More selective than 42% of California colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $63,664. College Scorecard.
Higher than 47% of California colleges we cover and 62% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 40% of California colleges we cover and 68% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Whittier College acceptance rate & admissions
Of 2,797 applicants, Whittier College admitted 2,388 and 145 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Whittier College tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
State aid: California residents who meet income, asset and GPA standards may receive a Cal Grant (California Student Aid Commission); apply with the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application. Not included in the prices above. California Student Aid Commission
Whittier College majors, earnings & careers
Whittier College offers 31 bachelor's majors across 8 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 8
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 7
- Science & Math · 6
- Arts & Design · 4
- Business & Finance · 3
- Education · 1
- Engineering · 1
- Health & Medicine · 1
Highest-earning majors at Whittier College
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration | $73,792 | $25,000 |
| Social Sciences | $64,736 | $24,937 |
| Psychology | $58,397 | $25,000 |
| Political Science | $55,853 | — |
| English | $55,536 | $25,000 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $47,719 | $25,997 |
| Human Development and Family Studies | $44,877 | $25,750 |
Quick list of all 31 majors
- Anthropology—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology—
- Business Administration$73,792
- Chemistry—
- East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean)—
- Economics—
- Education—
- Engineering Physics—
- English$55,536
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- History—
- Human Development and Family Studies$44,877
- International / Global Studies—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$47,719
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Mathematics—
- Music—
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$55,853
- Psychology$58,397
- Religious Studies—
- Social Sciences$64,736
- Social Work—
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Environmental Science / Conservation → Environmental scientist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 6.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Los Angeles
Overall prices in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $2,964. Housing costs 70% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 13 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high); wildfire (very high); river flooding (very high); coastal flooding (relatively high); heat wave (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Los Angeles County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Los Angeles County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Whittier College with similar schools
Similar private colleges in California by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whittier College | 81% | $25,757 | 60% | $59,492 | This school |
| Woodbury University | 82% | $33,692 | 60% | $65,668 | |
| John Paul the Great Catholic University | 80% | $34,666 | 64% | $56,930 | |
| Otis College of Art and Design | 82% | $51,248 | 66% | $58,152 | |
| California College of the Arts | 91% | $53,909 | 61% | $49,414 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Whittier College would cost you $7,935 less per year than Woodbury University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Whittier College, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$4,294).
- Whittier College gives aided families $13,589 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, California resident | Whittier College | Woodbury University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $51,350 | $47,056 | +$4,294 |
| Books & supplies | $1,000 | $938 | +$62 |
| Housing & meals | $15,623 | $14,138 | +$1,485 |
| Personal & travel | $1,000 | $3,978 | −$2,978 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$5,309 | −$8,100 | +$2,791 |
| Sticker price | $63,664 | $58,010 | +$5,654 |
| Average grants | −$37,907 | −$24,318 | −$13,589 |
| You pay | $25,757 | $33,692 | −$7,935 |
“+” means Whittier College costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Whittier College
What is the Whittier College acceptance rate?
Whittier College accepts 81% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 2,388 of 2,797 applicants were admitted.
How much does Whittier College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $63,664 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $25,757 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $21,718 and families earning $110k+ pay $30,599.
How much do Whittier College graduates earn?
Former Whittier College students earn a median $59,492 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Whittier College graduation rate?
60% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 66% return for their second year.
Is Whittier College the right fit for your family?
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Whittier College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/whittier-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).