Westmont College
#8 Best Education Colleges in California- Graduation Rate
- 70% B-
- Solid completion rate — most students graduate
- Earnings (10yr)
- $64,778 A-
- Top 10% nationally — exceptional earning power
- Net Price
- $29,053 F
- 70% more than the typical college
- Acceptance Rate
- 77% C
- Accessible to most qualified applicants
Bottom line: A C overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 14.1× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $14.1 over 20 years. Ranked #8 in Best Education Colleges in California.
Every $1 spent returns $14.1 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,516,577.
What The Data Says
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A C overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.
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Graduates earn 59% more than the national college median.
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Every $1 invested returns $14.1 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
Why Westmont College Matters
Westmont College is a private liberal arts college in Santa Barbara, CA and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: graduates whose earnings land in the top 10% of all U.S. colleges.
Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.
Institutional Profile
- Institution Type
- Private Liberal Arts College
- Carnegie Class
- Baccalaureate · Arts & Sciences
- Enrollment
- 1,302
- Setting
- Suburban
- Designations
- 108
- Primary Strengths
- Business & Marketing, Health Professions, Psychology, Social Sciences
Why students choose Westmont College
CollegeRanker Report Card
Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.
Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.
How we grade →Admissions
Competitive — admits about 77% of applicants, with a middle-50% SAT of 1240–1450. Run your numbers in the admissions predictor below.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $29,053 a year after grants and scholarships — 70% above the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $64,778 ten years after enrolling — 59% above the typical college, against $23,250 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 1.1% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 71% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.88 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
Westmont College has an impressive graduation rate of 70%, which indicates that a significant majority of students successfully complete their degrees. This rate reflects the strong support systems in place for students, fostering an environment conducive to academic success.
The Chetty/Opportunity Insights data is not available for Westmont College, but the overall trends in private nonprofit institutions suggest that many students experience upward mobility after graduation. Graduates from similar colleges often find themselves in better financial situations compared to their backgrounds, thanks to the networking opportunities and resources available during their studies.
Attending Westmont College comes with a net price of $29,053, and graduates can expect to earn an average of $64,778 within ten years of completing their degree. With median debt at $23,250, students who thrive here often pursue degrees in Business, Health Professions, Psychology, Biology, or Communications. Those who succeed are typically self-motivated and actively engage with the college community.
Rankings
- #8 Best Education Colleges in California
- #22 Best Communications Colleges in California
- #27 Best Business Colleges in California
- #30 Best Computer Science Colleges in California
- #30 Best Biology Colleges in California
- #30 Best Data Science Colleges in California
- #37 Best Colleges in California
- #38 Best Nursing Colleges in California
Can I Get In?
How selective Westmont College is — and how your numbers stack up.
Tool
Will I Be Accepted?
Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.
Academics & Admissions
Is It Hard to Get Into Westmont College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Based in Santa Barbara, California, Westmont College admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 77%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,328. The graduation rate is roughly 70%.
- Acceptance Rate
- 77%
- Retention Rate
- 85%
- SAT Average
- 1328
- ACT Midpoint
- 29
- SAT Range
- 1240–1450
- ACT Range
- 25–32
- Full-Time Faculty
- 64%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $10,166
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 10:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.67
- First-Gen Students
- 17%
- Applicants
- 2,326
- Admitted
- 1,907
Can I Afford It?
What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.
Cost & Financial Aid
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Westmont College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Westmont College is $53,584, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $29,053. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $20,899 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $23,250 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $53,584
- Out-of-State
- $53,584
- Avg Net Price
- $29,053
- Median Debt
- $23,250
- Pell Grant Rate
- 20%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 51%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $20,899
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $15,492
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $19,867
- Family Income $110K+
- $38,124
What Happens After?
Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.
Students Like You
Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Westmont College — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.
Graduate Outcomes
Is Westmont College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Westmont College earn a median of $64,778, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $53,737
- 8 Years
- $58,802
- 10 Years
- $64,778
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.36x
- Earning > $25K
- 63%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (265)
- 71%
- 100% (265)
- 71%
- 100% (265)
- 71%
- 100% (265)
- 71%
How Westmont Compares
Dot right of center = above national average.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.
The Mobility Equation
Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?
College ROI Calculator
Is Westmont College Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Westmont College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $29,053/year ($116,212 total). Graduates earn $64,778 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,632,789 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,516,577 (14.1× your investment). The median debt is $23,250, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 70% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $116,212
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $1,632,789
- Net Return
- $1,516,577
- ROI Multiple
- 14.1×
- Cost Per Year
- $29,053
- Median Debt
- $23,250
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 70%
Does It Change Lives?
Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?
Social Mobility
Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records
Does Westmont College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Westmont College is a measurable contributor to upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.09%, in line with strong performers nationally. Access is narrower: only about 3.7% of students come from the bottom income quintile, typical of more selective, higher-income institutions. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 29.3% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $132,100, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 1.09%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 29.3%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 3.7%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $179,478
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Federal Grants
- $5,075,480
- Investment Income
- $-5,146,417
Top Programs
The fields Westmont College awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.
- Business & Marketing 17% $63,895 early-career
- Health Professions 10%
- Psychology 8% $30,413 early-career
- Social Sciences 7%
- Biology & Biomedical 7% $26,368 early-career
- Communications 6% $48,005 early-career
- Visual & Performing Arts 5% $32,002 early-career
- Computer Science & IT 4%
Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for Westmont College's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.
- CChief Executive Officer$189,520 · 3% growthAdaptable 64
- C+IT Manager$169,510 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- C+Marketing Manager$156,580 · 8% growthAdaptable 64
- C+Cloud Architect$142,000 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Site Reliability Engineer$140,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
- CAdvertising Manager$138,730 · 6% growthAdaptable 64
- CSolutions Architect$138,000 · 12% growthAdaptable 52
- CHR Manager$136,350 · 5% growthAdaptable 64
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into Westmont College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Based in Santa Barbara, California, Westmont College admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 77%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,328. The graduation rate is roughly 70%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Westmont College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Westmont College is $53,584, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $29,053. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $20,899 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $23,250 in federal student loans.
Is Westmont College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Westmont College earn a median of $64,778, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.
Does Westmont College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Westmont College is a measurable contributor to upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.09%, in line with strong performers nationally. Access is narrower: only about 3.7% of students come from the bottom income quintile, typical of more selective, higher-income institutions. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 29.3% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $132,100, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Westmont College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Westmont College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.88, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 5% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Westmont College.
- Washington & Jefferson CollegeWashington, PA · Close peer70% grad $67,918 earn 81% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Concordia University-IrvineIrvine, CA · Close peer60% grad $65,083 earn 66% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Lebanon Valley CollegeAnnville, PA · Close peer69% grad $62,621 earn 84% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- California Lutheran UniversityThousand Oaks, CA · Close peer72% grad $68,712 earn 76% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Luther CollegeDecorah, IA · Close peer73% grad $59,850 earn 72% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Emmanuel CollegeBoston, MA · Close peer67% grad $68,245 earn 76% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Westmont College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Westmont College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.88, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 5% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note