School Description

Provided by Westmont College

The mission of Westmont College is to provide a high quality undergraduate liberal arts program in a residential campus community that assists college men and women toward a balance of rigorous intellectual competence, healthy personal development, and strong Christian commitments.

In its annual college rankings, U.S. News & World Report lists Westmont in the top tier, among the best 111 liberal arts colleges in the nation. The selective institutions in this group include nine other California institutions (Pomona, Claremont-McKenna, Harvey Mudd, Scripps, Occidental, Mills, Thomas Aquinas and Pitzer). The Templeton Foundation consistently recognizes Westmont as one of the top 100 colleges committed to character development.

Westmont offers bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees in 26 liberal arts majors, 11 pre-professional programs, an elementary and secondary credential program, and up to 12 units for internships and practica. Majors include: alternative, art, biology, chemistry, communication studies, computer science, economics and business, engineering/physics, English, English-modern languages, French, history, kinesiology, liberal studies, mathematics, music, philosophy, physics, political science, psychology, religious studies, social science, sociology and anthropology, Spanish, and theater arts.

Students are actively involved in the life of the community as volunteers, employees, and interns for a wide variety of businesses and organizations. They serve more than 30 student-run ministies on and off campus. During spring break, several hundred students travel to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Ensenada to join local churches, organizations, and ministries in their service to these communities.

Westmont College sits on a hill. You have to be fit to walk around the campus! As you drive up to the campus you pass massive Montecito mansions. You are in the realm of the elite. Once at the campus you find yourself in a wooded area with majestic lawns and formal gardens. Stairs and little winding trails are everywhere- nothing is linear. The lawn with rose garden and statues just east of Kerrwood Hall is my favorite spot. Students sit here beneath the huge pine trees to study and I can't think of a better way to spend an hour.
Kerrwood Hall is a regal building. Walk through the pretty ironwork gate and check out the Spanish fountain. The formal garden is bounded by tall trees and a herb garden. It's a peaceful spot to sit and commune with nature. The dining hall nearby is raised up on a hill and the outdoor seating is lovely. Check out the white dome of the observatory.

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Westmont College

From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Westmont College, founded in 1937, is an interdenominational Christian liberal arts college in Santa Barbara, California.

History

Ruth Kerr, owner of the Kerr Mason Jar Company, established the school as the Bible Missionary Institute (1937), later renamed the Western Bible College (1939). During these early years, Ruth and the other founders decided that a liberal arts curriculum was the best direction for the school. In 1940 Dr. Wallace Emerson, the first president, renamed the school Westmont College, envisioning a Christian liberal arts college that would take its place among the best in the nation.

By 1944, Westmont College had outgrown its facilities in downtown Los Angeles. After a failed attempt to move the campus to Altadena in early 1945 the desperate search for a new campus led Mrs. Kerr and the trustees to the former Dwight Murphy estate in Montecito with its . Westmont purchased this property and moved to the Santa Barbara area in the Fall of 1945.

Set in the foothills of the Santa Ynez Mountains, Westmont’s wooded and scenic acres provide an environment for a residential college. The campus includes buildings and land from two former estates and the historic Deane School for Boys. The grounds still feature the pathways, stone bridges, and garden atmosphere typical of Montecito, a suburb of Santa Barbara.

While Westmont has sought to preserve and use the original structures, it has also built new facilities, including Voskuyl Library, the restored Westmont Art Center, the A. Nelson Science Building, the Murchison Gymnasium Complex, and the Ruth Kerr Memorial Student Center. In 2008 Westmont broke ground for the construction of the Winter Hall for Science and Mathematics and the Adams Center for the Visual Arts.

In 2006, Westmont received a gift of $75 million from an anonymous donor, the second largest gift ever to a national liberal arts college at the time.

Westmont emphasizes the intellectual, social, and spiritual growth of students. With approximately 1300 undergraduate students, Westmont attempts to provide a rigorous academic program along with a personalized, residential Christian undergraduate experience.

