How to get into Occidental
What 59 admitted applicants actually had: their grades, test scores, activities, awards and intended majors, counted from 93 Occidental results that students posted for the 2018 to 2026 cycles. Every number below is counted, not estimated.
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Occidental admits by the numbers
Median unweighted GPA
3.92
Middle half 3.85 to 4.00
Median SAT
1,495
Middle half 1,453 to 1,545
Median ACT
34
Middle half 33 to 34
Median weighted GPA
4.40
Middle half 4.20 to 4.59
Results posted: 59 admitted, 14 rejected, 20 waitlisted. People who post results are a self-selected group, so this is not the Occidental acceptance rate; the official rate is in Occidental’s Common Data Set.
What Occidental admits did outside class
Share of admitted applicants listing at least one activity of each type.
- Nonprofit/Service71%
- Athletics47%
- Tutoring/Teaching44%
- Work/Job44%
- Debate/MUN/Speech41%
- Music37%
- Internship34%
- Journalism/Writing32%
Held a leadership role
85%
Founded something
46%
National or intl. award
73%
Did research
24%
Intended majors of Occidental admits
- Political Science19%
- Biology10%
- Psychology10%
- International Relations8%
- Computer Science7%
- Pre-med/Health7%
Who got in
Of the admitted posters, 10% first-generation, 17% low income, 31% underrepresented minority, 19% legacy, 2% recruited athlete and 7% international.
Three recent Occidental admits
2026 cycle · Economics
Football captain and student body president with an economics and politics focus.
GPA 3.90 UW · SAT 1550 · Original post
2026 cycle · RD · Philosophy
Founder-builder of a financial literacy app and nonprofit, plus quiz bowl captain and published research.
GPA 3.35 UW · SAT 1560 · Original post
2026 cycle · RD · Biology
Top-ranked student with a 1580 SAT and a self-designed community college research project, aiming for biochemistry.
GPA 4.00 UW · SAT 1580 · Original post
Where else Occidental admits got in
Occidental admissions questions
- What GPA do you need to get into Occidental?
- Among 59 applicants who posted a Occidental admission on r/collegeresults, the median unweighted GPA was 3.92 and the middle half reported 3.85 to 4.00 (46 reported a GPA). Occidental sets no minimum GPA; these are what admitted posters reported.
- What SAT score do you need for Occidental?
- Among 59 applicants who posted a Occidental admission on r/collegeresults, the median SAT was 1,495 and the middle half scored 1,453 to 1,545 (38 reported an SAT). The median ACT was 34.
- What extracurriculars do Occidental admits have?
- The most common activity types among admitted posters were nonprofit/service (71%), athletics (47%), tutoring/teaching (44%), work/job (44%). 85% held at least one leadership role and 73% listed a national or international award.
- What is the Occidental acceptance rate?
- The official rate is published by Occidental in its Common Data Set. These pages do not compute one: people who post results are a self-selected group, so the share of admits among them is far higher than the real rate.
Applying to Occidental?
A Specialist who got into a school like Occidental can read your student’s file against these numbers and say where it stands out and where it doesn’t.
Source: self-reported results posts on r/collegeresults, each linked from our Database, counted across the 2018 to 2026 cycles with transfer applicants excluded. Aristo Scholars is not affiliated with Occidental. All colleges