When they don't have anything planned, students "listen to and make music, watch movies, have impromptu dance parties, and do wacky things." Colleges with the Best Professors in America. This college has been claimed by the college or a college representative. Learn how to explore all of your options. Oxy prides itself on diversity, but there are small groups of various ethnicities. The professors here have such a wealth of knowledge. The food is amazing 4/7 days of the week and above average on weekends, there are also usually a lot of great student involvement activities happening around campus every week. However, "every student at Oxy treats all persons equally, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or religious views," and most are readily "accepting of different opinions." Students can choose from more than 100 clubs and organizations to get involved in on campus. Occidental College is an amazing college with professors that care about the students and are willing to engage with students outside of office hours and after classes. Occidental College is a private, nonprofit school in the urban setting of Los Angeles, California. There were 4 music majors the year I graduated, so we all became very close and helped each other with our senior projects. The campus can feel kind of sequestered, located in a residential area and often referred to as the Oxy bubble. A private college located in South Amherst, Massachusetts, Hampshire College has an undergraduate enrollment of more than 1,300 students. What's the most liberal college in the United States of America? Pictured is former President Barack Obama at a campaign rally on the school's campus. Women make up more than halfof the student population. Occidental College is the oldest liberal arts college on the West Coast.2022-01-28. Oxy is a place for creative, hard-working, curious students to explore their current passions, as well as discover new ones. The student-faculty ratio at Occidental College is 9:1, and the school has 67.5% of its classes with fewer than 20 students. I was never drowning in homework, but also never felt under-enriched. Called Princeton of the West when orignally founded. Assistant Men's & Women's Swimming Diving Coach This private college in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania is the 12th best liberal arts school in the nation, says Niche. It's the second highest-rated liberal arts college in the state, per Niche. The university is comprised of seven schools, including Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts, and students from every school and major complete a core curriculum that focuses on the humanities and sciences. Occidental College in Los Angeles is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges on the West Coast, so it should come as no surprise that it . pros - classes are fairly easy, can maintain solid gpa with moderate studying - easy to make a college athletic team - lots of parties to go to every weekend cons - not a lot to do on the weekends but party - school is super liberal, many of my straight guy friends want to transfer. If people want to have a fun night, they go to USC. Pros and Cons of Going to HBCU - College Reality Check It is pretty isolated from LA itself and you need to have a car on campus or else you probably won't be able to get out much and explore. With that said, when you have one type of student it may be challenging to field various classes, clubs, sporting teams. Situated on a 120-acre residential campus in the heart of Los Angeles, Occidental integrates the liberal arts with the cultural and intellectual resources of a global city. STEM experience is horrible. Based on our analysis of other colleges at similar price points, we believe Occidental College is overpriced for the quality education it provides. All Rights Reserved.The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University, Privacy Policy | Situated on a 120-acre residential campus 8 miles from downtown Los Angeles, Occidental College fully integrates the liberal arts and sciences with the cultural and intellectual resources of a global city. Oxy has all types of students but the majority of the people are your average middle-upper class white folks. 136 of 766. The college's first term began a year later with 27 male and 13 female students . Tier 1 = Universal or core instruction. According to Niche, the University of San Francisco is the best-located college in California. According to Niche, graduates earn an average starting salary of nearly $59,000 per year. Located in Manhattan, Barnard College is the top-rated women's college in America, according to Niche. A sophomore at Occidental College in Los Angeles wrote on Niche that the "campus is beautiful, the students are smart and hard-working, and the community is super diverse racially and socio-economically.". The one thing I would be wary of is committing for sports, the coaches tend to over-recruit and end up cutting many players, as has happened to many of my friends. Consider how much you care about personal safety before you come to this school. In their free time, many take advantage of the Southern California setting to "go to the beach, go shopping in L.A., go out to eat in Eagle Rock, [and] go hiking." Students have both social and academic choices internships as well as things to do on the weekend. ; turn left at the end of the off ramp onto Eagle Rock Blvd. The school has also various peer-supported tutoring programs to allow you to get the help that you need from chemistry problem sets to essay