My second time here at Occidental College. This time it was for my niece's high school graduation... Class of 2025. Street parking nearby this college was all taken up so I had to park a bit further which wasn't too bad actually. It still took me about 10 mins to walk in. This time around I took a short cut by walking through the campus than walking around the campus like last time to get to the amphitheater where the graduation took place. By doing so, I got a chance to see a bit more of the campus. It's quite serene and quiet. This college was built on a hill for sure. Lots of uphill. If there's uphill, then there is downhill. It all balances out. I don't know if I'll be returning to this college any time soon since both my younger brother's kids have graduated from high school. Nevertheless, I was able to capture some new photos from my recent visit. Enjoy them! I am very proud of my niece for her accomplishments. I wish her all the very best in her next chapters in life. Go have more fun adventures! read more

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The Moore Lab of Zoology at Occidental College is absolutely breathtaking. I had the chance to visit the lab with my ornithology class, and they have a wide collection of different species of birds ranging from hummingbirds to a harpy eagle. Wish we stayed longer, but it was a very fun experience. read more

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Occidental College (est 1887) is a private liberal arts college in Northeast LA. It is considered one of the best liberal arts college in the country. Their campus is nestled in a beautiful residential neighborhood of Eagle Rock-Highland Park Los Angeles. They have beautiful indoor and outdoor spaces that have served as a backdrop to weddings, birthday parties, reunions, company dinners, and many other celebrations. Today, I visited the campus doing a self-guided walk tour and I got to see a wedding that's being set up in their memorial chapel. OC's campus grounds were impressive for a midsize liberal arts college. I like them architecture of their academic buildings and student center. And what's great about this campus was it has plenty of trees throughout, thus, plenty of shades. Overall, I enjoyed visiting OXY's campus. I recommend you visit during the weekend where there are no human traffic. read more

Occidental College - Welcome to Occidental College. #NorthEastLA #HP #EagleRock - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Came here for my niece's graduation. Hillside Theater is an intimate place to honor and recognize the graduates for all of their hard work, gathering of lasting memories, etc. read more

Occidental College - 2024 Graduation Ceremony - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Los Angeles, California

The spring behind-the-scenes free tour of the Moore Lab of Zoology was a nice intro to local bird research, though they do also have some small mammal specimens. Very informative, interesting, and impressive, though perhaps not quite bucket-list material unless you are into ornithology or already an avid birder. Lot parking was free on the weekend. read more

I'm basing my review on a conference and a college tour of the campus geared to those who attended the conference. Oxy is a cute liberal arts college in a college town neighborhood of Glendale. I love the 1910's architecture. It's like the Huntington if it were a college campus. The facilities for the conference were very nice and well kept. We were mostly in Choi Hall that has eastern Asian architecture. Bathrooms were tricky to find, but once you could navigate Johnson Hall, you can figure it out. The food was catered by the school. We had pastries for breakfast with some really tasty tea. For lunch we had a taco bar which was very scrumptious that I had to go in for seconds! Catering is awesome! The tour was well paced. We didn't feel rushed. I did like seeing obama's dorm hall. The library looked pretty cozy. It's a small campus and easily walkable. I wasn't coming in as a prospective student but rather just a curious visitor who wanted to learn more about this hidden gem! Jewel was our guide and they did an awesome job talking about campus facts and trivia! read more

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This campus is perfect for either walking the campus itself or walking the trails that exist around it...very picturesque and architecturally beautiful... gorgeous campus and relatively quiet and calming place to unwind... check out the Cafe next to the commissary and grab a drink after your walk ... but shhhhhhh.... People are studying here... the future Obama's of tomorrow... and Obamettes! read more

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This is a review of the Occidental College IT department. I work at Oxy, and everything IT does makes my job harder. "For security", I have to log into my computer many times throughout the day. Also "for security", I have to do two-factor authentication every time I need to work at a different computer, individually for multiple different applications, and frequently at my own computer where I've used whatever application literally thousands of times. Yes, my computer is most secure if even I can't use it, but this is unacceptable. The printer closest to my office is at least 24 years old, it rarely works, I've been requesting a new one for about 14 years, and I'm always ignored. Oxy lets "certificates" expire, so that I can't access files from home. The Registrar's Office often can't do a thing one requests, because their software doesn't work and no one will fix it. This last one might be some other department's fault, but it does have to do with computers: Oxy just switched from the Learning Management System Moodle, which was clunky but worked, to Canvas, which takes FAR more time to work with. Maybe it's cheaper? Don't know, no one will explain this decision. read more

