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Occidental College
About 44 in 100 applicants get into Occidental College — solidly within reach for students near the ranges below.
Not sure where you stand? Estimate your GPA →
Occidental College sits in Los Angeles proper — a private campus woven into the city rather than walled off from it.
Its highest-earning path is Economics, where graduates median $103,164 four years out. Faculty pay averages $148,188 a year here — a rough proxy for what the school spends on the teaching itself. With 1,877 undergraduates and a residential core, weekends happen on campus — and 89.8% of first-years come back for a second year.
Submitters admitted here typically landed between 1360 and 1500 — above the CA middle for four-year schools. Put your own practice estimate on Occidental College's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.
Admissions
Scores help here but aren't the gate. If your SAT sits inside the 1360–1500 submitter range, sending it likely helps; below it, Occidental College's own policy says you can leave it out.
| Score | 25th | 50th | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Reading & Writing | 690 | 730 | 750 |
| SAT Math | 670 | 720 | 750 |
| ACT Composite | 31 | 33 | 34 |
Percentiles are among students who submitted scores (Fall 2023 admissions cycle).
In the Fall 2023 cycle, Occidental College received 6,573 applications and admitted 2,622 (39.9%), with 532 enrolling.
How Occidental College compares
| Occidental College | California median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 44.2% | 75.7% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $66,274 | $23,000 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $75,951 | $64,778 | $53,781 |
Ten years after enrolling, the median Occidental College student earns $75,951 — 17% above the California median of $64,778 for college-goers.
Cost, size & completion
Occidental College lists tuition at $66,274 for everyone — private schools don't do residency pricing. Occidental College's sticker and net price can differ sharply after aid; treat $66,274 as the ceiling, not the bill.
With 1,877 undergraduates, Occidental College is small enough that class size and faculty access are structural, not marketing claims.
80.9% of Occidental College students finish a bachelor's within six years — 26 points above the national 54.9% — and the single best predictor that the $66,274 price above buys a degree, not just enrollment.
Top majors by earnings at Occidental College
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Economics | $103,164 |
| Mathematics | $88,080 |
| Cognitive Science | $78,782 |
| Political Science and Government | $72,441 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | $71,779 |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | $70,394 |
| Biology, General | $59,985 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | $59,542 |
| Sociology | $58,598 |
| Psychology, General | $56,800 |
Median earnings for these 10 Occidental College programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $75,951 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 21 additional Occidental College programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for Occidental College?
Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% scored 1360–1500 on the SAT. There's no published GPA cutoff — pair these ranges with the 44.2% admission rate to judge your odds.
What is Occidental College's acceptance rate?
39.9% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 2,622 admitted from 6,573 applicants.
How much does Occidental College cost?
At Occidental College, published tuition is $66,274 — net price after aid usually comes in lower. That number is Occidental College's ceiling, not a quote.
What do Occidental College graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $75,951 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in California
- Pacific Union College — 47.3% admitted
- San Diego State University — 36.2% admitted
- University of San Diego — 52.4% admitted
- Loyola Marymount University — 45.1% admitted
Run your own numbers
Data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Jun 2026), IPEDS ADM2023/HD2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01. Figures reflect the latest federal cohorts, which lag the current admissions cycle.