College of the Atlantic vs Occidental College

College of the Atlantic and Occidental College, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. College of the Atlantic, nestled in Bar Harbor, Maine, boasts a remarkably low acceptance rate of 29%, indicating its selectivity. Occidental College, situated in Los Angeles, California, is slightly more accessible, with an acceptance rate of 34%. Both colleges prioritize undergraduate education, with College of the Atlantic enrolling approximately 350 students and Occidental College hosting around 2,000. While College of the Atlantic focuses on environmental studies and human ecology, Occidental College offers a broader range of majors, including popular choices like economics, psychology, and biology. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these institutions' student body demographics, graduation rates, and other key factors that may influence your college decision.
College of the Atlantic logo

College of the Atlantic

Occidental College logo

Occidental College

Overview

Location Bar Harbor, Maine Los Angeles, California
Campus setting Town: Remote City: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Trimester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 81.0% 92.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 61.1% 38.2%
Application fees
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 525 6,495
Total number of admissions given out 321 2,484
Admitted students who chose to enroll 93 535
Yield rate 29.0% 21.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Not required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $50,442 $77,878
Average net price $19,142 $43,047
Tuition $42,993 $57,830
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $6,210

Meal plan: $3,537
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)

98.0%
Average amount $34,744
100.0%
Average amount $29,715
Students receiving federal student loan 64.0%
Average amount $4,759
31.0%
Average amount $4,603
Students taking out private loans 6.0%
Average amount $16,806
17.0%
Average amount $6,554

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 374
Men 29.7% Women 70.3%
1,964
Men 42.1% Women 57.9%
Graduate students 2
Men 50.0% Women 50.0%
N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Very Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students N/A 62.5%
International students 23.1% 6.3%
Campus local/setting Town: Remote City: Large
Dormitory capacity 235 1,650
First year students are required to live on campus? No Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A California Washington New York Illinois Mississippi

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Social Sciences
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Physical Science
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio 10:1 9:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 66.7% 82.9%
Dropout rate 32.1% 4.1%
Transferred out N/A 12.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $21,916
  • Year 2: $16,920
  • Year 3: $24,486
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

Compare Similar Colleges

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