Whittier College
A good fit for students who want accessible admissions and students who want small classes and close faculty access. no major red flags in the data. financial aid brings net price below sticker.
About This School
Whittier College is a private nonprofit institution located in Whittier, California with approximately 764 undergraduate students enrolled. Whittier College has an open or accessible admissions process, with an acceptance rate of 81%. The average net price after financial aid is $25,757 per year. The graduation rate is 60%, and the typical graduate earns $50,900 within 10 years of enrollment.
Whittier College is a private liberal arts college in Whittier, California, United States. Founded by Quakers in 1887, it is a federally-designated Hispanic-Serving Institution. As of fall 2025, it had 797 undergraduate and graduate students. Whittier athletic teams compete in NCAA Division III.
The numbers tell a mixed story here — a 53% freshman retention rate and 63% graduation rate suggest many students either leave or struggle to finish, which is a real concern worth pressing the school on before enrolling. On the upside, median debt at graduation is a manageable $18,125, and the small campus (under 900 students) offers genuine access to professors and a tight-knit community, particularly for Latino students given its Hispanic-Serving Institution status. Worth considering if you're drawn to a small liberal arts environment in Southern California and have a clear plan to stay engaged, but look carefully at why so many students don't make it to graduation day.
Popular Programs
Percentage of degrees awarded. Source: College Scorecard.
Notable Alumni
Source: Wikidata. Used for context only.
Admissions
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Cost & Financial Aid
Net Price by Family Income
Average annual cost after grants/scholarships, by household income. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Financial Aid
Full Cost
After Graduation
Earnings 6 Years After Enrollment, by Gender
Gap: 7% less for female graduates. National avg ~16%.
What Each Major Actually Earns
Median earnings four years after graduation, by major, next to the national median for that same major at every college. The school-wide average hides this: at most schools the spread between the best- and worst-paying majors is far wider than the gap between schools.
Whittier College graduates earn most above the national rate in Social Sciences, General ($64,736 vs $53,366 nationally), and most below it in Political Science and Government ($55,853 vs $63,293).
| Major | Grads | Here | National | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 64 | $73,792 | $68,257 | +$5,535 |
| Psychology, General | 36 | $58,397 | $50,706 | +$7,691 |
| Social Sciences, General | 34 | $64,736 | $53,366 | +$11,370 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 32 | $47,719 | $54,562 | −$6,843 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | 16 | $44,877 | $48,568 | −$3,691 |
| English Language and Literature, General | 14 | $55,536 | $48,590 | +$6,946 |
| Political Science and Government | 9 | $55,853 | $63,293 | −$7,440 |
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data. Median earnings of graduates working and not enrolled four years after completing a bachelor's degreehere. Majors with too few graduates to report are omitted for privacy, so this is not the school's full program list.
Will This School Pay Off?
Solid return. Earnings outpace debt, though major choice matters.
Earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. These are means across all graduates, not specific to any major.
Student Body
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (764 undergraduates).
Contact & Location
Official Links
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See How Colleges Compare
Whittier College is one of thousands of colleges in our data studies, each built from the same U.S. Department of Education data shown on this page. Compare schools head to head:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at Whittier College?
Whittier College has an acceptance rate of 81%, based on the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Education.
Is Whittier College hard to get into?
Not especially. Whittier College has an acceptance rate of 81%, so admissions are relatively accessible for applicants who meet the requirements.
How much does Whittier College cost?
The average net price at Whittier College is about $25,757 per year after grants and scholarships, based on federal data. Your actual cost depends on your family's finances and aid package.
What is the graduation rate at Whittier College?
Whittier College has a graduation rate of 60%, according to U.S. Department of Education data.
Sources & Methodology
Primary data source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Accessed via automated sync. Latest values may come from different reporting years depending on the metric.
School overview from Wikipedia. Used for context only, not as a primary data source for admissions, cost, or outcomes claims.
- Earnings figures are institution-level averages, not major-specific.
- Some metrics are based on Title IV financial aid recipients only.
- Some values may be privacy-suppressed or rolled up by the Department of Education.
- Contact the school directly for current admissions requirements and costs.
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