writing advice. There are little to no elevators in buildings. Get answers about the college application process. Occidental College 1600 Campus Road | Los Angeles , CA | 90041-3314 Website Save School About From the School Founded in 1887, Occidental College fully integrates the liberal arts and sciences with the cultural and intellectual resources of one of the world's great cities. "Courses are challenging," but Oxy "professors want to see you succeed," and the favorably low student-to-faculty ratio means "there are plenty of opportunities to get extra help on the tough material." Food is very good but they should reach out to make the surrounding restaurants involved in meal plans. Lots of internship/research opportunities due to being in LA. In fact, they were condescending and dismissive of mental illness in general. Notable alumni of the small school include Marsha Evans, former president and CEO of the American Red Cross; Andrea Elliott, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for the New York Times; and Robert Richter, a documentary producer whose work has been featured on major stations like PBS and the Discovery Channel. These peeping toms are not students, they are grown men who make their way on to campus time after time, and administration fails to take any action. Bennington College in Vermont has an undergraduate enrollment of fewer than 750 students. Issues. The rigor of the courses matched my expectations and I feel really prepared to continue on at the graduate level of study this coming fall. ", "I think that this school provided me with exactly what I needed. This school is what it is: a small bubble of privileged fake-woke kids that don't need to work because their parents are happily footing the $77,000/year bill. There arent frequently large parties on campus, but there are lots of small parties that go on in the dorms among groups of friends. Read the full Best for the Money Ranking Methodology. Does this school fit your college needs? Occidental Magazine. They all seem to really care about your education.". Not a very good party school (if thats your scene), but everyone is very friendly. Occidental College Academics & Majors - US News Best Colleges Ranges represent admitted Discover the schools, companies, and neighborhoods that are right for you. It can store single-byte and multibyte characters. ", "People are really passionate about their extracurricular activities and internships" at Occidental, where most students are "busy from dawn to dusk, and loving it." This may not seem important, but when you are lounging what is supposed to be your safe space and see someone standing outside your window staring in, your wellbeing is seriously harmed. Our school is basically run by our board of trustees who are only concerned with money. Areas of Study | Occidental College Areas of Study Home Academics Areas of Study At Oxy, your opportunities for academic exploration are endless. My family ended up having to pay $10k for an extra semester due to an oversight on the school's part and the administration has not been remotely apologetic but continues to cause confusion. Pictured is a campaign rally for John Kerry, the Democratic nominee in the 2004 presidential election. Occidental College - Wikipedia from students, alumni, staff and others. nocterne99 October 2, 2016, 8:58pm #1. These reviews Net price can vary based on your unique situation. Professors were amazing and it is in a great location. Trinity College is a private institution that was founded in 1823. The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education rankings listed Occidental at No.2018-09-17 My friends and I can take a very short walk to York, where the restaurants are delicious and the stores are delightful. Wesleyan University, a private school in Middletown, is Niche's best liberal arts college in Connecticut. Occidental College seems like the best place for students to attend if they didn't work as hard in high school but want to get serious in college (so this would not apply for students that don't want to up their game), and these are my reasons as to why: Occidental College has a 3-2 program with Caltech. Read tips on grants, scholarships, loans and more. Does this school fit your college needs? Its tuition and fees are $49,864. One downside is the campus is full of hills, so not very accessible for physically disabled students. Compass and find out. Turn left onto Eagle Rock Blvd. Oxy is a small school, it doesnt have the billion dollar endowment that UC schools have. of students say that Greek life is average, and no one will treat you differently if you don't join. Its a completely different college experience than UCLA or USC for example because of its size and liberal arts emphasis. You get to truly build relationships with your professors and get experiences like research as an undergrad that you usually wouldnt get at a big school. I felt like I really had the opportunity to get to know my professors, and I know I got more out of my classes because of it. - (Essential) Be an ambassador of Occidental Athletics and its core values. In the moderate range, about 15 minutes away, is Sheraton Pasadena (303 East Cordova Street, 626-449-4000). Occidental College is a private institution that was founded in 1887. According to Niche, the University of San Francisco is the best-located college in California. