Westmont College

Santa Barbara, California, US

955 La Paz Road, Santa Barbara

Last updated: 02/08/2025

School Details

About Westmont College

Westmont College is an undergraduate, residential, Christian, liberal arts community serving God's kingdom by cultivating thoughtful scholars, grateful servants and faithful leaders for global engagement with the academy, church and world. Located in scenic Santa Barbara, Westmont prepares students to lead purposeful lives through global experiences, athletics, and a focus on whole-person development.

In 1937, Ruth Kerr founded a liberal arts college committed to the historic Christian faith. Wallace Emerson, the first president, envisioned an institution that rivaled the best colleges nationwide, and he set the standard for academic rigor and excellence that still applies. Since its founding, Westmont has produced alumni who live with intelligence, character, and hope.

Westmont College offers a classic liberal arts education that integrates faith and learning, cultivating both academic excellence and spiritual growth. Students thrive in a vibrant residential community where they build meaningful relationships, develop leadership skills, and engage with diverse viewpoints.

Why Westmont College

Location: A world-class destination for visitors from around the world, Santa Barbara offers both natural and architectural beauty as well as significant cultural resources and a nearly perfect climate. The Pacific Ocean, extensive beaches, soaring mountains and a beckoning backcountry provide many opportunities for recreation, discovery and adventure.
Academics: Westmont offers the best of the timeless liberal arts with students exploring the breadth of academic disciplines, from the arts to the sciences, while delving deep in their major. Highly qualified professors share their research with students and teach essential skills such as critical thinking and effective communication. All majors, including nursing, engineering and data analytics, expose students to a variety of viewpoints and encourage deeper thinking that leads to finding a meaningful purpose in life.
Student Life: Students learn by living in a vibrant campus community, where they study, play and participate in worthwhile activities encouraging them to build strong relationships, apply what they’re learning and develop excellent leadership skills. Because they live and learn together, they can interact effectively with people from different backgrounds with a variety of viewpoints. Attending class in person, sharing meals and daily living with others, and pursuing a range of interests and activities all prepare them for deeper, purposeful, successful lives.
Athletic: Warrior athletes experience the heart of a champion, winning on the field and excelling in a rigorous academic environment. They’ve gained a national reputation for athletic prowess, academic achievements and service to others. Caring and capable coaches prepare athletes for challenges facing them in competition, in the classroom and after graduation, encouraging them to strive for excellence in every area of life.