Private nonprofit · University

John Paul the Great Catholic University

Escondido, California · Large suburb

79.6%
Admit rate: $34,666
Avg net price: 64%
Graduation rate: $56,930
Median earnings

John Paul the Great Catholic University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Escondido, California (large suburb setting), enrolling 286 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). It has a Roman Catholic religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitSmall · 286 undergradsLarge suburbAccessible · 80% admitNear the coast

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against John Paul the Great Catholic University's admitted students.

Admit rate: 79.6%
SAT (mid 50%): 975–1270
Avg GPA (est.): 3.25

Your test score

Your GPA (4.0 scale, optional)

Enter a test score to see where you land against John Paul the Great Catholic University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and John Paul the Great Catholic University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Escondido, California

Escondido is a city in San Diego County, California, United States. The Escondido area was first settled by the Luiseño, who established campsites and villages along the creek running through the area. They named the place Mixéelum Pompáwvo or "Mehel-om-pom-pavo." The Luiseno also had another village north of Mixéelum Pompáwvo called Panakare. Downtown has become more active in the past few years with the opening of restaurants, cafes, and galleries. (Wikipedia)

Setting: Large suburb
Highest degree offered: Bachelor's
Nearest big city: 28 miles to San Diego, CA
To the ocean: 14 miles
Nearest airport: 11 miles to McClellan-Palomar (CLD)

How John Paul the Great Catholic University compares

Selectivity79.6%

More selective than 45% · #58 most selective of 107 in California

SAT average1130

Higher than 40%

Graduation rate64%

Higher than 67% · #58 of 122 in California

First-year retention85%

Higher than 76%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$56,930

Higher than 59% · #91 of 130 in California

Average net price$34,666

Cheaper than 9% · #87 cheapest of 118 in California

Median debt at graduation$26,968

Lower than 17%

Student–faculty ratio15 : 1

Lower than 35%

Undergraduate enrollment286

Larger than 16%

Percentiles compare John Paul the Great Catholic University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in California.

Student body

Undergraduates by gender

Women13949%
Men14751%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

White37%
Black3.9%
Hispanic38%
Asian4.9%
Other or multiracial15%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment: 286
Student–faculty ratio: 15 : 1
Pell Grant recipients: 33%
First-generation students: —
Students over 25: 9%
Median family income: $74,361
Avg faculty salary (academic year): $68,067
Endowment: $40,492

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Admissions

Admission rate: 79.6%
Test scores: Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %): 975–1270
SAT average: 1130
SAT reading: 505–660
SAT math: 470–610
ACT composite: 21–28
Average GPA (estimated): 3.25

Cost

In-state tuition: $30,265
Room & board: $9,868
Books & supplies: $1,900
Total cost of attendance: $52,367
Average net price: $34,666

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years): 64%
Graduated on time (4 years): 63%
First-year retention: 85%
Transferred to another college: 0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry: $34,360
Median earnings, 10 years after entry: $56,930
Median debt at graduation: $26,968
Students with federal loans: 53%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students

63%

Low-income (Pell)

55%

First-generation

58%

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: 231
Dorm capacity vs undergrads: 81%
Housing charge (year): $9,000
Application fee: $50

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.

< $30k

$27,029

$30–48k

$35,037

$48–75k

$31,236

$75–110k

$32,194

$110k+

$38,282

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.

Family income

Est. total to a degree

$125,832

$31,236/year × about 4.0 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.

98%

of first-years get a grant from the school

$11,903

average award, among those who get one

A meaningful share of freshmen — 98% — get grant money from John Paul the Great Catholic University itself, averaging $11,903, 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 112 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): $56,930
Typical debt at graduation: $26,968
Debt vs. one year's pay: 47%
Out-earn a HS grad: —

Typical debt would take roughly 4.7 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

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.

Campus climate

Summer high: 89°F
Winter low: 44°F
Annual rain: 14.5″

Average temperature

HighLow

Average precipitation (inches)

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Escondido #2, CA US station (0.4 mi from campus).

What John Paul the Great Catholic University graduates study — and earn

Communication and Media Studies

77 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

77———Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

22 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

22———Business Administration, Management and Operations

21 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

21———Film/Video and Photographic Arts

— grads$27k 1 yr— 5 yr$27k debt

—$27,221—$26,925

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 John Paul the Great Catholic University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare John Paul the Great Catholic University side by side →

Westminster College

Private

Fulton, Missouri · Distant town · 22 mi to Columbia

Students: 638
Admission: 79%
Net price: $24k
SAT: 1118
GPA: 3.2
Earnings: $52k

Northwest University

Private

Kirkland, Washington · Large suburb · 7 mi to Seattle

Students: 645
Admission: 83%
Net price: $22k
SAT: 1150
GPA: 3.3
Earnings: $55k

Nichols College

Private

Dudley, Massachusetts · Large suburb · 16 mi to Worcester

Students: 1,163
Admission: 81%
Net price: $33k
SAT: 1140
GPA: 3.3
Earnings: $58k

Wartburg College

Private

Waverly, Iowa · Distant town · 67 mi to Cedar Rapids

Students: 1,452
Admission: 76%
Net price: $33k
SAT: 1136
GPA: 3.3
Earnings: $56k

Ripon College

Private

Ripon, Wisconsin · Distant town · 60 mi to Madison

Students: 688
Admission: 80%
Net price: $20k
SAT: 1176
GPA: 3.4
Earnings: $55k

Franklin College

Private

Franklin, Indiana · Large suburb · 21 mi to Indianapolis

Students: 900
Admission: 70%
Net price: $23k
SAT: 1145
GPA: 3.3
Earnings: $55k

Colleges near John Paul the Great Catholic University

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Escondido, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 220 students

< 1 mi

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Escondido, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 59 students

1 mi

Escondido Adult School

Escondido, CA · Public · Certificate · 1,476 students

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Westminster Theological Seminary in California

Escondido, CA · Private nonprofit · Graduate

2 mi

California State University-San Marcos

San Marcos, CA · Public · Bachelor's · 14,877 students

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Pima Medical Institute-San Marcos

San Marcos, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 573 students

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University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences

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Palomar College

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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.