My family member just graduated Oxy. She is one of the most brilliant people I know. I bet when she's a successful tv writer Oxy will be claiming her as an alumn. But sadly, oxy's inability to show up for my family member's mobility accommodations for the past 2 years have been awful. They have done nothing but show that they are not special or responsive in their accommodations towards people with access needs. Their "accessibility department" is a joke. And they keep it that way so that no one with mobility access needs sticks around, because they would hate to have to ACTUALLY do something. They're not going to change until someone with a lawyer parent comes in and sues them. Oxy's administration is abhorrent in regards to ACTUAL social justice, despite the fact that they LOVE to claim Obama as a star alumn and signal their alignment with him in their commencements. I hope that someone sues them for their costly oversight, vertical signaling and alarming discriminatory practices. They told my family member, "a wheelchair user dropped out because they could not access our campus...make sure you really think about that", in one of their initial interviews. Despicable. Our family has watched in horror as this "progressive" institution has discriminated against our family member. If you have mobility access needs, please enjoy this incredible campus that is a magnet for absolutely beautiful, gifted and loving minds, but come with a lawyer. read more

I've been living near campus for over a year now, and the facilities look gorgeous and it's seemed super safe up until a few weeks ago. There's clearly a trailer selling meth on campus and no one will do anything about it. It's gotten to a point where the deals go on in the middle of the night and there is screaming and arguing. Noxious gases coming from the trailer. Incredibly unsafe. We've tried contacting the police and the campus security and no one has helped or even shown up to check it out. Unfortunately, it's turned this little area into a shady neighborhood, and I'd caution kids from coming here until security starts taking the safety of its students more seriously. read more

Where do I begin. First, this is a review for the Child Development Center at Occidental College, a preschool for ages 2-5 on the edge of the campus. Our child started in the first year offered for our child's age group during the pandemic, a time that was fraught with unique challenges affecting all aspects of education. In spite of this, our first year in the "Hungry Caterpillars" (age 2-3) was a very good year. The staff was educated in child development, practiced this very well, and there was outreach from the administration to educate parents on child development. A lot of wonderful families from both the campus and the nearby community attended this school and were part of the good experiences that we had there. (Which is why my rating is two stars rather than one). At the end of our child's first year, a few staff members raised red flags on our child's speech development. Concerned, we did our due diligence and took our child to two different speech assessments - one with a provider on our insurance, the other not - and went to great time and expense to have our child evaluated. It appeared our child was somewhat behind, but they and our pediatrician felt our child would catch up and was not very behind. We decided to begin speech therapy, and after two months with a wonderful accredited therapist at an esteemed local speech therapy school, our child was developing as normal. The therapist decided to end our sessions as she believed it was no longer necessary, effectively "graduating" our child. After this graduation, the summer program began. In this program more of the ages are combined into the main yard and it's not as structured of a schedule. We saw our child get a bit lost in the crowd and not receive the same attention as before. In spite of our efforts, the "Busy Bees" teachers of our child's new class (age 3-4) along with the admin, decided that our child was NOT improving enough and disagreed with our speech therapist and pediatrician. Rather, they raised more red flags about our child's challenges with following instructions (eg. sitting in the circle for reading or sharing, staying still for quiet time etc...) and went so far as to the edge of arm chair diagnosing him with autism and claimed they didn't have the capability to accommodate our child. This was delivered with all of the smugness and none of the backing of actual education. Being an admin doesn't suddenly bestow one with a pediatric psychiatry PhD. After a very terse meeting with an underlying note of bullying, we agreed it was best for us to leave the program and find another school. Regardless of our child's developmental issues, our child's behaviors were not excessively disruptive. My sister is a master kindergarten teacher of two decades and has had ACTUALLY DIAGNOSED autistic children who are extremely violent and disruptive with a high level of need; our child's behavior was no where near that. Here's where I think the program went wrong: - OXY CDC is NOT inclusive and openly discriminates against children that may (or may not) have learning disabilities or cognitive differences. - OXY CDC admin inappropriately diagnosed or raised the red flag on developmentally NORMAL delays, or when they could still fall in the range of normal. - The MASK MANDATE was an extreme set back for our child's development. Of course there are no formal studies to back this, but anecdotally we believe this was the main reason for our child's delay at the time. I was not opposed to mask wearing, but I think this major social change needed to factor into any red flags raised. - The administration created an atmosphere of fear among many of the families about all of the day to day rules and any and all perceived behavior issues. Many passive aggressive emails regarding various anonymous "offenders" of these inflexible rules were sent frequently and created unnecessary stress among many families. Neurodiversity is here to stay as a concept and a term for inclusiveness. Children go through many stages of development and different aspects of their development are on different timelines. Our experience was gut wrenching and stressful as we felt stigmatized as parents of a potentially neurodiverse child, meanwhile having to scramble for another childcare option just before the fall session. The good news is we are at a much better school for our child, and this is the biggest win from this loss. Although we felt a great loss in the day to day connection with other families and children, we regained that at the new school. Additionally, our new preschool teachers were baffled by the red flags and didn't agree with the OXY CDC assertions over the course of the following year. Our child is growing well, with lots of joy, speech development, and incredible social and emotional development as this new school, so in the end OXY CDC truly was not a good fit for our child. My advice, tread with caution and read up on emotional regulation! read more

