Occidental College vs Art Center College of Design

Occidental College and Art Center College of Design, two esteemed institutions in Los Angeles, California, offer distinct educational experiences tailored to students with diverse aspirations. Occidental, a liberal arts college, boasts a 35% acceptance rate and a student body comprising 45% male and 55% female students. Its popular majors include Economics, Psychology, and Biology, preparing graduates for careers in various fields. On the other hand, Art Center, a specialized art and design college, has a more selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 25%. Its student body is predominantly female (63%), and its focus on creative disciplines attracts students seeking careers in art, design, and entertainment. While Occidental boasts a higher graduation rate of 86%, Art Center's 75% rate reflects its rigorous curriculum and emphasis on portfolio development. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more distinctions between these two exceptional institutions and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic goals and personal aspirations

	Art Center College of Design	Occidental College
Overview
Location	Pasadena, California	Los Angeles, California
Campus setting	City: Midsize	City: Large
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 and Graduate
Students retention rate	85.0%	92.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	75.6%	38.2%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $60
SAT range	N/A	1340 - 1490
ACT range	N/A	30 - 33
Students submitting SAT score		29.0%
Students submitting ACT score		22.0%
Total number of applicants	982	6,495
Total number of admissions given out	742	2,484
Admitted students who chose to enroll	269	535
Yield rate	36.3%	21.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Not 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	$72,066	$77,878
Average net price	$50,420	$43,047
Tuition	$47,334	$57,830
Room & board		Room/dormitory: $9,512 Meal plan: $8,090
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	64.0% Average amount $17,667	100.0% Average amount $29,715
Students receiving federal student loan	39.0% Average amount $5,367	31.0% Average amount $4,603
Students taking out private loans	2.0% Average amount $38,675	17.0% Average amount $6,554

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,028 Men 41.7% Women 58.3%	1,964 Men 42.1% Women 57.9%
Graduate students	291 Men 42.6% Women 57.4%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	62.5%
International students	45.4%	6.3%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	N/A	1,650
First year students are required to live on campus?	N/A	Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	California Washington New York Illinois Mississippi

Academics
Popular study areas	Visual & Performing Arts Engineering Technologies Communications Technology Architecture Computer and Information Science	Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences Physical Science Multidisciplinary Studies Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	8:1	9:1
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	75.9%	82.9%
Dropout rate	9.8%	4.1%
Transferred out	8.6%	12.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,017 Year 2: $50,856 Year 3: $57,513 Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,536 Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: $27,282 Architectural Sciences and Technology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $53,380 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Graphic Communications (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,126 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: N/A Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,973 Year 2: $81,702 Year 3: N/A Engineering-Related Fields (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,061 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $21,685 Year 2: $20,824 Year 3: N/A Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $11,851 Year 3: N/A Fine and Studio Arts (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $17,249 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A	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

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