Oxy vs. SCU

Should I go to Occidental College or Santa Clara University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Oxy or SCU 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. Santa Clara University comparison
Occidental College Santa Clara University College 3 College 4
Occidental College Santa Clara University
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Overview

Oxy SCU
Location Los Angeles, CA Santa Clara, CA
Setting Large City Midsize City
Enrollment 1,942 9,178
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #72 #62
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website oxy.edu scu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Oxy SCU
Tuition (In State) $59,970 $56,880
Tuition (Out of State) $59,970 $56,880
Room & Board $17,330 $17,112
Avg Net Price $44,853 $50,551
Avg Grant Aid $33,025 $25,295
% Receiving Grant Aid 76% 72%

Admission

Oxy SCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 6,305 16,650
Admitted 2,484 8,677
Acceptance Rate 39.4% 52.1%
Enrolled % 21.4% 18.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 3.67
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Exceptional Exceptional
Applicant Competition High Low
ACT Range 31/34 29/33
SAT Range 1370/1510 1290/1480
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 Jan 7, 2025

Academics

Oxy SCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (32%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Foreign Languages (6%)
  • Business (33%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Psychology (6%)

Outcomes

Oxy SCU
Graduation Rate 83% 85%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $56,600 $81,900
Making Student Loan Payments 87% 84%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,652 $21,500
Median Loan Payment $244 $222

Diversity

Oxy SCU
% Men 41% 50%
% Women 59% 50%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 49% 49%
% Black 5% 3%
% Hispanic 16% 17%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 9% 7%
% International 6% 3%
% Unknown Race 2% 4%

Students

Oxy SCU
% In-State 34% 50%
% Out-of-State 61% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Santa Clara University is larger than than Oxy based on total student enrollment (9,178 students vs. 1,942 students)

Oxy vs. SCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Oxy or SCU?

  • Occidental College is 5.4% more expensive to attend than SCU for in-state tuition ($59,970.00 vs. $56,880.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 5.4% higher at Oxy than Santa Clara University ($59,970.00 vs. $56,880.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Occidental College than SCU ($44,853 vs. $50,551)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Santa Clara University are 1.3% lower than costs at Occidental College ($17,112 vs. $17,330)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Occidental College than Santa Clara University (76% vs. 72%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Occidental College students is 30.6% larger than aid received Santa Clara University ($33,025 vs. $25,295)

Oxy vs. SCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Santa Clara University (1313) is 9 points higher than at Oxy (1304)
  • Incoming Oxy students have at the same average ACT score (30) as students at SCU (30)
  • Accepted freshman SCU students have a 0.04 point higher average high school GPA (3.67) than students at Oxy (3.63)
  • SCU has a higher acceptance rate (52.1%) than Oxy (39.4%)

Oxy vs. SCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Oxy or SCU? 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 SCU and Oxy.

  • The graduation rate at SCU is higher than Occidental College (85% vs. 83%)
  • Graduates from Santa Clara University earn on average $25,300 more per year than Oxy graduates after ten years. ($81,900 vs. $56,600)
  • Santa Clara University students graduate with a $2,152 lower median federal student loan debt than Oxy graduates. ($21,500 vs. $23,652)
  • SCU graduates are paying $22 less per month on federal student loans than Oxy graduates. ($222 vs. $244)
  • More Oxy graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SCU students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 84%)

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