Houghton College vs Occidental College

Nestled in the picturesque landscapes of New York and California, Houghton College and Occidental College stand as two distinct institutions of higher learning, each offering a unique educational experience. While both colleges share a commitment to academic excellence and student success, they differ in several key aspects. Houghton College, a private Christian liberal arts college, boasts a lower acceptance rate and a higher graduation rate compared to Occidental College, a private liberal arts college with a focus on social justice and environmental sustainability. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into further differences, including popular majors, student body demographics, and more, to determine which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Houghton College	Occidental College
Overview
Location	Houghton, New York	Los Angeles, California
Campus setting	Rural: Remote	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	75.0%	92.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	79.1%	38.2%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $40	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $60
SAT range	1080 - 1290	1340 - 1490
ACT range	20 - 31	30 - 33
Students submitting SAT score	28.0%	29.0%
Students submitting ACT score	6.0%	22.0%
Total number of applicants	1,008	6,495
Total number of admissions given out	797	2,484
Admitted students who chose to enroll	204	535
Yield rate	25.6%	21.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$27,846	$77,878
Average net price	$24,502	$43,047
Tuition	$15,900	$57,830
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,288 Meal plan: $4,568	Room/dormitory: $9,512 Meal plan: $8,090
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $21,951	100.0% Average amount $29,715
Students receiving federal student loan	62.0% Average amount $5,120	31.0% Average amount $4,603
Students taking out private loans	18.0% Average amount $13,866	17.0% Average amount $6,554

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	863 Men 37.2% Women 62.8%	1,964 Men 42.1% Women 57.9%
Graduate students	32 Men 50.0% Women 50.0%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	62.5%
International students	4.9%	6.3%
Campus local/setting	Rural: Remote	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,015	1,650
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	California Washington New York Illinois Mississippi

Academics
Popular study areas	Liberal Arts Business Psychology Education Visual & Performing Arts	Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences Physical Science Multidisciplinary Studies Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	9:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	64.6%	82.9%
Dropout rate	13.2%	4.1%
Transferred out	22.2%	12.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $16,932 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,222 Year 2: $24,872 Year 3: N/A Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,411 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: N/A	Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,544 Year 2: $55,078 Year 3: $63,231 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,360 Year 2: $37,779 Year 3: $49,843 International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,329 Year 2: $36,132 Year 3: $45,083 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,948 Year 2: $37,208 Year 3: $43,488 Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: N/A Year 3: $33,877 Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,967 Year 3: $31,152 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,035 Year 2: $26,933 Year 3: $31,095 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,916 Year 2: $30,047 Year 3: $30,729 Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $39,369 Year 3: N/A Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $15,793 Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: N/A

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Houghton College vs Occidental College

Houghton College

Occidental College

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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