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Whittier College
Whittier, CA
Whittier College is a private liberal arts college located in Whittier, California. Founded in 1887, it has a rich history and a strong emphasis on providing students with a well-rounded education. The college offers a wide range of majors and programs, with an average class size of 14 students, ensuring personalized attention and meaningful interactions with faculty. Whittier College is known for its strong commitment to diversity and inclusivity, and its vibrant campus community fosters intellectual curiosity, personal growth, and civic engagement.
The academic programs at Whittier College are designed to prepare students for success in a rapidly changing world. The college offers more than 30 majors and 30 minors, ranging from the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences to business, education, and the arts. Students are encouraged to explore their passions and develop critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills through engaging classroom experiences, independent research, internships, and study abroad opportunities.
In addition to its rigorous academic curriculum, Whittier College offers a rich campus life experience. With over 60 student clubs and organizations, students have endless opportunities to pursue their interests and make lasting connections with peers. The college also has a strong focus on community engagement and provides various community service and leadership opportunities. Nestled in the scenic San Gabriel Valley, Whittier College offers a picturesque campus with a close-knit community where students can thrive academically, socially, and personally.
Located in Whittier, CA and set in a suburban environment, Whittier College is a private comprehensive higher education institution. This academic institution uses a semester-based calendar. It has an acceptance rate of 85%. The freshman retention rate at Whittier College is 52.4% and the six-year graduation rate is 63%.
To find out more about what Whittier College has to offer to its students, read on for the latest data reported by this school.
Quick Facts
813
Total Number of Undergraduate Students
85%
Acceptance Rate
$50,410
Tuition
10:1
Student to Faculty Ratio
63%
Graduation Rate
Admissions
If you learn as much as possible about the school's criteria for admission, your chances of getting accepted will greatly increase. Discover some essential information about admission policy and requirements at Whittier College.
In 2024, the school accepted 2,362 new students. Whittier College has an official test-optional admission policy but takes into consideration standardized test scores for the applicants who choose to submit them.
Test Scores
7% of first-time, first-year degree-seeking students submitted their SAT scores for admission, and 2% submitted ACT scores, out of the overall number of those who submitted test scores. 10% of the enrolled students submitted SAT composite scores between 1,400 and 1,600, 50% between 1,200 and 1,399, 20% between 1,000 and 1,199, and 20% between 800 and 999. The percent of first-year students who submitted ACT Composite scores in the range between 30-36 was 25, 41.67 between 24-29 and 100 in the range between 18-23.
The average ACT score for all the accepted students in 2024 was 25 and the average GPA was 3.48. That means that you need a GPA that's above average in order to get into Whittier College; the same goes for your ACT score.
The SAT Critical Reading average score was 603 for the newly enrolled students, while the average SAT Math score was 621.
Retention Rate
The freshman retention rate is defined as the percentage of first-year students who return for their sophomore year at a college or university. Why is that information important? Because it tells you if the majority of freshmen enjoyed their first year at a school enough to come back.
The freshman retention rate for Whittier College was 52.4% in 2024.
The graduation rate is another indicator to take into account. It reflects the proportion of students who obtain their degrees within the expected timeframe. The six-year completion rate at this institution is 63%, which is considered an above-average graduation rate.
Student Body
Making the choice of which school is the optimal fit for you is not easy. You can have a better understanding of the school's culture and way of life by learning more about the student body.
Main Student Body
The overall number of students enrolled at Whittier College in 2024 was 859.
The school reported an out-of-state student body portion of 19.4% for that year. There was a total of 813 those pursuing undergraduate studies, including 94 international students. The school admitted a total of 80 transfer students.
Student Population Gender Ratio
The student body is coeducational, with 326 male and 480 female full-time students in 2024. 6 full-time graduate men and 17 full-time graduate women attended this school.
Student Population Diversity
Higher Education is dedicated to increasing student diversity and enhancing students' feelings of inclusion and belonging. Diversity promotes critical thinking, challenges preconceived notions, and encourages intellectual growth, so it helps students develop empathy and a broader understanding of the world. Find out more about different ethnic groups you can meet at Whittier College.
In 2024, out of the total number of students enrolled at the institution, the number of Asian students was 43, while the number of Black American students was 30. 398 undergrads at this school declared as Hispanic/Latino and 56 identified with more than one race. There were also 4 students whose ethnicity is unknown.
Cost
Before you submit an application to any college or university, you should take into account the financial component. The latest information on the expenses that most students at this school incur are detailed below.
Tuition and Fees
Here are some numbers that can help you better understand the estimated tuition price for this university.
In 2024, tuition amounted to $50,410 for all full-time domestic students. Whittier College is a private institution, so tuition is the same for all the accepted students. Full-time students in 2024 needed to pay additional fees in the amount of $940.
Books and Supplies
Another important financial factor to take into consideration is the approximate cost of books and supplies for a college or university. The cost of books and supplies for full-time students of this school is estimated at about $1,000.
