, it became non-sectarian in 1910. It is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges on the West Coast of the United States.
Occidental College Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6,573 | 44% | 90% | 79% | 1450 | 32 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Occidental College Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $68,704 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $20,797 |
| 30K - 48K | $10,724 |
| 48K - 75K | $25,027 |
| 75K - 110K | $23,892 |
| 110K+ | $53,785 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Occidental College Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Occidental College students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $79,660 a year, and 92% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Occidental College's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads |
|---|---|
| 1,968 | 1,968 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Occidental College?
Occidental College is located at 1600 Campus Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90041-3392.
How Safe is Occidental College?
Like every college that receives federal student aid, Occidental College publishes an annual security report with its campus crime statistics and safety policies. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, Occidental College has a violent crime rate of 0.11% and a property crime rate of 0.21%. Los Angeles has a violent crime rate of 0.73% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 1.50%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Occidental College Known For?
Occidental College is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Literature
- Economics
- Earth Sciences
- Biology
- Political Science
- History
- Mathematics
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Philosophy
- Religious Studies
- Computer Science
Occidental College's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Occidental College's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Occidental College ranks #139 in the U.S. and #554 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesOccidental College ranks #151 in the U.S. and #680 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesOccidental College ranks #159 in the U.S. and #454 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesOccidental College ranks #179 in the U.S. and #820 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesOccidental College ranks #179 in the U.S. and #728 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesOccidental College ranks #204 in the U.S. and #734 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesOccidental College ranks #205 in the U.S. and #790 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesOccidental College ranks #218 in the U.S. and #619 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesOccidental College ranks #291 in the U.S. and #1141 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesOccidental College ranks #302 in the U.S. and #750 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesOccidental College ranks #344 in the U.S. and #1218 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesOccidental College ranks #362 in the U.S. and #1202 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesOccidental College ranks #380 in the U.S. and #1646 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesOccidental College ranks #393 in the U.S. and #1801 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesWho Are Occidental College's Most Influential Alumni?
Occidental College's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Social Work, Anthropology, and Literature. Here are some of Occidental College's most famous alumni:
- Robinson Jeffers
- An American poet.
- Terry Gilliam
- An American-born British filmmaker, comedian and actor.
- Barack Obama
- A President of the United States from 2009 to 2017.
- Ben Affleck
- An American film actor, director and screenwriter.
- J. P. Mallory
- An American archaeologist.
- Mark Dery
- An American journalist.
- Fred Lawrence Whipple
- An American astronomer.
- Lewis Sargentich
- An American law clerk.
- Eqbal Ahmad
- A Writer, journalist, anti-war activist.
- Gordon Hanson
- An American economist .
- Rosalind Wiseman
- An American writer.
- Eleanor F. Helin
- An American astronomer .
