Whittier College

www.whittier.edu/

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2021 Undergraduate Tuition

$48,924

2021 Average Net Price

$22,091

After Financial Aid

2019 Student Loan

1.78%

Default Rate

2021 Acceptance Rate

82.5%

2,884 Applicants

2021 Enrolled Students

1,387

94.4% Full-Time

2021 Graduation Rate

63.6%

283 Graduates

About

Whittier College is a higher education institution located in Los Angeles County, CA. In 2021, the most popular Bachelors Degree concentrations at Whittier College were General Business Administration & Management (64 degrees awarded), Kinesiology & Exercise Science (53 degrees), and General Biological Sciences (41 degrees).

In 2021, 446 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Whittier College. 61.7% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 38.3% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was hispanic or latino (245 degrees), 2.47 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, white (99 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at Whittier College is $48,924, which is $20,419 more than the national average for Baccalaureate Colleges ($28,505).

Photo by The Good Doctor

Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts & Sciences Focus Baccalaureate Colleges

Costs

In 2021, the median undergraduate tuition at Whittier College is $48,924, which is $20,419 more than the national average for Baccalaureate Colleges ($28,505).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $22,091.

In 2021, 97% of undergraduate students attending Whittier College received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 67% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$48,924

2021 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2021, the cost of tuition at Whittier College was $48,924. The cost of tuition at Whittier College is $20,419 more than than the overall (public and private) national average for Baccalaureate Colleges ($28,505).

This chart compares the tuition costs of Whittier College (in red) with those of other similar universities.

Average Net Price

$22,091

2021 Value

22.9%

1 Year Growth

In 2021 Whittier College had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $22,091. Between 2020 and 2021, the average net price of Whittier College grew by 22.9%.

This chart compares the average net price of Whittier College (in red) with that of other similar universities.

Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

Other Student Expenses

$11,939

Room and Board

$1,000

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at Whittier College was of $11,939 in 2021. The cost of room and board increased by 3.13% between 2020 and 2021.

During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,000. The cost of books and supplies did not change during the same period.

This chart compares the average student costs at Whittier College (in red) with that of similar universities.

Financial Aid by Income Level

97%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

67%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

97% of undergraduate students at Whittier College received financial aid through grants or loans in 2021. This represents a growth of 2.11% with respect to 2020, when 95% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

This chart compares the average award discount at Whittier College (in red) with that of other similar universities.

The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

Student Loan Default Rate

Cohort default rates only account for borrowers who default in the first three years, and some schools only have a small proportion of borrowers entering repayment. These rates should be interpreted with caution, as they may not be reflective of the entire school population.

1.78%

2019 Default Rate

Number of Defaults

In 2019 the default rate for borrower's at Whittier College was 1.78%, which represents 10 out of the 561 total borrowers.

A cohort default rate is the percentage of a school's borrowers who enter repayment on certain Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans during a particular federal fiscal year (FY), October 1 to September 30, and default or meet other specified conditions prior to the end of the second following fiscal year.

Admissions

Whittier College received 2,884 undergraduate applications in 2021, which represents a 42.8% annual growth. Out of those 2,884 applicants, 2,379 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 82.5% acceptance rate.

There were 1,387 students enrolled at Whittier College in 2021. 11% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

Whittier College has an overall enrollment yield of 11.6%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

82.5%

Acceptance Rate in 2021

2,379

Accepted Out of 2,884

In 2021, the undergraduate acceptance rate of Whittier College was 82.5% (2,379 admissions from 2,884 applications). This is higher than the acceptance rate of 2020, which was 72.3%. Between 2020 and 2021, the number of applicants grew by 42.8%, while admissions declined by −34.7%..

This chart compares the acceptance rate of Whittier College (in red) with that of other similar universities, and the chart below shows the acceptance rate by gender.

SAT Scores

11%

Submission Percentage (2021)

Scores Submitted (2021)

11% of enrolled first-time students at Whittier College in 2021 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

This chart shows the SAT scores for the 25th and 75th percentile of applicants broken out into each section of the test that their are evaluated on.

