Private colleges in California · By CalChannel Editorial Team · Updated October 5, 2026
The Occidental College acceptance rate was 44.8% for Fall 2025: Oxy admitted 3,359 of 7,490 first-year applicants, according to its Common Data Set. “Oxy” is a private liberal arts college in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles with about 1,800 students. Its 2026-27 cost of attendance is $95,365 living on campus, including $70,492 in tuition.
Occidental College is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges on the West Coast and one of the few located inside the city of Los Angeles. It’s known for small classes, a strong focus on public service and global affairs, and a famous alumnus, former President Barack Obama, who studied at Oxy before transferring.
Oxy is selective but not out of reach, and its own Common Data Set shows where the real differences lie: domestic versus international applicants, early versus regular rounds, and the waitlist. This guide walks through each with Oxy’s Fall 2025 numbers.
| Fact | Occidental College |
|---|---|
| Type | Private liberal arts college |
| Location | Eagle Rock, Los Angeles |
| Founded | 1887 |
| Acceptance rate | 44.8% (Fall 2025: 3,359 admitted of 7,490 applicants) |
| Median high school GPA | 3.68 (Fall 2025 enrolled first-years) |
| SAT/ACT | Test-optional; middle 50% SAT 1400-1510, ACT 31-34 for those who submitted |
| Students | 1,822 undergraduates (Fall 2025) |
| Tuition (2026-27) | $70,492 |
| Cost of attendance (2026-27) | $95,365 on campus; $81,864 living with a parent |
| Retention / graduation rate | 91% / 79% in six years (2019 cohort) |
| Student-to-faculty ratio | About 8:1 |
| Athletics | Tigers, NCAA Division III, SCIAC |
Sources: Occidental College Common Data Set 2025-26; Occidental Financial Aid, Cost of Attendance 2026-27. Full list at the end of the article.
In This Article
Oxy in Brief: A Liberal Arts College Inside L.A.
Occidental College, known as Oxy, is a private liberal arts college founded in 1887 in Los Angeles. It enrolls about 1,800 undergraduates and offers only bachelor’s degrees, with a student-to-faculty ratio of about 8:1 and a semester calendar.
Oxy’s curriculum emphasizes writing, global perspectives and community engagement, and students can combine majors in the sciences, social sciences, humanities and arts. Its Kahane United Nations program and its location in Los Angeles give students access to internships in government, media, the arts and nonprofit work.
Occidental Acceptance Rate: Domestic vs. International
Occidental admitted 44.8% of first-year applicants for Fall 2025: 7,490 students applied, 3,359 were admitted and 437 enrolled, according to its Common Data Set 2025-26.
| Occidental, Fall 2025 | Applied | Admitted | Acceptance rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| California residents | 3,314 | 1,687 | 50.9% |
| Out-of-state | 2,634 | 1,423 | 54.0% |
| International | 1,542 | 249 | 16.1% |
| All first-year applicants | 7,490 | 3,359 | 44.8% |
| Transfer applicants | 369 | 131 | 35.5% |
Source: Occidental College Common Data Set 2025-26, items C1 and D2.
Admission is much more competitive for international applicants, who were admitted at 16% for Fall 2025. Domestic applicants, from California and out of state, were admitted at roughly 51% to 54%.
Getting Into Oxy: GPA, Tests and Deadlines
Oxy reviews applications holistically, weighing course rigor, grades, essays and recommendations most heavily. Enrolled first-years for Fall 2025 had a median high school GPA of 3.68, with the middle half between 3.47 and 3.87. With a 44.8% Occidental College acceptance rate, a strong transcript and thoughtful essays make Oxy a realistic target.
- Application: the Common Application with Occidental’s supplemental questions
- Testing: test-optional; 25% of enrolled first-years submitted SAT scores and 8% submitted ACT scores
- Scores, if you send them: the middle 50% of Fall 2025 submitters scored 1400-1510 on the SAT and 31-34 on the ACT
- Early Decision: binding Early Decision I (apply by November 1, decisions in mid-December) and Early Decision II (apply by January 10, decisions in mid-February)
- Early Action: a nonbinding Early Action option with a November 1 deadline and decisions in mid-January
How Does Occidental’s Waitlist Work?