Boarding
When choosing a college, you should factor in the price of a dorm room and meals at the school cafeteria. How much do room and board fees average around at schools?
At Whittier College, the 2024 annual cost of room and board (on campus) was $15,272. If you only wanted a room on the campus, it cost $8,380 for the 2024 academic year.
| Tuition | $ 50,410 |
| Room and Board | $ 15,272 |
| Book and Supplies | $ 1,000 |
| Total Expense | $ 66,682 |
Financial Aid
Financial aid for students comes in different forms: grants, loans, scholarships, or work-study programs. If you want to find out more about need-based and non-need-based aid at Whittier College, here are some recent data you should take into consideration.
According to the most recent data, 99 freshmen were awarded financial aid. The average amount of financial aid given to students was $41,357.
Need-based
Need-based financial aid is exactly what it sounds like — it’s awarded based on the determined financial need.
There were 424 students who acquired need-based financial aid of any kind. Need-based college-administered scholarship and grant aid at Whittier College is available to international students. The overall number of students (including freshmen) who were determined to have financial need was estimated to be 506. The amount of federal need-based scholarships/grants awarded to the students at this institution summed up to $16,754,979, and state $11,807,961. The students of Whittier College received the -institutional need-based aid in the amount of $28,050,300, and external in the amount of $4,565,060.
$27,794
Average Amount of Aid Received
Non-Need Based
Any financial aid given to a student who does not meet the requirements for need-based aid is considered non-need-based aid. The most popular forms of non-need-based financial aid for students are loans and grants, like Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, Graduate PLUS Loans, Parent PLUS Loans, and the Teacher Education Access for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant.
Institutional non-need-based scholarships or grants were given to 60 students overall (including freshmen) at Whittier College in 2024. Institutional grants or scholarships that are not based on financial need were given to 14 full-time freshman. The total amount of institutional scholarships and awards that were not based on financial need was $20,543,425. This includes endowment, alumni, other institutional awards, and also external funds awarded by the institution, but doesn't include athletic aid and tuition waivers. $2,315,416 was the amount that the students at this institution got from external sources (like Kiwanis and National Merit).
Majors
Faculty
10:1
Student to Faculty Ratio
The student-to-faculty ratio can tell you a lot about the teaching resources a school provides for its students.
According to the most recent data, the student-faculty ratio at Whittier College was 10:1: that means 10 students per one teacher, which is considered a good ratio. This school has recently reported to have 130 faculty members. This number included 72 male and 67 female faculty members.
Student Population Diversity Graph
Campus Life
It is not all about learning and grades at Whittier College: campus life is a crucial component of your educational experience. Check out some information about social life at Whittier College.
Its campus is 95 acres in size.
Student Organizations
Joining multiple student organizations can provide you a more interesting and dynamic experience.
This school has 55 open-membership student organizations you can participate in. The percentage of male students who are members of organizations is 0.1 and female students 0.3. The student organization that attracts the greatest number of students is Kinesiology & Nutrition Science Club (KNS), followed by Athenian Society and Sustainability Club. Other popular student organizations at this school are Associated Students of Whittier College (ASWC) and Poet eSports.
If drama is your thing, there is a club dedicated to acting that you can join. You have a talent for media and communication? Whittier College publishes its own newspaper and has its own radio station.
Student Services
At Whittier College, there are many amenities that make life on campus comfortable and safe.
There are 24-hour emergency phone and alarm devices. The dormitory entrances are electronically operated. There is a 24-hour security patrol. The transport/escort service operates during late hours.
There is a health clinic with personal/psychological counseling. In addition, other services like Veteran's Affairs are available to the students of Whittier College.
All in all, campus life at Whittier College is rich and vibrant and provides all you need for a comfortable stay.
Career Services
Having career services at a college or university can mean a great deal for your career planning, so find out what you can expect at Whittier College.
Career Counselling
At Whittier College, there is both group career counseling for all students and individual career counseling for all students. There are a library, a job bank, and job fairs. Job interviews are also available to students through the career center. There is campus employer recruitment for all the students. This school offers alumni networking opportunities, which could be highly beneficial for your future career. Individual job placement is available to all students at this school.
FAQ
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Whittier College is located in Whittier, CA.
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Whittier College offers need-based college-administered scholarship and grant aid to international students.
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The overall full-time tuition per academic year for Whittier College is 50,410 USD, based on the most recent data.
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This school has an official test-optional admission policy but makes use of SAT, SAT Subject Tests, ACT, or other standardized test scores in admission decisions for the candidates who choose to submit them.
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The most recent data indicate that the acceptance rate for Whittier College is 85%.
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The most recent reported freshman retention rate for Whittier College is 52.4%.
Contact Information
Whittier College,
13406 East Philadelphia Street
Whittier, CA
90608-0634
562 907-4238
Data Source: IPEDS and Peterson's Databases © 2023 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved. Portions of this content were co-written with OpenAI's GPT-3.5 model.
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Data Source: IPEDS and Peterson's Databases © 2023 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved.
Portions of this content were co-written with OpenAI's GPT-3.5 model.