Occidental College | The Liberal Arts College in Los Angeles

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.

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Our Mission

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.

Academics at Oxy

Academic Spotlight

Meet Our Majors: Media Arts & Culture

Our MAC majors talk about their professors, their projects, the vibe of the department and why it's the perfect major for them.

100%

demonstrated financial need met

15%

international/dual citizen students at Oxy

24%

student-athletes at Oxy

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.

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Campus Photo Gallery

Two students pose with Professor Goffredi by the submersible research vessel Alvin

A Deep Dive into Student Research

Bianca Dal Bó ’24 and Ruby Siehl ’24 conduct research onboard the Atlantis research vessel with Professor of Biology Shana Goffredi.

Sustainability at Oxy

The progressive spirit of the Oxy community has laid solid foundations for sustainability, on campus and beyond.

Community-Based Learning

Oxy students have many opportunities for internships, community engagement, research and learning hands-on.

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.

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Stephanie Nelli

Meet Stephanie Nelli of Cognitive Science, who studies the computational principles underlying rapid learning and flexible decision-making in novel environments.

Stephanie Nelli

Faculty Cognitive Science

Sam Sharp ’96

Sam Sharp was drawn to Occidental for its diversity and the political energy he experienced on campus. It was the origin of a passion for equity and justice work that continues today.

Sam Sharp ’96

Alumni Politics

Natalia Guerra

Critical Theory & Social Justice major Natalia Guerra has explored social justice dimensions in the Netherlands and Chiapas, Mexico, making the most of Oxy’s opportunities to learn about the world in an active, global context.

Natalia Guerra

Student Critical Theory & Social Justice

Nicholas P. Alt

Meet Nicholas P. Alt of Psychology, whose academic research spans the areas of social psychology, cognitive psychology, and vision science.

Nicholas P. Alt

Faculty Psychology

Enrique López ’89

From 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.

Enrique López ’89

Alumni Psychology

Lisa Cronican

After 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.