Oxy vs. BYU

Should I go to Occidental College or Brigham Young University Provo? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Oxy or BYU is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Occidental College vs. Brigham Young University Provo comparison
Occidental College Brigham Young University Provo College 3 College 4
Occidental College Brigham Young University Provo
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Overview

Oxy BYU
Location Los Angeles, CA Provo, UT
Setting Large City Midsize City
Enrollment 1,854 35,074
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #78 #125
Religious Affiliation - Latter Day Saints (Mormon Church) - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website oxy.edu byu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Oxy BYU
Tuition (In State) $62,850 $6,496
Tuition (Out of State) $62,850 $6,496
Room & Board $18,284 $9,720
Avg Net Price $47,113 $14,643
Avg Grant Aid $33,523 $6,284
% Receiving Grant Aid 78% 46%

Admission

Oxy BYU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 6,573 11,006
Admitted 2,622 7,615
Acceptance Rate 39.9% 69.2%
Enrolled % 20.3% 79.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 3.89
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 31/34 28/32
SAT Range 1360/1500 1290/1450
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 10, 2025 Dec 16, 2024

Academics

Oxy BYU
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 21:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (32%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Foreign Languages (6%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Education (10%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)

Outcomes

Oxy BYU
Graduation Rate 83% 78%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $56,600 $69,100
Making Student Loan Payments 87% 80%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,652 $11,000
Median Loan Payment $244 $113

Diversity

Oxy BYU
% Men 0% 4%
% Women 0% 4%
Racial Diversity Very High Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 49% 83%
% Black 5% 0%
% Hispanic 16% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 9% 4%
% International 6% 3%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

Oxy BYU
% In-State 36% 36%
% Out-of-State 56% 62%

Campus

Oxy BYU
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Brigham Young University Provo is larger than than Oxy based on total student enrollment (35,074 students vs. 1,854 students)

Oxy vs. BYU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Oxy or BYU?

  • Occidental College is 867.5% more expensive to attend than BYU for in-state tuition ($62,850.00 vs. $6,496.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 867.5% higher at Oxy than Brigham Young University Provo ($62,850.00 vs. $6,496.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Brigham Young University Provo than Oxy ($14,643 vs. $47,113)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Brigham Young University Provo are 88.1% lower than costs at Occidental College ($9,720 vs. $18,284)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Occidental College than Brigham Young University Provo (78% vs. 46%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Occidental College students is 433.5% larger than aid received Brigham Young University Provo ($33,523 vs. $6,284)

Oxy vs. BYU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Oxy or BYU? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between BYU or Oxy .

  • The average SAT score at Occidental College (1304) is 14 points higher than at BYU (1290)
  • Incoming Oxy students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (30) than students at BYU (29)
  • Accepted freshman BYU students have a 0.26 point higher average high school GPA (3.89) than students at Oxy (3.63)
  • BYU has a higher acceptance rate (69.2%) than Oxy (39.9%)

Oxy vs. BYU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Oxy or BYU? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between BYU and Oxy.

  • The graduation rate at Oxy is higher than Brigham Young University Provo (83% vs. 78%)
  • Graduates from Brigham Young University Provo earn on average $12,500 more per year than Oxy graduates after ten years. ($69,100 vs. $56,600)
  • Brigham Young University Provo students graduate with a $12,652 lower median federal student loan debt than Oxy graduates. ($11,000 vs. $23,652)
  • BYU graduates are paying $131 less per month on federal student loans than Oxy graduates. ($113 vs. $244)
  • More Oxy graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former BYU students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 80%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/