California · Private nonprofit · Predominantly bachelor's

Occidental College

Los Angeles, California. 1,844 undergraduate students. 32 programs in the federal Field-of-Study dataset.

ANOMALY ENGINE · NOTABLE SIGNALS

What the data flags at Occidental College

Short-arc shifts (recent 3-year window), peer outliers, earnings trend breaks, completion drops, enrollment cliffs, and debt-to-earnings warnings — surfaced deterministically from the federal record. Multi-decade shifts are reported separately in the Long Arc section, since 25-year tuition drift isn't really an anomaly.

LONG-ARC SHIFT · TRENDING WORSE+16%

In-state tuition

In-state tuition at Occidental College rose 16% between 2007 and 2010 ($35.4k → $40.9k).

LONG-ARC SHIFT · TRENDING BETTER-100%

3-year cohort default rate

3-year cohort default rate at Occidental College fell 100% between 2021 and 2024 (0.2% → 0.0%).

LONG-ARC SHIFT · TRENDING WORSE-15%

100%-time completion

100%-time completion at Occidental College fell 15% between 2021 and 2024 (79.4% → 67.8%).

LONG-ARC SHIFT · TRENDING WORSE+13%

Out-of-state tuition

Out-of-state tuition at Occidental College rose 13% between 2021 and 2024 ($58.4k → $66.3k).

SECTION 01 · OUTCOMES SNAPSHOT

The numbers, vs. California

Each tile compares this institution to the California median for the same metric. Sub-line shows the comparison value, not an interpretation. Sparklines trace the federally available history.

MEDIAN EARNINGS · 10Y
$75,951+45% · 6→10y
California median $42,588
MEDIAN EARNINGS · 6Y
$52,209
Treasury earnings · 6y post-entry
COMPLETION · 150%
85.1%+6% · '97→'24
California median 61.3%
MEDIAN FEDERAL DEBT
$19,000+9% · '97→'10
At program completion
UNDERGRAD ENROLLMENT
1,844+42% · '96→'10
latest IPEDS
RETENTION
87.2%+3% · '04→'10
first-time, full-time
ADMISSION RATE
39.9%-8% · '01→'24
latest cohort
IN-STATE TUITION
$63,446+72% · '00→'10
out-of-state $63,446
SECTION 02 · EARNINGS HORIZONS

How earnings spread, 4 to 10 years after entry

Treasury tax-record earnings for federally aided students who first enrolled at this institution. Each point is a horizon from the most-recent vintage. Single median per horizon (no p25/p75 publishing).

ALL FEDERALLY AIDED STUDENTS · TAX-RECORD EARNINGSVINTAGE 2025-05
Earnings widen with time post-entry. Selection: federal-aid recipients only — not all graduates.Methodology →
SECTION 03 · DEBT-TO-EARNINGS

What loans cost relative to earnings

Annual debt service as a share of median earnings 10 years after entry, computed under federal Direct loan terms (10-year fixed at 6%). The 8% line is the gainful-employment threshold from federal regulation; above 12% has historically been considered “failing” under prior rule cycles.

Institution-wide

3.3%
0%8% · GE20%+

Median federal debt $19,000 amortized over 10 years vs. median earnings $75,951 (10y after entry).

SECTION 04 · LONG ARC

Ten-plus year arc

Federally available history. Coverage varies by metric — IPEDS publishes some series only after 2009 and others only before.

UNDERGRAD · 199620102,073
2,0731,45619962010
Undergraduate enrollment.IPEDS EF
COMPLETION 150% · 1997202480.9%
88%73%19972024
150%-time completion rate.IPEDS GR
MEDIAN DEBT · 19972010$12,750
$14,500$10,34419972010
Median federal student debt at exit.SCORECARD
UNDERGRAD ENROLLMENT · 19962010+42%

Occidental College · undergrad enrollment rose

1,456 → 2,073

IN-STATE TUITION · 20002010+72%

Occidental College · in-state tuition rose

$23,828 → $40,939

OUT-OF-STATE TUITION · 20002024+178%

Occidental College · out-of-state tuition rose

$23,828 → $66,274

COHORT DEFAULT RATE · 20112024-100%

Occidental College · cohort default rate fell

2.3% → 0.0%

EARNINGS_MEDIAN_8YR · 20052020+33%

Occidental College · earnings_median_8yr rose

$48,300 → $64,002

SECTION 06 · BY CIP FAMILY

9 programs with earnings, grouped

Programs are grouped by 2-digit CIP family. Programs without reported earnings are hidden to keep the list focused.

FOREIGN LANGUAGES · CIP 16

BIOLOGICAL & BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES · CIP 26

PSYCHOLOGY · CIP 42

SOCIAL SCIENCES · CIP 45

VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS · CIP 50

NATURAL RESOURCES & CONSERVATION · CIP 03

CAUSAL DISCIPLINE

Occidental College graduates earn $X” — not “Occidental College makes you earn $X”

Median earnings describe what cohorts earned. They do not describe what attending Occidental College caused. Selection effects (who admits, who enrolls, who completes) are real. We publish federal data with strict descriptive phrasing — and link the methodology where you can read about the limitations directly.

Methodology →