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Whittier College
Whittier College says yes to 80.8% of applicants. Focus less on getting in and more on what's below — starting with the $59,492 median earnings.
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Whittier College occupies suburban Whittier, CA — a private campus quieter than a downtown one, closer to one than a rural seat. International students are a visible presence here — 13.4% of undergraduates come from outside the U.S.
Its highest-earning path is Business Administration, Management and Operations, where graduates median $73,792 four years out. 33.9% of undergraduates carry Pell grants — a plain read on who the campus actually serves. With 764 undergraduates and a residential core, weekends happen on campus — and 66.2% of first-years come back for a second year.
Whittier College won't look at test scores — here the GPA calculator is the tool that matters. Bring your saved semester numbers and see what they average.
Admissions
In the Fall 2023 cycle, Whittier College received 2,797 applications and admitted 2,388 (85.4%), with 145 enrolling.
Leave the SAT prep out of this one — test scores are disregarded entirely. Whittier College's 80.8% admission rate turned on grades and application strength.
How Whittier College compares
| Whittier College | California median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 80.8% | 75.7% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $51,350 | $23,000 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $59,492 | $64,778 | $53,781 |
At $59,492, ten-year earnings trail the state median ($64,778). Look at Whittier College's major-level rows below before reading too much into the campus-wide number.
Cost, size & completion
Tuition runs $51,350 regardless of where you're from. At Whittier College, that sticker is a starting point for aid talks — not what the median family pays.
Enrollment sits at 764 — Whittier College is one of the smaller campuses on this site.
60% graduate within six years. Roughly 40% don't — ask a Whittier College tour guide what happens to them and watch the answer carefully.
Top majors by earnings at Whittier College
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $73,792 |
| Social Sciences, General | $64,736 |
| Psychology, General | $58,397 |
| Political Science and Government | $55,853 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $55,536 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | $47,719 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | $44,877 |
Median earnings for these 7 Whittier College programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $59,492 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 24 additional Whittier College programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for Whittier College?
Whittier College doesn't look at test scores; its 80.8% admission rate turned on transcripts, coursework rigor and the application itself.
What is Whittier College's acceptance rate?
85.4% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 2,388 admitted from 2,797 applicants.
How much does Whittier College cost?
At Whittier College, published tuition is $51,350 — net price after aid usually comes in lower. That number is Whittier College's ceiling, not a quote.
What do Whittier College graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $59,492 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in California
- Westmont College — 77% admitted
- Woodbury University — 81.7% admitted
- Thomas Aquinas College — 83.1% admitted
- Southern California Institute of Architecture — 76.6% 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.