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. #tbt #allinforoxy #occidentalcollege #admittedstudentsday #experienceoccidental, Niche requires Javascript to work correctly. Founded in 1887, Occidental College fully integrates the liberal arts and sciences with the cultural and intellectual resources of one of the world's great cities. I have felt extremely supported in my time at Oxy and have found different communities for my hobbies, cultural affinity spaces, and other interests. Discover the perfect major for you based on your innate wiring. While you can also do the same, it can cause you to encounter unnecessary stress, anxiety and costs. As a sophomore, my experience at Oxy has been great! In addition to the community I built around athletics, the communal dorm allowed me to create other friendships as well! ", "Oxy is a great place! My overall experience at Oxy has been very positive. I would highly recommend students interested in molecular biology and immunology to attend. But the sense of community here is lacking. They do not appear on a printed message. Lots of smoke in mirrors and wild goose chases. I went to most of my classes very excited to learn from incredible professors. Keep reading for more. Also as a side note, junior year is when a lot of students study abroad. . Please, See Rankings for Best K-12 Schools & Districts, Read more about how we calculate our rankings. Overall, Occidental does a great job of providing its students with excellent resources and opportunities, and this certainly extends to career services. 2 (Glendale Freeway) going toward Glendale. The small size of the department makes creating connections with professors and participating in undergraduate research accessible. with a gender distribution of 42% male students What one word or phrase best describes your school? A sophomore at Pace University in New York wrote on Niche that the school "is a great place to meet new friends from all over the place.". We're quirky, creative, accomplished, LGBTQ-friendly, and extremely passionate.". The Jeanne Clery Act requires colleges and universities to disclose their security policies, keep a public crime log, publish an annual crime report and provide timely warnings to students and campus employees about a crime posing an immediate or ongoing threat to students and campus employees. I was completely undecided on what I wanted to study when I first started college, and Oxy was a good place for me to try different things before choosing a major. Occidental College - The Princeton Review College Rankings & Reviews Look your professors up before you take the class. Overall, classes are interesting, professors have been kind/understanding, and there are a lot of cool events to attend that are set up by different departments/student clubs. On days when I was not swimming or in school, I enjoyed the surrounding area. Academics are pretty rigorous but professors are lovely and truly want to work with individual students. explanation of user ratings. Business School | Occidental College See reviews and ratings of this school You can compare up to 25 schools at a time. Follow signs for Pasadena. Occidental College is ranked #2,195 out of 2,223 for value nationwide. The University of the South - Profile, Rankings and Data - US News Niche requires Javascript to work correctly. There is also a sense of community among students. Their attitude is basically "we cant fix it so do something yourself. You can't beat having the "intimacy of a small college with Los Angeles as your backyard," and students love the fact that Oxy is "not isolated from the surrounding community like many other college campuses." One of the things that makes Occidental unique among liberal arts colleges is its location, right in the city of Los Angeles. FSU's list of scholarships and fellowships for LGBTQ+ applicants: an alphabetical list. Oxy is a great place if you are looking for a really small, close knit school experience. 3130 Occidental Dr #3152-017, Sacramento, CA 95826 | Trulia to evaluate the safety of a campus as well as the surrounding area. - (Essential) Minimum Qualifications. to Eagle Rock Blvd. Occidental has been referenced as an Ivy League West school. ". Located in Seattle, the University of Washington is the highest-rated college in Washington, according to Niche. With an acceptance rate of 92%, Portland State University has a large undergraduate enrollment of nearly 14,000 students, per Niche. percentile. As a rising sophomore, my first year at Oxy has been very interesting. In fact, most professors "go the extra mile to make themselves available" and "are invested in cultivating real relationships with students. Turn right onto Westdale and follow it until it ends at Campus Rd. 50 is Denison University, located in Granville, Ohio. Uncommonly inclusive and consciously collaborative, our students seek to embrace difference and make a difference in the world. I am so glad I took a chance and transferred! There are also plenty of resources for career counseling/courses/interview prep/etc. Tier 1 colleges are those that have the best: Academics, infrastrucure, faculty, research, placements, alumni network and national/international presence. Tier One, Top Tier and Nationally Competitive Research University are terms used interchangeably to refer to universities known for world-class research, academic excellence, an exceptional student body, and the highest levels of innovation, creativity and scholarship. Get answers about the college application process. Oxy can sometimes feel small with only about 2000 students, but I really liked that aspect since no one on campus feels like a stranger. