UCI vs. Oxy

Should I go to University of California Irvine or Occidental College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UCI or Oxy 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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University of California Irvine vs. Occidental College comparison
University of California Irvine Occidental College College 3 College 4
University of California Irvine Occidental College
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Overview

 UCI Oxy
Location Irvine, CA Los Angeles, CA
Setting Rural Fringe Large City
Enrollment 36,582 1,854
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #93 #78
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uci.edu oxy.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UCI Oxy
Tuition (In State) $11,834 $62,850
Tuition (Out of State) $42,611 $62,850
Room & Board $18,423 $18,284
Avg Net Price $14,647 $47,113
Avg Grant Aid $21,533 $33,523
% Receiving Grant Aid 65% 78%

Admission

 UCI Oxy
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 121,101 6,573
Admitted 30,962 2,622
Acceptance Rate 25.6% 39.9%
Enrolled % 21.9% 20.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.75 3.63
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Very High Exceptional
Applicant Competition High Low
ACT Range 26/33 31/34
SAT Range 1230/1430 1360/1500
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2025 Jan 10, 2026

Academics

 UCI Oxy
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (23%)
  • Biology (16%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Social Sciences (32%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Foreign Languages (6%)

Outcomes

 UCI Oxy
Graduation Rate 85% 83%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $61,800 $56,600
Making Student Loan Payments 76% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $17,000 $23,652
Median Loan Payment $175 $244

Diversity

 UCI Oxy
% Men 10% 0%
% Women 10% 0%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 15% 49%
% Black 2% 5%
% Hispanic 25% 16%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 9%
% International 16% 6%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

 UCI Oxy
% In-State 77% 36%
% Out-of-State 8% 56%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Irvine is larger than than Oxy based on total student enrollment (36,582 students vs. 1,854 students)

UCI vs. Oxy Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCI or Oxy?

  • Occidental College is 431.1% more expensive to attend than UCI for in-state tuition ($62,850.00 vs. $11,834.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 47.5% higher at Oxy than University of California Irvine ($62,850.00 vs. $42,611.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Irvine than Oxy ($14,647 vs. $47,113)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Occidental College are 0.8% lower than costs at University of California Irvine ($18,284 vs. $18,423)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Occidental College than University of California Irvine (78% vs. 65%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Occidental College students is 55.7% larger than aid received University of California Irvine ($33,523 vs. $21,533)

UCI vs. Oxy Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Occidental College (1304) is 129 points higher than at UCI (1175)
  • Incoming Oxy students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (30) than students at UCI (27)
  • Accepted freshman UCI students have a 0.12 point higher average high school GPA (3.75) than students at Oxy (3.63)
  • Oxy has a higher acceptance rate (39.9%) than UCI (25.6%)

UCI vs. Oxy Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at UCI is higher than Occidental College (85% vs. 83%)
  • Graduates from University of California Irvine earn on average $5,200 more per year than Oxy graduates after ten years. ($61,800 vs. $56,600)
  • University of California Irvine students graduate with a $6,652 lower median federal student loan debt than Oxy graduates. ($17,000 vs. $23,652)
  • UCI graduates are paying $69 less per month on federal student loans than Oxy graduates. ($175 vs. $244)
  • More Oxy graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCI students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 76%)

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