So you want to go to school in la la land. We don’t blame you--the weather rules, the beach is close, there are tons of internship opportunities, and an overflowing handful of incredible schools in the Los Angeles area of all shapes and sizes. And we know, LA isn’t just for folks who are interested in working in Hollywood. There are also lots of opportunities for those interested in the arts, politics, sciences, tech (haven’t you heard: Silicon Valley is outdated and on the move!), and beyond. Today we’re breaking down the best colleges in Los Angeles for you.
UCLA
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Undergraduates: ~31K
UCLA and USC (below) are the two quintessential “LA/California” schools. UCLA and its community of Bruins is one of the most competitive to gain entry to within the public UC (University of California) system. Located in a neighborhood called Westwood on the west-side of LA, UCLA’s campus is massive, lush with greenery, and bustling with students. Its smaller academic departments give you some more intimate community connections within a larger institution, which is nice. Typical of a school of this size, the research opportunities and resources are widespread and bountiful. Students have the opportunity to apply to 1 of 7 schools, each with its own unique focus (from Film and Television to Nursing, Public Affairs, and Engineering. Arts and Sciences is there for liberal arts folks). Greek life is a significant part of the social scene, which is important to note, and its football team is a big deal.
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Undergraduates: ~20K
Naturally, we’re following UCLA with its rival: USC. The Trojans. It’s also a large university and it’s located 15 minutes east of UCLA in a neighborhood called University Park. It definitely has more of a “city campus” feel than does UCLA, so it’s perfect if you want to truly feel like you’re in the middle of LA. The school has done a lot for the neighborhood, particularly in the last 10-15 years. The academics continue to challenge the school’s many students, with renowned undergraduate programs in film, engineering, public policy, business, journalism, and of course, the liberal arts. And, the same as was said for UCLA goes for USC: Greek life and football. It’s a part of the culture, though of course there are many pockets of students who create meaningful community at USC and don’t participate in sports or Greek life. When a school is this big, you’re bound to find like-minded individuals.
California Institute of Technology
Location: Pasadena, CA
Undergraduates: ~950
Caltech is known to be an incredible school for engineers, mathematicians, and scientists-in-training. The school’s undergraduate programs range from Computer Science, Planetary Science, Computational and Neural Systems, and Geochemistry to History and English. Every student graduates from Caltech with a B.S. (Bachelor in Science), so even if you’re interested in majoring within the Division of the Humanities and Social Science, you should be pretty interested in the research side of things because everything is rooted in the sciences (evidence-based!) here. For reference going forward, Claremont is a 30-minute drive or an hour-long direct train from the center of LA.
Claremont McKenna
Location: Claremont, CA
Undergraduates: ~1.3K
“CMC” as the insiders call it, is one college that’s a part of the “Claremont Colleges,” a set of five small colleges (Pomona, Pitzer, Scripps, Harvey Mudd) in Claremont, CA. It feels like one big campus with five separate colleges within the same general area, but each college is quite unique. Claremont McKenna is known for its emphasis on the liberal arts and its practical real-world applications. Their motto is, “learning for the sake of doing,” and are pretty focused on connecting students with global study opportunities, internships, and grad programs that enhance their in-classroom study.
Loyola Marymount
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Undergraduates: ~6.7K
LMU is located in LA proper, specifically the “west side,” atop a large bluff that overlooks the city. It’s lovely. LMU is a Catholic/Jesuit/Marymount school, with a focus on community engagement and service. The classes are relatively small (average class size is 20), they have a diverse offering of majors and academic programs, and lots of research opportunities and independent study offerings. Their whole thing is “intellectual rigor with a social conscience,” which is pretty typical for a Jesuit institution that isn’t “religious” per-se, but rather, “principle-forward.”
Occidental
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Undergraduates: ~2K
Located in northwest Los Angeles, sort of near Burbank (but pretty close to Hollywood/Beverly Hills area), Occidental is a little oasis set on a cozy campus within a big city. So, if you want to go to school in the middle of LA but not always feel like you are in the midst of the craziness, this could be a good school to look at. Students choose from 45 majors and academic focuses to assemble their unique academic path. Some unique major/minor options include: American Studies, Critical Theory & Social Justice, Food Studies, Public Health, and Diplomacy & World Affairs.
Pitzer
Location: Claremont, CA
Undergraduates: ~1K
The second of the Claremont Colleges on this list, Pitzer is known for its small size (second to its smaller sister institution, Harvey Mudd [see below]) and students’ ability to create their own major. Their curriculum is uniquely open and flexible, and students coordinate with their academic advisors to explore and select overlapping focuses or “Field Groups,” to assemble their unique major/minor combinations. There’s a small set of core courses that can be fulfilled across academic disciplines, but for the most part students are in control of their educational focus.
Pomona
Location: Claremont, CA
Undergraduates: 1.6K
Pomona is, yes, you guessed it, also one of the Claremont colleges. They are, after all, the most competitive and academically rigorous schools in/near LA and appeal to the student who wants an intensive, academically-focused and intensive west-coast college experience without tens of thousands of other undergrads. And Pomona is no different. It’s small, it’s competitive to gain admission into (9% acceptance rate, and falling). We featured it as being a school similar to Brown in our “Schools Like” series because of its commitment to interdisciplinary studies, vast array of unique classes (like “Notre-Dame de Paris, ‘Point Zero’” and “Juvenile Delinquency and Public Policy”), and overall quirky disposition. Read their “Why Pomona?” page and you’ll get what we mean.
Harvey Mudd
Location: Claremont, CA
Undergraduates: ~890
Harvey Mudd is the “Caltech,” engineering-focused school within the Claremont Colleges. It is one of the smallest and thus, most competitive undergraduate institutions in the U.S. Students who attend Harvey Mudd are positive that they want to focus on engineering, math, or science, and that they want to do so in an intimate, collaborative environment instead of a large research institution. HMC students are intensely involved in research and are able to utilize the school’s significant resources in the area, which are impressive in each department. The most unique aspect of HMC besides its academic focus is likely their “Clinic Program,” which matches juniors and seniors to projects connected with the school’s many corporate partners so that students gain professional experience in their area of interest to help solve real problems within various organizations.
Location: Claremont, CA
Undergraduates: ~1.05K
The last of the five Claremont Colleges. Scripps is a women’s college. Its students tend to focus on the liberal arts areas. Scripps’ faculty is a small group (fewer than 100 full-time faculty), making for a very intimate-feeling community on campus. Scripps is the ideal place for women who want the benefits, traditions, and community feel of an all-female institution with the flexibility of a larger and more diverse college because students can take classes and participate in social and community events across the Claremont Colleges consortium of schools. It’s sort of the best of both worlds, in our opinion, because you can opt-in or opt-out of everything that comes with attending a single-sex college and make your experience your own.
If you’re interested in attending college in or near LA, give us a call or send us a note so that we can help guide your west coast search.