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
Senior “comps,” or comprehensives, are the theses, field research projects, art exhibits or presentations that reflect Oxy’s educational philosophy of learning deeply and independently.
8:1
student:faculty ratio
18
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.
Learning in Los Angeles
Our dynamic location means access to the highest caliber internships, research sites and more.
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.
Samantha Acuña is interested in constitutional law, immigration policy, judicial behavior, and gender-based violence.
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.
Lisa Cronican
Link to story about Lisa CronicanAfter building a career in information technology on the East Coast, veteran Lisa Cronican ’22 returned to Los Angeles to fulfill a lifelong goal: completing her Oxy bachelor’s degree after a 25-year hiatus.
Samuel Luterbacher
Link to story about Samuel LuterbacherSamuel Frédéric Luterbacher specializes in Early Modern (1500-1800) art, craft, and material culture in a global context and teaches courses on premodern art histories of the wider Mediterranean world.
Keala Ede ’00
Link to story about Keala Ede ’00As the first Native Hawaiian judge in Minnesota history, Keala Ede brings a commitment to justice to his courtroom—and a taste of surf culture to the shores of Lake Superior.
Nick Graves
Link to story about Nick GravesAn appreciation for the international sphere has dovetailed with an interest in media and television production for Nick Graves ’23. An internship with Disney and the Academy Gold Rising Program is moving him forward along his path.
What’s Happening At Oxy
Featured News
Multidisciplinary artist Roksana Pirouzmand is Occidental College’s Wanlass Artist in Residence for this academic year. Pirouzmand's work will be featured in a solo exhibition at OXY ARTS in Spring 2026.
Events
22
Oct
12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
22
Oct
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
22
Oct
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
22
Oct
4:00 pm - 6:00 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.
