What a friend would tell you
What Oxy is looking for
Oxy wants thinkers who act. The strongest applications connect intellectual interests to civic engagement or activism, with specific examples. Mention how you would use LA as a classroom (community-based research, internships in policy or media). Generic liberal arts enthusiasm falls flat here; show that your curiosity has political or social stakes.
What students wish they'd known
At 1,850 students, the dating pool and social scene are extremely small. Eagle Rock is a residential neighborhood, not a college town: no strip of bars and restaurants at your doorstep. The endowment is modest, which means financial aid packages can gap significantly. LA's car culture clashes with a campus where many students lack cars, making the city less accessible than it sounds.
Oxy might be a fit if...
- You want a tiny liberal arts college embedded in Los Angeles where activism and academics merge daily
- You are a politically engaged student who wants to study social structures, not just read about them
- You thrive in diverse, progressive communities where debate and dissent are expected
Oxy Admissions Strategy
1.7x
Early Decision Advantage
Early Decision admits at 1.7x the RD rate. The trade: ED is binding. Apply only if you'd say yes on the spot.
Early Decision: the numbers
Oxy's Early Decision acceptance rate is 52% vs 30% RD. ED is binding. If you are admitted, you are committing to enroll. This signals strong commitment and gives a meaningful admissions advantage.
Deadlines: ED November 1 · RD January 10
Deadlines: ED November 1 · RD January 10
Test Policy
Test-optional
You choose whether to send scores. A strong score helps your case; a weak one is better left off.
Demonstrated Interest
Not Tracked
Not tracked. Skip the info-session circuit and put those hours into the application itself.
Interview
Optional on campus
Yield Rate
41%
41% of admits enroll, which is typical for a selective school. Waitlists here move every year.
Want the strongest possible application to Oxy, plus better odds and merit offers everywhere else you apply?
Join the free one-hour workshop from two Harvard grads who have helped 3,000+ students get in. Parents welcome.
Cost & Financial Aid at Oxy
$87,000
Sticker Price
$7,000
Avg Merit Aid
Need-blind admissions. Meets 100% of demonstrated need. 86% receive financial aid.
What you get for it: Oxy spends about $56,000 per student per year on instruction and student resources, roughly 4x the $15K national average. You see it in class sizes, faculty access, and research budgets.
What Oxy Graduates Get
$52,000
Avg Starting Salary
91%
Employed or in Grad School
68%
Graduate in 4 Years
The 4-year number is the on-time rate; the 6-year rate (83%) is the one schools usually advertise. A wide gap means many students pay for extra semesters.
Oxy Campus & Culture
The Campus
Occidental's 120 acres occupy the Eagle Rock neighborhood of northeast Los Angeles, with Spanish Colonial Revival buildings (cream stucco, terra cotta roofs) clustered around a central quad. The Remsen Bird Hillside Theatre, an outdoor amphitheater carved into the slope, hosts performances against an LA skyline backdrop. The campus is hilly, compact, and shaded by mature oaks and sycamores.
The Social Scene
Activist-oriented, diverse, LA cultural access, debate culture
Oxy Traditions & Trivia
Gilman Fountain Birthday Dunk
On your birthday at Oxy, your friends can pull you out of bed, class, or the dining hall at any moment and throw you into the Lucille Gilman Memorial Fountain at the campus entrance.
First Draft
When discussing something sensitive or half-formed, any student can say first draft out loud, signaling the group to offer support instead of criticism, a campus-wide social norm.
Academics at Oxy
What Oxy is known for
Los Angeles location, activism, social engagement
Most popular majors at Oxy
Standout programs
Social sciences, humanities, environmental studies
How the curriculum works
Core curriculum with major/minor options
Recommended high school courses
4 years English, 4 years Math, 3 years Science, 3 years History/Social Studies, 2 years Foreign Language
Notable Oxy Alumni
Barack Obama
Attended Oxy for two years before transferring to Columbia
Ben Affleck
Attended briefly before pursuing acting
Emily Deschanel
Bones lead actress, Oxy graduate
Terry Gilliam
Monty Python member and filmmaker, class of 1962
Jack Kemp
NFL quarterback turned congressman and VP nominee, Oxy class of 1957
If you like Oxy, also consider
Pomona College
Fifteen miles east, more selective, similar LAC ethos with Claremont consortium
Reed College
Equally iconoclastic academics, Portland location
Macalester College
Progressive urban LAC in the Twin Cities with similar activist culture
Scripps College
Women's college in Claremont with comparable size and progressive values
Lewis & Clark College
Portland LAC with environmental focus and similar political energy