Occidental Tour


Occidental or “Oxy” as it’s referred to is a small liberal arts college in Los Angeles situated on 120 acres between Glendale and Pasadena. Occidental is a rare gem as it’s a small liberal arts school in a large city. With 2,000 students, there are plenty of opportunities for students to find their own path. Fun fact: President Obama attended Occidental.

Occidental is a serious place and students are curious and have plenty of opportunities to explore academic interests. Oxy’s challenging academic environment gives students a place to explore new ideas and cultures with a combination of liberal arts and sciences. All students have a foreign language requirement as well as coursework in world culture, fine arts and science. The strongest majors that are offered are economics, diplomacy and world affairs, biology, psychology, urban and environmental policy, and politics. All freshmen are required to take a first year seminar and as seniors, all students are required to complete a senior comprehensive project that shows mastery in their field.

Other things that make Oxy unique are the 3-2 engineering program with Caltech and Columbia and 4-2 biotech program with the Keck institute at Claremont. Oxy offers small classes; ⅔ have less than 20 students. In addition, almost ½ of all students study abroad.

All freshmen live on campus, 45% of students are of CA. Oxy has division III sports; and a small Greek system. Most students are drawn to Occidental for the academics and cultural environment. LA is accessible and a plus, but not a huge draw for most students. If you are looking for a small liberal arts college and challenging academics, Oxy is worth considering.

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