Private nonprofit · University
Dominican University of California
San Rafael, California · Small city
- 83.5%
- Admit rate
- $35,333
- Avg net price
- 78%
- Graduation rate
- $84,713
- Median earnings
Dominican University of California is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in San Rafael, California (small city setting), enrolling 1,114 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).
Will you get in?
See where your numbers land against Dominican University of California's admitted students.
- Admit rate
- 83.5%
- SAT (mid 50%)
- 1210–1300
- Avg GPA (est.)
- 3.59
Enter a test score to see where you land against Dominican University of California's admitted students.
A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Dominican University of California's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.
About San Rafael, California
San Rafael is a city in and the county seat of Marin County, California, United States. Mission San Rafael Arcángel was founded as the 20th Spanish mission in the colonial province of Alta California by three priests—Father Narciso Durán from Mission San José, Father Abella from Mission San Francisco de Asís, Father Luis Gíl y Taboada from La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora Reina de los Angeles—on December 14, 1817, four years before Mexico gained independence from Spain. The term "420", as used in reference to cannabis consumption, originated in San Rafael. A group of students of the San Rafael High School class of 1975 known as the Waldos used "420" as a code for smoking marijuana at 4:20 p.m., after school. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Small city
- Highest degree offered
- Graduate
- Nearest big city
- 15 miles to San Francisco, CA
- To the ocean
- 1 mile
- Nearest airport
- 24 miles to Oakland San Francisco Bay (OAK) · major hub
How Dominican University of California compares
More selective than 38% · #65 most selective of 107 in California
Higher than 78%
Higher than 87% · #33 of 122 in California
Higher than 77%
Higher than 93% · #24 of 130 in California
Cheaper than 9% · #88 cheapest of 118 in California
Lower than 11%
Lower than 89%
Larger than 41%
Percentiles compare Dominican University of California with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in California.
Student body
Undergraduate vs. graduate
- Undergraduate1,11459%
- Graduate78641%
Undergraduates by gender
- Women81273%
- Men30227%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White21%
- Black5.8%
- Hispanic32%
- Asian30%
- Other or multiracial11%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 1,114
- Graduate enrollment
- 786
- Student–faculty ratio
- 8 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 32%
- First-generation students
- 31%
- Students over 25
- 12%
- Median family income
- $65,976
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $90,324
- Endowment
- $31,921,283
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Where students come from
Home state of the 250 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From California82%
- Other U.S. states17%
- International0.8%
Most first-years stay in state — Dominican University of California draws overwhelmingly from California.
1% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.
Admissions
- Admission rate
- 83.5%
- Test scores
- Considered but not required
- SAT range (25th–75th %)
- 1210–1300
- SAT average
- 1290
- SAT reading
- 620–660
- SAT math
- 590–640
- ACT composite
- —
- Average GPA (estimated)
- 3.59
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $52,161
- Room & board
- $16,191
- Books & supplies
- $1,152
- Total cost of attendance
- $71,751
- Average net price
- $35,333
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated (within 6 years)
- 78%
- Graduated on time (4 years)
- 65%
- First-year retention
- 85%
- Transferred to another college
- 18%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $71,477
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $84,713
- Median debt at graduation
- $27,000
- Students with federal loans
- 58%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 64%
About 13% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- Yes
- Dorm capacity
- 535
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 48%
- Application fee
- Free
- Athletics
- NCAA Division II without football
- Varsity athletes
- 279 (123 men · 156 women)
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Varsity sports (8)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- C
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 2.3 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 6
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 7
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (1,900 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
Reported offenses in an average year
The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.
By offense type, per year
Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Four-year (or more) true cost
Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.
$30,313/year × about 4.3 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
A meaningful share of freshmen — 99% — get grant money from Dominican University of California itself, averaging $14,927, which softens the sticker price.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 225 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $84,713
- Typical debt at graduation
- $27,000
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 32%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 72%
Typical debt would take roughly 3.2 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Women out-earn men by $13,664 (18%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 81°F
- Winter low
- 42°F
- Annual rain
- 34.5″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, San Rafael Civic Ctr, CA US station (1.8 mi from campus).
What Dominican University of California graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to Dominican University of California
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Dominican University of California side by side →
Kettering University
Flint, Michigan · Small city · 47 mi to Lansing
- Students
- 1,205
- Admission
- 79%
- Net price
- $35k
- SAT
- 1251
- GPA
- 3.5
- Earnings
- $95k
Clarkson University
Potsdam, New York · Remote town · 89 mi to Burlington
- Students
- 2,196
- Admission
- 77%
- Net price
- $30k
- SAT
- 1304
- GPA
- 3.6
- Earnings
- $90k
Ursinus College
Collegeville, Pennsylvania · Large suburb · 23 mi to Philadelphia
- Students
- 1,491
- Admission
- 92%
- Net price
- $31k
- SAT
- 1310
- GPA
- 3.6
- Earnings
- $74k
Manhattan University
Riverdale, New York · Large city · 13 mi to New York
- Students
- 2,744
- Admission
- 79%
- Net price
- $27k
- SAT
- 1270
- GPA
- 3.6
- Earnings
- $86k
Immaculata University
Immaculata, Pennsylvania · Large suburb · 22 mi to Philadelphia
- Students
- 1,320
- Admission
- 86%
- Net price
- $24k
- SAT
- 1260
- GPA
- 3.5
- Earnings
- $76k
University of Portland
Portland, Oregon · Large city · 5 mi to Portland
- Students
- 2,957
- Admission
- 89%
- Net price
- $28k
- SAT
- 1277
- GPA
- 3.6
- Earnings
- $83k
Colleges near Dominican University of California
College of Marin
Kentfield, CA · Public · Associate · 4,042 students
Contra Costa College
San Pablo, CA · Public · Associate · 5,203 students
Bay Area Medical Academy
San Francisco, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 209 students
Cinta Aveda Institute
San Francisco, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 117 students
San Francisco Film School
San Francisco, CA · Private for-profit · Associate · 127 students
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 5,287 students
Golden Gate University
San Francisco, CA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 259 students
Academy of Art University
San Francisco, CA · Private for-profit · Bachelor's · 3,587 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.













