Occidental College vs University of Puget Sound

Occidental College and University of Puget Sound, both esteemed private institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Occidental, nestled in Los Angeles, California, boasts a 35% acceptance rate, while University of Puget Sound, located in Tacoma, Washington, has a slightly higher acceptance rate of 40%. Occidental's student body is more diverse, with 48% of students identifying as students of color compared to Puget Sound's 38%. Both institutions excel in liberal arts education, with popular majors including Psychology, Biology, and Economics. However, Occidental has a higher graduation rate of 86% compared to Puget Sound's 80%. To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table highlighting key differences between these two exceptional institutions. Dive in to discover which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Occidental College	University of Puget Sound
Overview
Location	Los Angeles, California	Tacoma, Washington
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Midsize
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	92.0%	88.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	38.2%	88.3%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $60	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $60
SAT range	1340 - 1490	1150 - 1370
ACT range	30 - 33	26 - 32
Students submitting SAT score	29.0%	31.0%
Students submitting ACT score	22.0%	20.0%
Total number of applicants	6,495	5,025
Total number of admissions given out	2,484	4,437
Admitted students who chose to enroll	535	409
Yield rate	21.5%	9.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$77,878	$73,134
Average net price	$43,047	$28,221
Tuition	$57,830	$55,390
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $9,512 Meal plan: $8,090	Room/dormitory: $7,450 Meal plan: $6,500
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $29,715	99.0% Average amount $31,818
Students receiving federal student loan	31.0% Average amount $4,603	40.0% Average amount $5,021
Students taking out private loans	17.0% Average amount $6,554	4.0% Average amount $19,731

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,964 Men 42.1% Women 57.9%	1,866 Men 42.6% Women 57.4%
Graduate students	N/A	307 Men 21.5% Women 78.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	62.5%	74.7%
International students	6.3%	0.2%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	1,650	1,726
First year students are required to live on campus?	Yes	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	California Washington New York Illinois Mississippi	California Washington Oregon Colorado Minnesota

Academics
Popular study areas	Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences Physical Science Multidisciplinary Studies Visual & Performing Arts	Health Professions Education Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences Foreign Languages and Literatures
Students to faculty ratio	9:1	9:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Outcome
Graduation rate	82.9%	74.2%
Dropout rate	4.1%	3.7%
Transferred out	12.6%	22.1%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,730 Year 2: $41,565 Year 3: $84,211 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $73,526 Year 2: $73,769 Year 3: $75,695 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $68,518 Year 2: $64,493 Year 3: $66,616 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $60,899 Year 2: $54,331 Year 3: $62,873 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,324 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $58,198 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,383 Year 2: $41,789 Year 3: $52,400 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $48,980 Year 2: $41,565 Year 3: $49,196 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $19,816 Year 2: $31,848 Year 3: $43,453 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,720 Year 2: $30,047 Year 3: $42,288 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,004 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $41,574

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