Whittier College
Whittier College is a private liberal arts college in Whittier, California. It is a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and, as of spring 2024, had 815 undergraduate and graduate students. It was founded in 1887. Whittier offers one graduate degree and a master's degree in education.
Former name
Whittier Academy (1887–1901)
Lux, Poesis, Veritas, Pax, Amor Eruditionis
Light, Creativity, Truth, Peace, and Love of Knowledge
1887
$112.9 million (2019)[2]
Kristine Dillon (interim)
103 full-time, 36 part-time (fall 2022)[3]
815 (spring 2024)[4]
815 (spring 2024) [4]
Suburban, 75 acres (30 ha)
Purple & gold
The Poets
Johnny Poet
History[edit]
Whittier College, founded in 1887, was named for the Quaker abolitionist and poet John Greenleaf Whittier.[5] Since that time, the institution has grown into a distinctive, national liberal arts college. The college campus has about 800 students and more than 100 faculty. It emphasizes small, interactive classes led by full-time faculty members.
Academic rankings
93 (tie) of 185
64 of 199
430 of 500
Enrollment[edit]
Whittier College has traditionally enrolled 1000–1500 undergraduate students, allowing most classes to be seminars. Since 1984, Whittier College has averaged an undergraduate population of 1329 students, but the average student body size increased to over 1600 students during the 2010s. Enrollment dropped significantly during the tenure of President Linda Oubre (2018–2023) from more than 1750 students in 2017 to 815 in spring 2024.
