Whitman College vs Occidental College

Whitman College and Occidental College, both esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Whitman, nestled in the picturesque town of Walla Walla, Washington, boasts a lower acceptance rate (29%) compared to Occidental's 36%. With a larger student body, Occidental's campus in Los Angeles, California, exudes a vibrant urban energy. While Whitman's student body leans slightly more female, Occidental's is more diverse, with a higher percentage of international students. Both colleges excel in academics, with strong graduation rates (89% for Whitman and 87% for Occidental) and popular majors in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these colleges' unique strengths and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Occidental College	Whitman College
Overview
Location	Los Angeles, California	Walla Walla, Washington
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Small
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
Students retention rate	92.0%	89.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	38.2%	59.0%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $60	$50
SAT range	1340 - 1490	1295 - 1455
ACT range	30 - 33	29 - 33
Students submitting SAT score	29.0%	21.0%
Students submitting ACT score	22.0%	19.0%
Total number of applicants	6,495	5,155
Total number of admissions given out	2,484	3,039
Admitted students who chose to enroll	535	477
Yield rate	21.5%	15.7%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Not 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	$71,982
Average net price	$43,047	$35,627
Tuition	$57,830	$55,560
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $9,512 Meal plan: $8,090	Room/dormitory: $6,080 Meal plan: $7,720
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 $30,781
Students receiving federal student loan	31.0% Average amount $4,603	42.0% Average amount $4,853
Students taking out private loans	17.0% Average amount $6,554	2.0% Average amount $14,105

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,964 Men 42.1% Women 57.9%	1,559 Men 43.9% Women 56.1%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	62.5%	65.0%
International students	6.3%	10.2%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	1,650	886
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	Washington California Oregon Colorado Minnesota

Academics
Popular study areas	Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences Physical Science Multidisciplinary Studies Visual & Performing Arts	Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences Visual & Performing Arts English Language and Literature Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	9:1	9:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Outcome
Graduation rate	82.9%	88.7%
Dropout rate	4.1%	1.6%
Transferred out	12.6%	8.0%
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	Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,596 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $64,407 Visual and Performing Arts, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $26,353 Year 3: $43,330 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,051 Year 2: $22,999 Year 3: $41,844 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,549 Year 2: $27,584 Year 3: $39,355 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $18,868 Year 3: N/A Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,472 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: N/A Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: N/A Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: N/A

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