For Fall 2025, Oxy offered 969 applicants a place on its waitlist. Of those, 297 accepted a spot and 72 were eventually admitted, about one in four of the students who stayed on the list. If you’re waitlisted and Oxy is still a top choice, accept the spot and tell the admission office, but keep moving forward with another school.
So what’s the practical takeaway? Oxy is selective but realistic for strong domestic students, and applying Early Decision can help if it’s your first choice and your family has confirmed the net price works.
Occidental Cost and Net Price by Income
Occidental’s 2026-27 cost of attendance is $95,365 for students living on campus, $91,350 off campus and $81,864 for students living with a parent. Tuition is $70,492.
| Occidental cost of attendance, 2026-27 | On campus | Off campus | With parent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $70,492 | $70,492 | $70,492 |
| Required fees | $611 | $611 | $611 |
| Housing and meal plan | $21,022 | $17,007 | $7,521 |
| Books and supplies | $1,290 | $1,290 | $1,290 |
| Personal expenses | $1,950 | $1,950 | $1,950 |
| Total (travel varies) | $95,365 | $91,350 | $81,864 |
Source: Occidental College Financial Aid, Cost of Attendance, 2026-27.
Oxy offers need-based aid and merit scholarships, and California residents can use a Cal Grant at Occidental. File the FAFSA and the CSS Profile, and use Oxy’s net price calculator to estimate your cost after aid.
Occidental Net Price by Family Income
The sticker price isn’t what most aided students pay. Federal College Navigator data show an average net price of $48,400 for first-time, full-time students receiving grant aid in 2023-24. Families earning more than $110,000 pay the most, while lower-income families pay far less than the sticker price.
| Family income | Average net price, 2023-24 |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $20,705 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $17,655 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $21,468 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $28,033 |
| $110,001 and more | $54,959 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, College Navigator. Net price is the cost of attendance minus grant and scholarship aid.
Our take: Oxy is one of the few residential liberal arts colleges where students can live at home in Los Angeles and commute. That option cuts the budget by more than $13,000 a year, although most students choose to live on campus for the full college experience.
Eagle Rock, Retention and Graduation
Occidental is in Eagle Rock, a neighborhood in northeast Los Angeles, about 8 miles from downtown and close to Pasadena and Glendale. The hillside campus is known for its Mediterranean-style buildings, and students can reach downtown Los Angeles, Hollywood and the rest of the city for internships and events.
Occidental’s 1,822 undergraduates make it much smaller than nearby universities such as UCLA or USC. About 91% of first-year students returned for their second year. Of the 2019 entering class, 68% graduated in four years and 79% within six years.
Diplomacy, Politics and Oxy’s Best-Known Programs
Occidental is known for diplomacy and world affairs, politics, economics, biology, the arts and its commitment to equity and public service. It’s also known as the college former President Barack Obama attended for two years before transferring to Columbia University.
The Occidental Tigers compete in NCAA Division III in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Occidental College acceptance rate?
Occidental admitted 44.8% of first-year applicants for Fall 2025, or 3,359 of 7,490, according to its Common Data Set.
How much does Occidental College cost?
Occidental’s 2026-27 cost of attendance is $95,365 on campus, including $70,492 in tuition, before financial aid.
What are the chances of getting off Occidental’s waitlist?
For Fall 2025, 297 students accepted a place on Oxy’s waitlist and 72 were admitted from it, about 24%.
Why is Occidental called “Oxy”?
“Oxy” is the college’s long-standing nickname, and it appears in the college’s web address, oxy.edu.
Does Occidental require the SAT or ACT?
No. Occidental is test-optional. For Fall 2025, 25% of enrolled first-years submitted SAT scores and 8% submitted ACT scores.
Where is Occidental College located?
Occidental is in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of northeast Los Angeles, about 8 miles from downtown.
Should Oxy Be on Your List?
Occidental College is a small liberal arts college in Los Angeles. It combines small classes and an 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio with the opportunities of a major city.
Its 2026-27 cost of attendance is $95,365 on campus before aid. Compare Oxy with Pomona, Santa Clara, Pepperdine and other private colleges in California.
Sources
CalChannel Editorial Team California college guides
The CalChannel editorial team researches and writes guides to California colleges, admissions and financial aid. We build our college profiles and aid guides from colleges’ own published data, federal IPEDS data and the California Student Aid Commission. Read our editorial policy.