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Read the full entry on Wikipedia

Quick Facts

Chance of Admission:
Location:
Southwest
Setting:
Large Town Setting
Type:
Private
Size:
Small (Under 2,000 Undergrad)

Students & Campus Life

Undergraduate Enrollment:
1,331
On Campus Housing:
Available
Full Time Students:
100%
Athletic Programs:
Available
> More Students & Campus Life

Expenses

Average Tuition:
$ 27,806
Students Receiving Aid:
90%
> More Expenses & Financial Aid

Admissions

Application Fee:
$ 50
Selectivity:
Selective
> More Admissions

Degree Programs at Westmont College

Bachelor's Level Programs

  • Arts & Humanities

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    • English Language and Literature See more schools with programs in English Language and Literature
      • English Language and Literature
        A general program that focuses on the English language, including its history, structure and related communications skills; and the literature and culture of English-speaking peoples.
        See more schools with programs in English Language and Literature
    • Film and Theater See more schools with programs in Film and Theater
      • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts
        A program that focuses on the general study of dramatic works and their performance. Includes instruction in major works of dramatic literature, dramatic styles and types, and the principles of organizing and producing full live or filmed productions.
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    • Foreign Languages See more schools with programs in Foreign Languages
      • Foreign Languages and Literatures
        A general program that focuses on one or more modern foreign languages that is not specific as to the name of the language(s) studied; that is otherwise undifferentiated; or that introduces students to language studies at the basic/elementary level.
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      • French Language and Literature
        A program that focuses on the French language and related dialects and creoles. Includes instruction in French philology, Metropolitan French, Canadian French, African and Caribbean Creoles, French regional dialects, and applications in business, science/technology, and other settings.
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      • Spanish Language and Literature
        A program that focuses on the Spanish language and related dialects. Includes instruction in Spanish philology, Modern Castillan, various Latin American dialects, regional Spanish dialects, and applications in business, science/technology, and other settings.
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    • General Studies See more schools with programs in General Studies
      • Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
        A program that is a structured combination of the arts, biological and physical sciences, social sciences, and humanities, emphasizing breadth of study. Includes instruction in independently designed, individualized, or regular programs.
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    • History See more schools with programs in History
      • History
        A program that focuses on the general study and interpretation of the past, including the gathering, recording, synthesizing and criticizing of evidence and theories about past events. Includes instruction in historiography; historical research methods; studies of specific periods, issues and cultures; and applications to areas such as historic preservation, public policy, and records administration.
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    • Music See more schools with programs in Music
      • General Music
        A general program that focuses on the introductory study and appreciation of music and the performing arts. Includes instruction in music, dance, and other performing arts media.
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    • Philosophy See more schools with programs in Philosophy
      • General Philosophy
        A program that focuses on ideas and their logical structure, including arguments and investigations about abstract and real phenomena. Includes instruction in logic, ethics, aesthetics, epistemology, metaphysics, symbolism, and history of philosophy, and applications to the theoretical foundations and methods of other disciplines.
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    • Religion/Religious Studies See more schools with programs in Religion/Religious Studies
      • General Religion/Religious Studies
        A program that focuses on the nature of religious belief and specific religious and quasi-religious systems. Includes instruction in phenomenology; the sociology, psychology, philosophy, anthropology, literature and art of religion; mythology; scriptural and textual studies; religious history and politics; and specific studies of particular faith communities and their behavior.
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    • Visual Arts See more schools with programs in Visual Arts
      • Art History, Criticism and Conservation
        Students of Art History study of the historical development of art as a social and intellectual phenomenon. Art History programs include the analysis of works of art, and art conservation, art history research methods, connoisseurship, the preservation and conservation of works of art, and the study of specific periods, cultures, styles, and themes.
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      • Art/Art Studies
        Art and Art Studies is a general, introductory program that focuses on the study and appreciation of the visual arts. Students of these two or four year programs receive instruction in art, photography, and other visual communications media.
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  • Communication & Media

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    • Communication Studies/Speech Communication and Rhetoric
      A program that focuses on the scientific, humanistic, and critical study of human communication in a variety of formats, media, and contexts. Includes instruction in the theory and practice of interpersonal, group, organizational, professional, and intercultural communication; speaking and listening; verbal and nonverbal interaction; rhetorical theory and criticism; performance studies; argumentation and persuasion; technologically mediated communication; popular culture; and various contextual applications.
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  • Engineering

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    • Engineering Physics
      A program with a general focus on the general application of mathematical and scientific principles of physics to the analysis and evaluation of engineering problems. Includes instruction in high- and low-temperature phenomena, computational physics, superconductivity, applied thermodynamics, molecular and particle physics applications, and space science research.
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  • Fitness, Recreation and Leisure Studies

