Whittier College vs Menlo College

Whittier College and Menlo College, both located in California, offer distinct educational experiences. Whittier College, a private liberal arts college, boasts a lower acceptance rate (58%) compared to Menlo College's (75%). Whittier's student body is more diverse, with 49% identifying as students of color, while Menlo's student body is predominantly White (63%). In terms of academics, Whittier offers a wider range of majors, including popular choices like psychology, business, and biology, while Menlo focuses on business, psychology, and computer science. With a higher graduation rate (75%) compared to Menlo's (68%), Whittier may be a better choice for students seeking a traditional liberal arts education and a diverse campus community. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more key differences and make an informed decision about which college aligns best with your academic goals and preferences.
Menlo College logo

Menlo College

Whittier College logo

Whittier College

Overview

Location Atherton, California Whittier, California
Campus setting Suburb: Large Suburb: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester 4-1-4
Degrees offered Undergraduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 71.0% 82.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 69.8% 82.5%
Application fees $40
Undergraduate: $50

Graduate: $70
SAT range N/A 1120 - 1340
ACT range N/A 23 - 28
Students submitting SAT score 11.0%
Students submitting ACT score 9.0%
Total number of applicants 2,134 2,884
Total number of admissions given out 1,489 2,379
Admitted students who chose to enroll 148 277
Yield rate 9.9% 11.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $62,546 $61,014
Average net price $35,658 $22,091
Tuition $46,625 $48,924
Room & board $15,990
Room/dormitory: $8,216

Meal plan: $6,756
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

99.0%
Average amount $29,409
97.0%
Average amount $32,645
Students receiving federal student loan 57.0%
Average amount $5,410
65.0%
Average amount $5,040
Students taking out private loans 5.0%
Average amount $20,007
6.0%
Average amount $17,379

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 745
Men 54.4% Women 45.6%
1,325
Men 43.7% Women 56.3%
Graduate students N/A 62
Men 25.8% Women 74.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students 19.1% 6.3%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 565 849
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Psychology
  • Social Sciences
  • Education
  • Family and Consumer Sciences
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
Students to faculty ratio 14:1 11:1
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 55.0% 63.6%
Dropout rate 45.0% 3.6%
Transferred out N/A 31.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,547
  • Year 2: $66,325
  • Year 3: $72,015
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $45,971
  • Year 2: $47,260
  • Year 3: $59,022
Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $45,791
  • Year 2: $42,682
  • Year 3: $54,796
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $34,347
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,905
  • Year 2: $46,321
  • Year 3: N/A
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $34,282
  • Year 2: $41,689
  • Year 3: $64,434
Education, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,241
  • Year 2: $67,324
  • Year 3: $59,453
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $30,364
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $54,567
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $36,650
  • Year 2: $35,914
  • Year 3: $47,815
Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $25,730
  • Year 2: $28,309
  • Year 3: $42,330
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $22,976
  • Year 2: $14,935
  • Year 3: $38,238
Social Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $23,267
  • Year 2: $26,715
  • Year 3: $37,247
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $27,562
  • Year 2: $21,508
  • Year 3: $35,879
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $25,185
  • Year 2: $16,015
  • Year 3: $34,329
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $27,103
  • Year 2: $27,765
  • Year 3: $30,273

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