A study was performed to demonstrate that soft x-ray Kerr rotation, θK, versus incident grazing angle, φ, and energy, hv, measurements provide an extremely large depth selectivity on the atomic scales even in an ultrathin single layer, simply by choosing appropriate φ and hv around the resonant regions. Both the experimental and simulation results of φ vs θK measurements were considered for depth-varying magnetization reversals in a 3.5-nm-thick Co layer of NiFe/FeMn/Co/Pd films.