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    • Physical Fitness See more schools with programs in Physical Fitness
      • Kinesiology and Exercise Science
        A scientific program that focuses on the anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and biophysics of human movement, and applications to exercise and therapeutic rehabilitation. Includes instruction in biomechanics, motor behavior, motor development and coordination, motor neurophysiology, performance research, rehabilitative therapies, the development of diagnostic and rehabilitative methods and equipment, and related analytical methods and procedures in applied exercise and therapeutic rehabilitation .
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  • Interdisciplinary Studies

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    • Neuroscience
      A program that focuses on the interdisciplinary scientific study of the molecular, structural, physiologic, cognitive, and behavioral aspects of the brain and nervous system. Includes instruction in molecular and cellular neuroscience, brain science, anatomy and physiology of the central nervous system, molecular and biochemical bases of information processing, behavioral neuroscience, biology of neuropsychiatric disorders, and applications to the clinical sciences and biomedical engineering.
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  • Life Science

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    • Biology See more schools with programs in Biology
      • Biology/Biological Sciences
        Students in this program study general biology at an introductory level. This major provides students with a broad overview of biology and includes instruction in general biology and programs covering a variety of biological specializations.
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  • Mathematics and Statistics

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    • General Mathematics
      A general program that focuses on the analysis of quantities, magnitudes, forms, and their relationships, using symbolic logic and language. Includes instruction in algebra, calculus, functional analysis, geometry, number theory, logic, topology and other mathematical specializations.
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  • Natural Sciences

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    • Chemistry See more schools with programs in Chemistry
      • General Chemistry
        A general program that focuses on the scientific study of the composition and behavior of matter, including its micro- and macro-structure, the processes of chemical change, and the theoretical description and laboratory simulation of these phenomena.
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    • Physics See more schools with programs in Physics
      • General Physics
        A general program that focuses on the scientific study of matter and energy, and the formulation and testing of the laws governing the behavior of the matter-energy continuum. Includes instruction in classical and modern physics, electricity and magnetism, thermodynamics, mechanics, wave properties, nuclear processes, relativity and quantum theory, quantitative methods, and laboratory methods.
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  • Social Sciences

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    • General Social Sciences
      A program that focuses on the general study of human social behavior and social institutions using any of the methodologies common to the social sciences and/or history, or an undifferentiated program of study in the social sciences.
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    • Anthropology See more schools with programs in Anthropology
      • General Anthropology
        A program that focuses on the systematic study of human beings, their antecedents and related primates, and their cultural behavior and institutions, in comparative perspective. Includes instruction in biological/physical anthropology, primatology, human paleontology and prehistoric archeology, hominid evolution, anthropological linguistics, ethnography, ethnology, ethnohistory, socio-cultural anthropology, psychological anthropology, research methods, and applications to areas such as medicine, forensic pathology, museum studies, and international affairs.
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    • Economics See more schools with programs in Economics
      • General Economics
        A general program that focuses on the systematic study of the production, conservation and allocation of resources in conditions of scarcity, together with the organizational frameworks related to these processes. Includes instruction in economic theory, micro- and macroeconomics, comparative economic systems, money and banking systems, international economics, quantitative analytical methods, and applications to specific industries and public policy issues.
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    • International Relations and Affairs See more schools with programs in International Relations and Affairs
      • General Political Science and Government
        A general program that focuses on the systematic study of political institutions and behavior. Includes instruction in political philosophy, political theory, comparative government and politics, political parties and interest groups, public opinion, political research methods, studies of the government and politics of specific countries, and studies 0f specific political institutions and processes.
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    • Psychology See more schools with programs in Psychology
      • General Psychology
        A general program that focuses on the scientific study of individual and collective behavior, the physical and environmental bases of behavior, and the analysis and treatment of behavior problems and disorders. Includes instruction in the principles of the various subfields of psychology, research methods, and psychological assessment and testing methods.
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    • Sociology See more schools with programs in Sociology
      • Sociology
        A program that focuses on the systematic study of human social institutions and social relationships. Includes instruction in social theory, sociological research methods, social organization and structure, social stratification and hierarchies, dynamics of social change, family structures, social deviance and control, and applications to the study of specific social groups, social institutions, and social problems.
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  • Technology