Gorgeous campus. Lots of history here, this is actually where President Obama attended college and not to mention where I graduated HS. There's some trivia for ya. As far as the professors and courses go, I can't comment on that since I never attended Oxy but I do love to come here to exercise with my sister on occasion. Beautifully landscaped, views of the city and so peaceful with the church bells ringing throughout the campus. It's easy to see why so many ppl come here to enjoy the scenery. Try the stairs if you're looking for the ultimate glute workout lol. read more

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Really pretty campus but the area around it is starting to become an RV park, people dumping trash etc.

I can't even express in words adequately how incredible my four years at Oxy were. I made lifelong friendships, including with many of my former professors. The atmosphere fostered an already deep intrinsic love of learning and broadened my perspective on so many topics that I felt confident I could join the "real world" after graduation and be able to deal with any situation thrown my way. The fact that I was an Oxy alum secured my first post-college job. I can't recommend this school highly enough to prospective students. read more

What a diamond in a rough campus. I mean gorgeous layout, spacious, tranquil yet lively. Spectacular architecture, fantastic ambience and full of eccentric attractive success-driven students. Iv never attended the school but because of its beauty, the cafeteria and central courtyard has become an exciting venue for numerous weddings and events that I have had the luck and pleasure of working in. From a quick skim I learned of the rich history this college developed from. I'm surprised at the low amount of yelp reviews, in fact I believe this college is extremely underrated! Truly remarkable experience with the campus and staff. read more

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Oxy provides quality education. Occidental College is committed to diversity. Programs include Oxy Abroad and DWI and so many career prep courses and preparation for graduate school. A top liberal arts college. read more

Beautiful campus, friendly students, good accommodations. I ate some pizza brought onto campus and it was awesome. I didn't get to try the campus food but I hear it's really good. read more

Went for a field trip with my AVID class. Clean campus with polite staff. Went to the gift shop and both employees working were kind and friendly! Had a delicious chicken quesadilla from the cafeteria for about 6$. Lots of squirrels lol! Have fun! read more

Every theater performance that I have been to has been exceptional. You can't go wrong for a 20 dollar ticket to watch a wonderful show in a lovely theater. read more

Occidental College - Watching my good friend perform at Oxy! - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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I give this place ZERO stars! We enrolled my son in a summer camp program & paid in full. Unfortunately, there was an emergency & I ended up in hospital for over a month. I felt fortunate that we had enrolled him early on, so I never thought we'd have a problem canceling his enrollment for that year & enrolling him into the fallowing year instead. I called, explained the situation & all was well. Every now & again we'd get little letters saying "please join us for an alumni meeting", & "we enjoyed having Vincent attend ... program". After receiving a few of these, I thought maybe I better get in touch with someone to find out what's going on. B'cuz to me it's starting to sound like they think he's already attended his program. Sure enough, these people couldn't even figure out that a child WHO WAS NOT PHYSICALLY THERE, didn't actually attend. I gave them everything they asked for. I gave them EVERY medical record they needed (no matter how personal it was too me). I gave them ALL the proof they asked for. Needless to say, my son NEVER got to attend his program (that was PAID IN FULL) & we NEVER GOT A DIME RETURNED TO US! So, NO! I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE!! They stole over $2,400 of our hard earned money that we had saved for our son's education & my son never even stepped foot on this campus. read more

No I never attended the school, but live in the area. Its a great place to jog, walk, study, and even meditate/pray (at the Interfaith Center). I've taken my toddler son here for walks, and even done some work at the library (free internet). Unlike other LA schools like USC where I graduated and UCLA, where I used to live nearby, there is always parking in the Eagle Rock neighborhood making the school very accessible and friendly. If you are looking to be a student I can't offer much advice, but the campus is sure nice. read more