Enrollment

Whittier College had a total enrollment of 1,387 students in 2021. The full-time enrollment at Whittier College is 1,309 students and the part-time enrollment is 78. This means that 94.4% of students enrolled at Whittier College are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at Whittier College, both undergraduate and graduate, is 42.9% Hispanic or Latino, 20.6% White, 5.48% Asian, 4.11% Two or More Races, 4.04% Black or African American, 0.433% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.216% American Indian or Alaska Native.

Students enrolled at Whittier College in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly Hispanic or Latino Female (26.3%), followed by Hispanic or Latino Male (16.1%) and White Female (10.5%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly Hispanic or Latino Female (57.6%), followed by Hispanic or Latino Male (21.2%) and White Female (18.2%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

94.4%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Whittier College in 2021, both undergraduate and graduate, is 1,387 students. The full-time enrollment at Whittier College is 1,309 and the part-time enrollment is 78. This means that 94.4% of students enrolled at Whittier College are enrolled full-time compared with 79.9% at similar Baccalaureate Colleges.

This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at Whittier College (in red) compares to similar universities.

Retention Rate over Time

82%

2021 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at Whittier College was 82%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Baccalaureate Colleges (72%), Whittier College had a retention rate higher than its peers.

This chart shows the retention rate over time at Whittier College (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity (2021)

Hispanic or Latino
595 enrolled students
White
286 enrolled students
Asian
76 enrolled students

The enrolled student population at Whittier College is 42.9% Hispanic or Latino, 20.6% White, 5.48% Asian, 4.11% Two or More Races, 4.04% Black or African American, 0.433% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.216% American Indian or Alaska Native. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Baccalaureate Colleges is 55% White, 13.5% Black or African American, and 13.4% Hispanic or Latino.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 220 students (15.9%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2021, 104 more women than men received degrees from Whittier College. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at Whittier College is hispanic or latino (245 degrees awarded). There were 2.47 times more hispanic or latino recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white (99 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at Whittier College is General Business Administration & Management (64 degrees awarded), followed by Kinesiology & Exercise Science (53 degrees) and General Biological Sciences (41 degrees).

In 2021, the most specialized majors across all degree types at Whittier College, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (53 degrees awarded), English (25 degrees), and Language & Linguistics (15 degrees).

Common Jobs by Major

Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers

Most Common Job

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Whittier College are Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers (386,062 people), Elementary & middle school teachers (295,295 people), Other managers (289,495 people), Postsecondary teachers (190,719 people), and Secondary school teachers (140,357 people).

The most specialized majors at Whittier College in 2021 are Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (53 degrees awarded), English (25 degrees), Language & Linguistics (15 degrees), Human Sciences (19 degrees), and Social Sciences (69 degrees) (as of 2021).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Surgeons

Highest Paying Job

The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Whittier College are Surgeons, Physicians, Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents, Nuclear medicine technologists and medical dosimetrists, and Nurse anesthetists

The most specialized majors at Whittier College are Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (53 degrees awarded), English (25 degrees), Language & Linguistics (15 degrees), Human Sciences (19 degrees), and Social Sciences (69 degrees) (as of 2021).

Common Industries by Major

Elementary & secondary schools

Most Common Industry

The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Whittier College are Elementary & secondary schools (653,760 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (420,117 people), Legal services (314,561 people), General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (228,105 people), and Computer Systems Design (215,492 people).

Majors Awarded

IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by Whittier College.

Most Common (2021)

General Business Administration & Management
64 degree-majors awarded
Kinesiology & Exercise Science
53 degree-majors awarded
General Biological Sciences
41 degree-majors awarded

In 2021, the most common bachelors degree concentration at Whittier College was General Business Administration & Management with 64 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from bachelors degree programs at Whittier College according to their major.

Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

171

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2021

275

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2021

In 2021, 171 degrees were awarded to men at Whittier College, which is 0.622 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (275).