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    • Software Development See more schools with programs in Software Development
      • Computer and Information Sciences
        A general program that focuses on computing, computer science, and information science and systems as part of a broad and/or interdisciplinary program. Such programs are undifferentiated as to title and content and are not to be confused with specific programs in computer science, information science, or related support services.
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Students

General

Full-Time vs. Part-Time
Full-Time 100%
Part-Time 0%
Men vs. Women
Women 64%
Men 36%
Race/Ethnicity
Caucasian 78%
Other 8%
Hispanic 7%
Asian 6%
African-American 1%

Geography

In State vs. Out-of-State
In-State 70%
Out-of-State 30%
Top States for Incoming Freshman
California 70%
Texas 3%
Oregon 3%
Colorado 3%
Washington 2%
Percent of Students International: 0%

Housing

On-Campus Housing Available: Yes
Percent of Students Living On-Campus: 77%
Freshman Students Required to Live on Campus: No

Athletics

Member of: NAA, NAIA
Sports Include: Basketball (Golden State Athletic Conference)
Baseball (Golden State Athletic Conference)
Track (Golden State Athletic Conference)
Tuition & Fees (undergraduate) Expenses  
Published Tuition and Fees:
$ 27,806    
Average Tuition for Full-Time Undergrads:
$ 27,076    
Required Fees for Full-Time Undergrads:
$ 730    
Financial Aid Avg. Amount Received % of Students Receiving Aid  
Federal Grants:
$ 3,777 12%  
State and Local Grants:
$ 7,021 21%  
Institutional Grants:
$ 8,017 85%  
Student Loans:
$ 5,271 57%  
Any Aid:
  90%  

Selectivity (Undergraduate Only)

Acceptance Rate: 74% (Selective)
Test Scores  
SAT Scores:  
% of Students Submitting SAT Scores: 90%
Bottom 25th Percentile: Verbal: 550, Math: 550
Top 75th Percentile: Verbal: 660, Math: 660
ACT Scores:  
% of Students Submitting ACT Scores: 33%
Bottom 25th Percentile: Composite: 24, Verbal: 23, Math: 24
Top 75th Percentile: Composite: 28, Verbal: 29, Math: 28

Application Requirements (Undergraduate Only)

Application Fee: $ 50.00
Formal Demonstration of Competencies: Recommended
High School Diploma or Equivalent: Required
High School GPA: Required
High School Rank: Recommended
High School Record: Required
Recommendations: Recommended
TOEFL: Required
Test Scores: Required

College Advice

Yahoo

Question: Is Westmont College strict?

I am on my college search and fell in love with Westmont when I took a tour about a month ago. I have heard some rumors about there being a curfew and that turned me off a little bit. I'm going to be an adult and I want to be able to go out at night without fear of missing curfew. I also have heard that chapel is mandatory. I wanted to hear people's opinions about this. Do you feel pressured to go because you're required? I love Westmont because of the community aspect of it, but I want to experience college to the full extent. Help!! Oh and if you have any opinions on other small schools let me know!!
17 months ago

Best Answer

They tel you it is much more strict only because they must in order to attract parents of students etc., ikts not as bad as they say

Question: HELP!! Has someone ever gone/went to Westmont college in Santa Barbara,CA?

I'm doing an AVID project and I need help Can you please describe the feeling of the campus, rural, urban, ethnic populations, etc. N other intresting facts about the college?
21 months ago

Best Answer

I am a current sophomore at Westmont. It is a great school. It is very small only 1200 students, this means small classes, it is easy to meet people since it is so small. It is a Christian college therefor you must attend chapel Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays however you are allowed to miss 12 chapels each semester. The campus is beautiful! It is a liberal arts college so you have to take alot of general ed courses in alot of different subjects, this just means more knowledge. It is not uncommon to have a class dinner or dessert at a prof's house, most live walking distance from the campus. It is built on the original estate of Ruth Kerr founder of the college. Technically it is located in Montecito which is a very nice neighborhood where the elite such as Oprah and the inventor of the Texas Instrument calculators live.The ethnic population is small but growing. It is in a rural area but it is only a few minutes from downtown Santa Barbara. Check out the website it has alot of great info

Photos

  • image:Westmontlogo01.JPG|Thumb|College Logo
    image:Westmontlogo01.JPG|Thumb|College Logo [source]
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Westmont College
Santa Barbara, CA 93108
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