My son was told by the swim coach that he would be admitted. My son communicated with Coach Webb for months and he told my son that he "was good to go" and that he will be "admitted". My son just received a letter from admissions stating he was declined for admission. At Coach Webbs encouragement my son applied Early Decision and now he has missed all college application deadlines. Here is a kid that worked so hard in and out of the pool now has no place to go on the fall. I have emailed many people within Occidental and I am not recieving and response. I wish the coach would have never said he would be admitted and maybe he could have applied somewhere. read more

Nestled in a more residential part of Los Angeles is a great liberal arts college where scholars can get a great education from diverse classes, but also be close enough to the entertainment capitol of the world. If you're looking for a school where the class size is small and you can interact with professors this is a great option. Check it out! read more

It's been a long time since I graduated and I wanted to finally leave one of many reviews for Occidental. I first started attending Occidental in 2006 after a vacation in LA. My dad and I went down to two or colleges. Occidental was on the list along with UCLA, USC, Pepperdine, and a couple other smaller schools. This vacation definitely changed my life! I tried to consider not just the name recognition or the notoriety of the school, but what I thought they could do for me. That was one of the biggest factors and how I wanted to choose a college. UCLA was without a doubt the biggest and most prestigious school I went to along with Pepperdine. I liked both of those schools, the college campus, the clubs, and the housing, but what I didn't like was the fact that I felt like a number rather than a person. When I got to Occidental a review Cordinator walked me around and showed me the campus. We discussed classes, class link, athletic programs, and why Occidental was different than other schools. Obviously I'm writing a review now and I attended and graduated from Occidental in 2011. I don't know if Occidental is right for you or not, but I would definitely suggest at least checking it out and giving it a fair shot. That's what I did and it changed my mind! read more

Went here. Lived here. Learned here. Met people here. Played some rugby here. Experienced here. Left here. Came back here. Left here again. Came back again. Each time, Occidental holds itself amongst the most beautiful places I've been filled with provocative people on the cusp of pushing limits and boundaries of our society at large. Very good decision for me to make this school my "home" for so many years. All within the confines of "traditional" working class Los Angeles neighborhoods like Eagle Rock and Highland Park, which grounds the campus in a reality many other academic settings cannot recreate. read more

I didn't attend this school but I visited quite often and I loved it. -Lots of women (the female to male ratio is out of control) -Lots of social events -Nice people -Co-Ed Dorms Mix that all together and you got yourself and good visit. read more

Most people won't know what this school is, so you shouldn't come here if you want a name brand school. Professors in the humanities departments are generally good. Political diversity isn't great at this school, the student body, professors, and administrators are overwhelmingly leftwing, so there aren't many opportunities to voice your opinions or attend events without at least getting verbally heckled. The res ed department is difficult to deal with; I would get a single if you don't like the idea of having roommates. It's expensive, but better than dealing with res ed. School needs to better maintain the dorms; not all of them have AC, for heaven's sake! It literally smells like a tire yard during the summer and early fall; I would fight to get into berkus for this reason plus it's also the prettiest of the dorms. The library also looks pretty rundown in certain areas. Eagle rock is scary to walk around; I would go to south Pasadena if you want to be safe. Overall, solid school but can and needs to do better. read more

I love almost everything about the campus of Occidental College- the grounds, the concert venues, the professors, the student body and the progressive vibe this institution imbues Eagle Rock/ Highland Park with. * Nice hillside trails that lead up to Mt. Fuji * Best pool east of the river. You can buy a community membership for use of their facilities. *Great Arts and lecture series *Great Bookstore for when you want to see what the "kids" are reading today on topics of global warming, sexual politics and econ theory. read more

I received my bachelor of arts (technically, it's an AB or Artium Baccalaureus) in American Studies - with an informal lesbian and gay studies emphasis - from Oxy in the 1980s. It was a great school then and even better now. I met many of my closest friends while at Oxy. Oxy is a small community and that fact is its strength and curse. The great part is that you know everyone and the worst part is that you know everyone. It is a beautiful campus tucked away in Eagle Rock in the heart of one of the most vibrant urban regions in the United States. Disney Hall and the Music Center are nearby, as are the Rosebowl, Old Towne Pasadena and other LA landmarks. If you are looking for research opportunities, professors who are concerned about your studies and being part of a close-knit community, Oxy is for you. read more

I had my wedding here, using the dining hall and the chapel. Each came with its own coordinator. Both Monica and Erica were a gem, always prompt with communication, and super helpful. There are certain constraints due to this being a school (for example, I couldn't bring the decor and liquor until Wednesday before the wedding), but the location was lovely, very photogenic, and everyone was top notch and professional. I'm a professional piano teacher, so the acoustics of the chapel were important to me. The chapel had amazing acoustics and hearing live music played there by my friends echo throughout the room was magical. No sound system required. The buffet food got raves, even though Occidental's pricing was the cheapest per head we found during wedding planning for an event the size of ours. read more

