Occidental College

Los Angeles (Eagle Rock), California

ACCEPTED

SETTING

Small liberal arts college in urban LA with natural campus

SIZE

Small (2,000 students)

ACADEMIC RIGOR

High (Liberal Arts)

Environmental Programs

Environmental Science

B.A.

  • Anderson Center for Environmental Sciences with rigorous research atmosphere
  • Combines fieldwork, biology, geology, and policy
  • Research opportunities typically found only at large universities
  • California Environment & Conservation Corps Semester program
  • Intimate liberal arts environment with personalized attention

Urban & Environmental Policy

B.A.

  • Connects politics, Critical Theory, sociology, and environmental science
  • Ideal preparation for environmental law careers
  • Los Angeles provides unique urban environmental laboratory

Campus & Nature

Occidental's campus is nestled in the hills of Eagle Rock with oak-lined quads, native plant restoration sites, and thoughtful sustainable landscaping that creates natural beauty within an urban setting.

  • Oak-lined Quad as campus centerpiece
  • Native plant restoration sites throughout campus
  • Food gardens and sustainable landscaping
  • Hillside setting with natural beauty
  • Access to LA's outdoor spaces and beaches
  • Urban setting balanced with green campus spaces

Academic Rigor

Occidental offers rigorous liberal arts education with small class sizes, research opportunities typically found at large universities, and excellent preparation for graduate school.

  • Rigorous liberal arts curriculum
  • Small class sizes with intimate learning environment
  • Research atmosphere of large universities with LAC attention
  • Strong critical thinking and writing emphasis
  • Excellent graduate school preparation and placement

Liberal Arts Access

  • Classic liberal arts college with strong economics, politics
  • Full breadth across humanities and social sciences
  • Urban LA setting provides additional opportunities
  • Complete liberal arts curriculum

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Excellent pre-law advising and law school preparation
  • Small class sizes with personalized attention
  • Los Angeles location for internships and opportunities
  • Strong liberal arts foundation for law school
  • Research opportunities despite small size

Cons

  • No engineering program - only environmental science
  • Small school may feel limiting after high school
  • Urban LA location less scenic than coastal/mountain schools
  • Limited STEM depth compared to polytechnic/research universities
  • Smaller alumni network than large universities

Student Voices

Real perspectives from students and alumni on third-party review sites

What Students Love

"My experience at Oxy was awesome! Loved my academic experience, being an athlete, and the overall care and connection in the Oxy community. Professors truly care about you and the discussion-based classes are great."

— Alum, Jan 17 2025

What Students Love

"The school puts emphasis on inclusivity and growth in various environments. Everyone maintains an open-to-grow mindset, welcoming students from all different backgrounds."

— Sophomore, 8 months ago

Common Complaint

"It was ridiculously expensive and felt very cliquey in terms of social life. Since it's a smaller school, your options are pretty limited in terms of sports, jobs, clubs, social groups."

— Other, 4 months ago