Occidental College

Occidental is a liberal arts college in the Eagle Rock neighbourhood of Los Angeles with roughly 32 majors and a 9:1 student-faculty ratio. Its application is free with no waiver needed: 'We believe that cost should not be a barrier to opportunity, and we want every student to feel welcome and encouraged to apply—no fee, no waiver needed.' It offers both merit scholarships, for which all international applicants are automatically considered, and need-based aid, which it describes with unusual candour as 'available to a small number of international students each year—typically no more than a handful of students.' The English bar is high at TOEFL 100 or IELTS 7.0. One cost item is specific to international students and cannot be avoided: non-US citizens are required to enrol in Occidental's health insurance plan at USD 4,062 for 2026-27, with no waiver available to them.