Occidental College vs Wheaton College

Occidental College and Wheaton College, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Occidental, nestled in the vibrant city of Los Angeles, boasts a diverse student body and a strong focus on social justice. In contrast, Wheaton, located in the historic town of Norton, Massachusetts, emphasizes a rigorous liberal arts curriculum rooted in Christian faith. With acceptance rates of 34% and 68%, respectively, both colleges provide a selective admissions process. Occidental's popular majors include social sciences, arts, and humanities, while Wheaton's strengths lie in natural sciences, social sciences, and business. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these institutions' graduation rates, student demographics, and other key factors, helping you make an informed decision about your academic journey.

	Occidental College	Wheaton College
Overview
Location	Los Angeles, California	Wheaton, Illinois
Campus setting	City: Large	Suburb: 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	92.0%	89.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation		Undenominational

Admission
Acceptance rate	38.2%	86.3%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $60	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $30
SAT range	1340 - 1490	1250 - 1430
ACT range	30 - 33	27 - 32
Students submitting SAT score	29.0%	32.0%
Students submitting ACT score	22.0%	25.0%
Total number of applicants	6,495	1,993
Total number of admissions given out	2,484	1,719
Admitted students who chose to enroll	535	546
Yield rate	21.5%	31.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$77,878	$54,700
Average net price	$43,047	$28,319
Tuition	$57,830	$40,570
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $9,512 Meal plan: $8,090	Room/dormitory: $6,640 Meal plan: $4,660
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $29,715	91.0% Average amount $23,469
Students receiving federal student loan	31.0% Average amount $4,603	52.0% Average amount $5,169
Students taking out private loans	17.0% Average amount $6,554	5.0% Average amount $15,404

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,964 Men 42.1% Women 57.9%	2,341 Men 44.9% Women 55.1%
Graduate students	N/A	706 Men 34.6% Women 65.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	62.5%	N/A
International students	6.3%	5.9%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,650	2,153
First year students are required to live on campus?	Yes	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	California Washington New York Illinois Mississippi	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences Physical Science Multidisciplinary Studies Visual & Performing Arts	Psychology Theology Education Health Professions Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	9:1	11:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	82.9%	87.6%
Dropout rate	4.1%	3.1%
Transferred out	12.6%	9.1%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Business/Managerial Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,492 Year 2: $48,667 Year 3: $61,559 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,982 Year 2: $37,748 Year 3: $48,761 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $37,694 Year 2: $39,009 Year 3: $48,539 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $30,613 Year 2: $33,459 Year 3: $41,661 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,251 Year 2: $37,856 Year 3: $41,339 Theological and Ministerial Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $38,767 Year 2: $39,049 Year 3: $38,775 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $35,864 Year 3: $36,928 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,471 Year 2: $27,126 Year 3: $34,682 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,825 Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: $32,867 Religious Education (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: $31,289

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