Vanguard University of Southern California vs Occidental College

Vanguard University of Southern California and Occidental College, both located in Southern California, offer distinct educational experiences. Vanguard, a private Christian university, boasts a higher acceptance rate (75%) compared to Occidental's selective admissions (33%). While Occidental's student body is more diverse, with 45% students of color, Vanguard's student body is predominantly White (68%). Both institutions excel in certain academic areas: Vanguard is known for its strong nursing and business programs, while Occidental is recognized for its liberal arts and sciences curriculum. With similar graduation rates hovering around 80%, both universities ensure their students are well-prepared for their future endeavors. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these institutions' unique offerings and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Occidental College	Vanguard University of Southern California
Overview
Location	Los Angeles, California	Costa Mesa, California
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Midsize
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%	75.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation		Protestant

Admission
Acceptance rate	38.2%	69.0%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $60	Undergraduate: $45 Graduate: $45
SAT range	1340 - 1490	980 - 1200
ACT range	30 - 33	19 - 25
Students submitting SAT score	29.0%	12.0%
Students submitting ACT score	22.0%	5.0%
Total number of applicants	6,495	2,917
Total number of admissions given out	2,484	2,013
Admitted students who chose to enroll	535	500
Yield rate	21.5%	24.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$77,878	$60,800
Average net price	$43,047	$20,427
Tuition	$57,830	$37,000
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $9,512 Meal plan: $8,090	Room/dormitory: $6,588 Meal plan: $5,430
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	100.0% Average amount $27,535
Students receiving federal student loan	31.0% Average amount $4,603	95.0% Average amount $5,626
Students taking out private loans	17.0% Average amount $6,554	3.0% Average amount $15,362

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,964 Men 42.1% Women 57.9%	1,975 Men 31.5% Women 68.5%
Graduate students	N/A	293 Men 31.4% Women 68.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	62.5%	N/A
International students	6.3%	0.2%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	1,650	1,049
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 Business Education Health Professions Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
Students to faculty ratio	9:1	17:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	82.9%	61.5%
Dropout rate	4.1%	37.7%
Transferred out	12.6%	N/A
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	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $116,679 Year 3: $134,779 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $91,857 Year 2: $91,300 Year 3: $89,882 Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $59,124 Year 3: $60,756 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $54,112 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $47,596 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,217 Year 2: $40,697 Year 3: $45,892 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $34,348 Year 3: $42,899 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,413 Year 2: $33,043 Year 3: $39,397 Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $37,493 Radio, Television, and Digital Communication (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: $35,701 Education, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: N/A Year 3: $35,495

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Vanguard University of Southern California vs Occidental College

Occidental College

Vanguard University of Southern California

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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