Use Anaconda Python distribution (https://store.continuum.io/cshop/anaconda/). Comes bundled with pandas, numpy, scipy (and much more). Does not require admin privileges. Updates and installations do not require working compiler (binary packages for your platform are downloaded).
Sometimes, even when installing to a local virtual environment, if there are required libraries that require, for example a Fortran compiler, you'll need to install that on the system.
This is the real killer. Any leads on making it less closed?
Also, I'm unfamiliar with how pip works, but you can't even install into your local user profile (i.e. w/o root)?