Whittier College (WC)

Los Angeles, USA

Recommended

Type of institution:

International college
College

Age range:17+

Type of training:

Full-time
Part-time
Hybrid
Online

Language of instruction:

english

Year of foundation:1887

About the Whittier College (WC)

Whittier College is a private liberal arts college founded in 1887 by Quakers as Whittier Academy (until 1901); today it is secular, though it keeps a tradition of social responsibility. It is a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution. The campus covers about 75 acres in a suburb of Los Angeles. Total enrollment is about 800–1,250 students, and the student-faculty ratio is 12:1; the college emphasizes small classes taught by full-time faculty. Distinctive features include the Whittier Scholars Program, where students design their own major with a faculty mentor, the Faculty House Program modeled on Oxford and Cambridge, the interdisciplinary Liberal Education Program and study abroad. Alumni include the 37th US president, Richard Nixon. The college's law school stopped operating in 2020. It is a member of the Oberlin Group and CLAC and is accredited by WSCUC. Teams compete in NCAA Division III (Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference).

Admission conditions in Whittier College (WC)

• Apply through the college's website or the Common App; applying for fall 2026 is free. Admission is rolling. • Testing policy: SAT/ACT are not required; • Documents: high school transcript with GPA, recommendation letters (required) and application; • Guaranteed admission for California community college students with at least 30 transferable units and a 2.9 GPA. • International applicants must show English proficiency and financial resources • Study format is on-campus (residential college); a master's in education is also offered.

Minimum rating for admission to Whittier College (WC)

There is no single minimum score. • Admitted students' SAT range (for those who submit scores) is about 1060–1200 (another source gives an average SAT of about 1240), ACT about 24–30. • Average high school GPA is about 3.5–3.9. • Acceptance rate is about 75–86% (2024: 80.8%; 2023: 85.4%, with 4,393 applications and 3,668 admitted), so admission is only lightly selective.

Prospects after completing studies in Whittier College (WC)

• First-year retention is about 83%, and the six-year graduation rate is 63–67%. • Median graduate earnings 10 years after enrollment are about $45,100–59,500 (figures differ); median debt is about $18,100–26,000. • Average net price after financial aid is about $22,000–29,900 per year. • The most in-demand profiles (by 2021 graduates) are Business Administration (62), Exercise Science and Kinesiology (52), Biology (40), Psychology (38), Social Sciences (29) and English (24). • Typical pay by field (aggregator data): business about $59,000 early career and about $112,000 mid-career; humanities about $50,000 and $93,500. • The college ranks 16th among liberal arts colleges in California for social mobility (US News). • For continued study, Whittier itself offers a master's in education (MA and teaching credential programs); the 3-2 Engineering Program with a partner university leads to an engineering degree. • The degree is American-style; regional accreditation ensures recognition in the US, and international recognition is via standard credential evaluation.