Scene of downtown Los Angeles

Studying in Los Angeles

At Occidental, Los Angeles is more than a backdrop. It’s an extension of your education, offering rich experiences both in and out of the classroom.

Occidental College in Los Angeles is just a few miles from downtown, offering students access to internships, research, and hands-on experiences that bring classroom learning to life. At Oxy, you’ll get the best of both worlds: the intimacy of a residential campus plus access to the educational, cultural, and recreational resources of a global hub. Here, theory meets practice in a city full of possibility.

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15
Fortune 500 companies in LA metro area
70%
Grads who intern while at Oxy
50+
Potential InternLA program sites

Studying in Los Angeles, California: Where Anything is Possible

A liberal arts education gives you the critical thinking, creativity, and adaptability needed to thrive in any field. In a city like LA—home to leading industries in entertainment, tech, science, media, and the arts—those skills open doors to a wide range of rewarding opportunities.

Why Occidental?

Zoom In on Life at Occidental

 

Thrive and Connect with Career Opportunities

Studying at Occidental College in Los Angeles, you’re at the center of a hub for opportunity, with access to professional connections and work experience across a wide range of industries. Career Services helps students tap into Oxy’s strong alumni network and partnerships throughout the city, whether you're pursuing roles in entertainment, technology, finance, healthcare, public policy, education, or the nonprofit sector. Hands-on experience in these thriving industries builds skills and résumés while allowing you to test career interests, gain mentors, and make meaningful contributions to your community. Some of our employers include:

  • NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
  • Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
  • Warner Music Group
  • Natural History Museum
  • The Walt Disney Company
  • Human Rights Watch
  • Google 
  • LA County Dept. of Public Health

 

Funded LA Internships          Graduate Outcomes

Occidental College students conducting geology field research near a lake next to the mountains

A Boundless Classroom

Oxy students make the most of Los Angeles as an extension of their learning. You might spend a day on the Pacific Ocean trawling for fish eggs, tutoring young students in urban schools, or conducting geology fieldwork in the Mojave Desert. Explore Oxy’s academic programs to see how our students connect learning with real-world issues across a range of disciplines.

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Oxy in Your Off-time

Occidental’s 120-acre campus gives you plenty of room to study, relax, and connect—but living in LA means the city is part of your college experience too. Sure, there’s sunshine, beaches, and palm trees, but you’ll also find incredible museums, concerts, hiking trails, community projects, and food from every culture. Whether you’re catching a show downtown, grabbing dumplings in Little Tokyo, or watching a sunset on the beach, there’s always something new to explore.
 

Downtown LA arts scene
The arts in LA >

Explore the city’s rich cultural landscape, from cutting-edge arts organizations to performance centers and project spaces, where you can pursue internships or research opportunities.
Cafe de Leche in Eagle Rock, on York Boulevard
The neighborhood >

Eagle Rock and Highland Park offer Oxy students a vibrant mix of local flavor, historic charm, and creative energy—all just steps from campus.
Oxy volunteers at the Audubon Center at Rio de Los Angeles Park
Community engagement >

LA has an incredibly dynamic social and cultural landscape, providing limitless opportunities for Oxy students to learn from—and with—community partners.

Why Choose Oxy?

A distinctive education >

Oxy integrates the liberal arts and sciences with the intellectual resources of a global city. The result? A rigorous academic experience enhanced by a close-knit community of stellar faculty and students.
Residential LA campus >

Tucked between the eclectic neighborhoods of Eagle Rock and Highland Park, Oxy’s location allows you to explore LA with a residential campus community as your home base.
Affordable cost and aid >

Oxy is committed to meeting 100% of the demonstrated need of the students we admit. Our financial aid staff is dedicated to helping you and your family navigate the financial aid process.

Why Oxy? A few more reasons