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
Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s remarkable faculty of scholars, teachers and mentors are at the heart of the intellectual experience. An Â鶹ÊÓƵ liberal arts education transcends boundaries, and with more than 40 majors and programs, academic rigor comes in many forms.
Academic Spotlight
Meet the students behind the chemistry major as they share their motivations, research experiences, and academic journeys at Â鶹ÊÓƵ.
1,886
total enrollment
14%
first-generation students
292
annual average, sunny days in LA
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.
Changing the Climate
With a proactive student body, Â鶹ÊÓƵ is committed to a more sustainable campus.
The Â鶹ÊÓƵ Community
Whether in the lab, classroom, field or community, our faculty, students and alumni define the strengths and uniqueness of Â鶹ÊÓƵ in everything that they do.
Nicholas Grebe's research interests span the fields of psychology, evolutionary biology, and anthropology. He studies how behavioral and hormonal mechanisms have evolved to support social diversity in humans and non-human primates.
Laura Boykin Okalebo ’96
Link to story about Laura Boykin Okalebo ’96For biologist Laura Boykin Okalebo, Â鶹ÊÓƵ was a life-changing experience, setting her on a career path that combines science and social justice. Her groundbreaking work in East Africa has empowered thousands of farmers to achieve sustainable livelihoods.
Peter Vartanian
Link to story about Peter VartanianSupported by Occidental through grants and faculty mentorship, Peter Vartanian ’25 is traveling the globe conducting research on the geopolitics of the global transition to green energy, among other topics.
Lydia Harmon
Link to story about Lydia HarmonLydia Harmon '13 is a geologist who studies volcanoes and magma systems. Her work focuses on the magmatic processes and tectonic influences that govern magma formation and eruption.
Mariah Rutiaga Amaya ’22
Link to story about Mariah Rutiaga Amaya ’22Driven by her experiences in food justice and her father’s health struggles, Mariah Rutiaga Amaya found her calling in medicine. Now, she’s preparing to become a physician who centers community, advocates compassionately, and uplifts the most marginalized.
Jaymes Griggs
Link to story about Jaymes GriggsFrom the Bluegrass State to Â鶹ÊÓƵ, Jaymes Griggs has found community and a path to leadership through science, civic engagement, and the Obama Scholars Program. And amid all this, he still has time for pickleball.
What’s Happening At Â鶹ÊÓƵ
Featured News
At year’s end, we’re celebrating the top 2025 news highlights at Â鶹ÊÓƵ as well as the most-viewed feature stories from Occidental magazine.
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NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICY AS TO STUDENTS
Â鶹ÊÓƵ 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.