This chart displays the sex disparity between the top 5 majors at Whittier College by degrees awarded.

Most Common Male Majors

In 2021, 35 degrees were awarded to men at Whittier College in General Business Administration & Management, which is 1.21 times more than the 29 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2021, 33 degrees were awarded to men at Whittier College in General Biological Sciences, which is 4.13 times more than the 8 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

66%

100% Completion Time

72%

150% Completion Time

In 2021, 66% of students graduating from Whittier College completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 72% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 73% within 200%.

The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Baccalaureate Colleges Carnegie Classification group.

Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.

Graduation Rate by Race and Sex

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

American Indian or Alaska Native Female

Highest Graduation Rate (100%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate in 2021 at Whittier College is Female and American Indian or Alaska Native (100% graduation rate). Across all Baccalaureate Colleges, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (72.9%).

The department of education defines graduation rate as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within 150% of "normal time" to completion.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) categorizes any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the graduation rate of those students is shown in the chart below. Additionally, 5.65% of graduates (16 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity (2021)

Hispanic or Latino
245 degrees awarded
White
99 degrees awarded
Two or More Races
39 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at Whittier College is hispanic or latino (245 degrees awarded). There were 2.47 times more hispanic or latino recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white (99 degrees).

0.673% of degree recipients (3 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic (2021)

Hispanic or Latino Female
161 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino Male
84 degrees awarded
White Female
59 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at Whittier College is hispanic or latino female (161 degrees awarded). There were 1.92 times more hispanic or latino female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino male (84 degrees).

Operations

Whittier College has an endowment valued at nearly $143M, as of the end of the 2021 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of 38.4M (26.8%) compared to the 17.4% average return (9.13M on 52.4M) across all Baccalaureate Colleges.

In 2021, Whittier College had a total salary expenditure of 49.8M. Whittier College employs 39 Professors, 36 Associate professors and 19 Lecturers. Most academics at Whittier College are Male Professor (23), Female Associate professor (21), and Female Professor (16).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Whittier College are: Librarians, Curators, Archivists, and Academic Affairs and Other Education Services, with 60 employees, Management, with 39 employees, and Office and Administrative Support with 39 employees.

Endowment

$143M

2021 Endowment

29.9%

growth from 2020

Whittier College has an endowment valued at about $143M, as of the end of the 2021 fiscal year. The endowment of Whittier College grew 29.9% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $91.1M higher than than the median endowment of Baccalaureate Colleges according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.

This line chart shows how the endowment at Whittier College (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.

The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts & Sciences Focus Carnegie Classification grouping.

Salary Expenditure

$23.3M

2021 Salaries

21.6%

decline from 2020

In 2021, Whittier College paid a median of $23.3M in salaries, which represents 46.8% of their overall expenditure ($49.8M) and a 21.6% decline from the previous year.

The median for similar Baccalaureate Colleges is 15.1M (38.9% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$9.26M

Instructional Salaries

107

Number of Employees

In 2021, Whittier College paid a total of $9.26M to 107 employees working as instructors, which represents 39.7% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $4.92M (32.5%) for similar Baccalaureate Colleges.

Occupations by Share

Professor

Most Common Instructor

39 Employees

Librarians, Curators, Archivists, and Academic Affairs and Other Education Services

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

60 Employees

In 2021, the most common positions for instructional staff at Whittier College were Professor with 39 employees, Associate professor with 36 employees, and Lecturer with 19 employees.

In 2021, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Whittier College were Librarians, Curators, Archivists, and Academic Affairs and Other Education Services with 60 employees, Management with 39 employees, and Office and Administrative Support with 39 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Sex

Most Common Demographic (2021)

Male Professor
Female Associate professor
Female Professor

In 2021, the most common demographic for instructional staff at Whittier College was Male Professor with 23 employees, Female Associate professor with 21 employees, and Female Professor with 16 employees.

This chart shows the sex split between each academic rank present at Whittier College.