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this private university is rated as the top college in Illinois. Please, Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. 126 of 1,528. Free shipping for many products! Occidental College is an amazing college with professors that care about the students and are willing to engage with students outside of office hours and after classes. Though they take academics seriously, "people at Oxy are concerned with much, much more than their education. Kenyon College, located in Gambier, Ohio, is the top-rated university in the state, per Niche. The student body may not be very diverse, but as it is a liberal campus, it strives to make everyone feel welcome and safe. The California Institute of Technology entry also has suggestions for accommodations in Pasadena. All of the classes are small and intimate, allowing you to have attention from the professors in class and during office hours. The administrative staff of this school are extremely difficult to work with and at times completely unresponsive. Occidental College - College Confidential They benefit from our small-classroom environment and demanding yet supportive faculty, who are dedicated to teaching and mentorship. Call 213-626-4455 for bus information and schedules. While the Alt key is pressed, and symbols. The numbers for criminal offenses reflect reports of alleged Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Schools are ranked according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Image Credit: By The Port of Authority under License. Occidental College Reviews | GradReports I transferred to Oxy my sophomore year after attending a much larger state school closer to where I grew up. Students tend to complain about the party scene at Oxy but this should be expected at a small school. I took a semester off for mental health reasons, and upon my return the housing office/registrar made no effort to help me make school more bearable. I can't say enough about how great the academics are, I have truly learned so much in my courses and have had amazing professors during my time here. The school is very liberal, so a student who is very conservative probably would find themselves feeling left out. I still live there and realize there were so many places I never went to or knew about as a student. Occidental College was founded in 1887 and the school currently enrolls around 1,965 students per year, which includes 1,965 undergrad students. You'll need at least a mix of A's and B's, with more A's than B's. Situated on a 120-acre residential campus in the heart of Los Angeles, our location serves as a springboard for putting theory into practice and ideas into action. Overall, I was satisfied with my time as an Oxy student and I would recommend the school to anyone who is looking to attend college in a city and also has interest in the liberal arts model. Total number of certificate degree programs offered online or through distance education. This school does not have enough reviews yet. (approximately one mile). I wouldn't want or expect to be partying all the time, but my social experience at Occidental has been uniquely dull. Nestled between Glendale and Pasadena California is Occidental College, a small private 4-year college just north of Los Angeles. Winter 2017. This private school has an acceptance rate of 25%, Niche says. A high-touch, personalized classroom experience is the signature of an Occidental liberal arts education. I do not expect any school to be able to fix all students' issues or cater to their every need, but at such a small school I did expect more care/respect from administration. This private Christian college in Washington, D.C., was praised by a scholar on Niche because "every student is represented.". Occidental ranks No. The dining halls food is great, and much better than many other colleges'. 134) heading west, exit at Colorado Blvd. The Biology program is a cut above the rest, The professors possess a deep understanding of their course material and carry an impressive body of work. On campus, "there are frequently guest speakers, dialogues, and workshops," and on the weekends, the school organizes "dances, trivia nights, movie screenings, fashion shows, concerts, food tastings, beer gardens, and many other events." Occidental College Overall Rankings | US News Best Colleges The campus is small but beautiful and the food is pretty amazing. 128 of 1,103. They benefit from our small-classroom environment and demanding yet supportive faculty, who are as dedicated to teaching and mentorship as their research. We then compare the average total cost to other schools of a similar quality to determine value. Is Occidental College a good school in the U.S.? 22% of students live off campus. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Occidental College Academics. Situated on a 120-acre residential campus 8 miles from downtown Los Angeles, Occidental College fully integrates the liberal arts and sciences with the cultural and intellectual resources of a global city. Scripps College. Deadline for application submissions. If it is underpriced it receives a good or excellent value. Exit at Verdugo Rd. The College is located in the Northeast section of Los Angeles, in the community of Eagle Rock between the cities of Glendale and Pasadena. Scripps College is a private, nonprofit school in the suburban setting of Claremont, California. Get more details on what Oxy financial aid you may qualify for. As an international student, I am really happy to have chosen Occidental College as my home away from home. Occidental College is the perfect launch pad?