Oxy's standings in all the national ratings is jumping up (now it's within the 30s- best). Barack did go here before he decided to put the pipe down and study for real at Columbia. The academics kick everyone's ass, but I guess it's character-building. Hopefully it pays off. Food's better than most other colleges or universities, public or private. Great landscaping on lower campus (upper campus is rarely seen by those who shop around for colleges, so it's basically a desert up there), also you get fined $500 for picking one of their specially cultivated roses (wtf?). Super small social bubble, if you don't have a car here you'd go crazy. But if the superficialness of LA bugs you out, at least you can escape to a smaller area of superficiality. Just kidding (not really). All in all, Oxy, like any other school, is what you make of it. It's a great school for those who wish it to be and take advantage of all the opportunities presented here. read more

I like the approach towards the campus because you drive past an overlook, separated from a drop only by a metal rail. I visited the Arts building (one of the original) for a studio visit. The visiting artist's studio floor was covered in spiky paint. I was attracted to Oxy in high school because of its exchange agreements and the Richter Summer Research Program. I was looking for opportunities to study abroad. read more

I went to a basketball game at Occidental College in Los Angeles, CA on 12/18/2016. I've been there several times before but this was the 1st time for a basketball game. They play in Rush Gymnasium. The host Occidental Tigers lost to the visiting Cal Lutheran Kingsmen by a score of 74-65. Andrew Johnson led Oxy with 27 points while Austin Cole led Cal Lutheran with 27 as well (including 5 3-pt. shots). Parking, entry to the game and a program were all free! read more

Great fruit smoothies!!!

NOW I HAVE THE PHOTOS to show you! My second wedding photography coverage at Occidental College!! The photos I posted are very informative and helpful. The details of the wedding venue at Occidental College are well captured. See for yourself! read more

I was never a student at Occidental, but my mom lived two doors down from the Ridgeview campus entrance. I often took my mom in her wheelchair to sit under the olive trees on that side of campus. Many times we enjoyed dinner in the cafeteria, it was a delightful change of pace for us being surrounded by so many students. The campus is sprawling with many areas to discover, and explore. Of course that President Obama attended Occidental adds to the charisma. I've attended several concerts on campus as well, also in the same area near the Ridgeview entrance. read more

we attending a friend's wedding here last weekend and it was so pretty! i've never been to a wedding on a college campus but i was pleasantly surprised! the chapel was just okay but the banquet room area was pretty awesome! the area leading to the banquet room was a covered outside area over looking a beautiful green area and was strung with pretty white lanterns. the banquet room was full of windows so once the sun set, you can look out and see those lanterns (heart eyes). i love details so the mid-evil tables and chairs (included) were like a wedding planner's dream (i'm not a wedding planner but i have planned one, mine)! dinner was very tasty and generously size! we were served spinach and cheese stuffed chicken with scalloped potatoes and grilled veggies. i've been to a couple of chicken plated wedding dinners in my day and this is one of the better ones! i would totally recommend this campus as a wedding venue! read more

I am an Oxy Alum and while I may have had my issues here and there. I can't complain about the outstanding education I received. The campus is beautiful and peaceful, but there is still plenty to do to keep you really really busy. The professors are for the most part amazing! It might be expensive but you get a lot of bang for your buck. Well worth it :) read more

Wedding in 2015 was amazing. Andi who helped the day of was super sweet and organized. The person in charge of it all, Monica, is a terrible person. Super weird, all sweet one minute then cold the next. Barely showed up to my wedding then threw away a treasured sign we left behind, when she KNEW we were looking for it. "Missed the cutoff". What a nightmare person. read more

As a foreword, my fiance and I did not decide to book Occidental College as our wedding venue. However, I still wanted to leave a review on our experience. We took a tour of Occidental College in June 2015 as a potential wedding venue and we really loved it. The campus itself is beautiful and I fell in love with the different vignettes the campus offered. We looked at the Music Quad for the ceremony (gorgeous) and the Branca Patio for the reception. Though I loved the rustic look of the Music Quad, I admit I was less impressed with the Branca Patio - the tables and chairs just did not match the look we were going for. Adding in chiavari chairs, draping and lighting to jazz the place up quickly added up to a pretty penny. Nonetheless, we enjoyed our experience and the Venue Coordinator was super communicative and responsive to our questions. read more