Liberal Arts in Los Angeles
Drawing on the cultural and intellectual resources of a global city, Occidental provides a springboard for putting theory into practice and ideas into action.
Explore Your Passions
Oxy’s remarkable faculty of scholars, teachers and mentors are at the heart of the intellectual experience. An Oxy liberal arts education transcends boundaries, and with more than 40 majors and programs, academic rigor comes in many forms.
Academic Spotlight
Each fall, students receive an in-depth education on our 21st-century global community by directly participating in it via the United Nations headquarters in New York City.
9:1
student-faculty ratio
17
average class size
39%
full-time faculty of color
Discover Occidental
A vibrant, small liberal arts college experience in the heart of Los Angeles, one of the most stimulating and creative cities in the world. That’s something you won’t find anywhere else.
Scenes of Occidental
Take an aerial tour of the campus we call home.
The Oxy Community
Whether in the lab, classroom, field or community, our faculty, students and alumni define the strengths and uniqueness of Oxy in everything that they do.
Vikram Shende's research group studies the structure and function of molecules found in nature, and how we can engineer enzymes—proteins that catalyze chemical reactions—that biosynthesize these “natural products.”
Lauren Berger ’19
Link to story about Lauren Berger ’19Geology PhD student Lauren Berger recently received a prestigious grant from NASA to help her unravel the mysteries of Martian sand dunes and contribute to a deeper understanding of planetary evolution.
Alyanna McGrath
Link to story about Alyanna McGrathAlyanna McGrath ’25 embodies both academic and community leadership at Occidental College, majoring in computer science while championing inclusivity through her involvement in the Black Student Alliance, Women in STEM Club, and basketball.
Cristina Awadalla
Link to story about Cristina AwadallaCristina Awadalla is an interdisciplinary sociologist whose teaching focuses on Central American politics, Latin American feminisms, women’s labor, and research methods.
Enrique López ’89
Link to story about Enrique López ’89From immigrant to psychology major, from circus performer to neuropsychologist, Enrique López researches the impact of HIV on the human brain. He also advocates worldwide against the stigma of HIV-AIDS in Spanish-speaking communities.
Mira Hart
Link to story about Mira HartMira Hart ’26 pursued her passion for climate research through international fieldwork in the Philippines—crawling through caves, collecting stalagmites, and uncovering ancient data that could help predict Earth’s future.
What’s Happening At Oxy
Featured News
Nine recent Occidental College graduates, including seven members of the Class of 2025, recently received awards from the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program, which facilitates cultural exchange by supporting research, graduate study, and English language instruction abroad.
Events
30
Jul
9:00 am - 5:00 pm
18
Aug
TO 19 Aug
All day
18
Aug
12:00 pm - 8:00 pm
19
Aug
4:00 pm - 8:00 pm
NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICY AS TO STUDENTS
Occidental College admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs. For more detailed information please see the College's Notice of Non-Discrimination.
Join us April 23 for our sixth annual Day For Oxy! This year, our goal is to inspire 1,991 donors—one for every student—to support the Oxy Fund, which impacts all aspects of the Occidental College experience. https://t.co/IuL7MSs7db https://t.co/6ZZokeVLKf
