Private nonprofit · University
La Sierra University
Riverside, California · Large city
- 91.5%
- Admit rate
- $45,566
- Avg net price
- 60%
- Graduation rate
- $61,824
- Median earnings
La Sierra University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Riverside, California (large city setting), enrolling 1,116 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). It has a Seventh Day Adventists religious affiliation.
About Riverside, California
Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States. In the late 18th century and the early 19th century, the area was inhabited by Cahuilla and the Serrano people. Californios such as Bernardo Yorba and Juan Bandini established ranches during the first half of the 19th century. Entomology Research Museum at the University of California, Riverside (not open to the public). (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Large city
- Highest degree offered
- Graduate
- Nearest big city
- 9 miles to Riverside, CA
- To the ocean
- 30 miles
- Nearest airport
- 12 miles to Ontario (ONT) · major hub
How La Sierra University compares
More selective than 20% · #78 most selective of 107 in California
Higher than 60% · #71 of 122 in California
Higher than 53%
Higher than 71% · #77 of 130 in California
Cheaper than 2% · #107 cheapest of 118 in California
Lower than 11%
Lower than 59%
Larger than 41%
Percentiles compare La Sierra 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
Undergraduate vs. graduate
- Undergraduate1,11676%
- Graduate34824%
Undergraduates by gender
- Women70763%
- Men40937%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White8.9%
- Black7.2%
- Hispanic54%
- Asian15%
- Other or multiracial15%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 1,116
- Graduate enrollment
- 348
- Student–faculty ratio
- 12 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 47%
- First-generation students
- 40%
- Students over 25
- 7%
- Median family income
- $39,628
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $75,564
- Endowment
- $121,159,499
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Admissions
- Admission rate
- 91.5%
- Test scores
- Not considered
- SAT range (25th–75th %)
- —
- SAT average
- —
- SAT reading
- —
- SAT math
- —
- ACT composite
- —
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $37,710
- Room & board
- $13,431
- Books & supplies
- $1,062
- Total cost of attendance
- $51,459
- Average net price
- $45,566
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)
- 60%
- Graduated on time (4 years)
- 43%
- First-year retention
- 77%
- Transferred to another college
- 16%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $42,617
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $61,824
- Median debt at graduation
- $27,000
- Students with federal loans
- 59%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 46%
About 17% 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
- 850
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 76%
- Housing charge (year)
- $4,980
- Meal plan (year)
- $6,690
- Application fee
- Free
- Athletics
- NAIA Division II
- Varsity athletes
- 251 (113 men · 138 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 (7)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- C
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 4.0 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 2
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 17
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (1,574 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.
$45,518/year × about 4.4 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 La Sierra University itself, averaging $15,601, 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 328 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)
- $61,824
- Typical debt at graduation
- $27,000
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 44%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 61%
Typical debt would take roughly 4.4 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.
Men out-earn women by $11,547 (20%) 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
- 95°F
- Winter low
- 43°F
- Annual rain
- 9.4″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Riverside Muni AP, CA US station (4.5 mi from campus).
What La Sierra University 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 La Sierra University
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare La Sierra University side by side →
Pacific University
Forest Grove, Oregon · Large suburb · 21 mi to Portland
- Students
- 1,516
- Admission
- 90%
- Net price
- $35k
- SAT
- 1090
- GPA
- 3.1
- Earnings
- $61k
Otis College of Art and Design
Los Angeles, California · Large city · 12 mi to Los Angeles
- Students
- 1,223
- Admission
- 82%
- Net price
- $51k
- SAT
- 1310
- GPA
- 3.6
- Earnings
- $58k
University of New England
Biddeford, Maine · Midsize suburb · 15 mi to Portland
- Students
- 2,135
- Admission
- 92%
- Net price
- $38k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $56k
The Master's University and Seminary
Santa Clarita, California · Large suburb · 28 mi to Los Angeles
- Students
- 1,622
- Admission
- 84%
- Net price
- $33k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $57k
Woodbury University
Burbank, California · Large city · 12 mi to Los Angeles
- Students
- 779
- Admission
- 82%
- Net price
- $34k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $66k
Nichols College
Dudley, Massachusetts · Large suburb · 16 mi to Worcester
- Students
- 1,163
- Admission
- 81%
- Net price
- $33k
- SAT
- 1140
- GPA
- 3.3
- Earnings
- $58k
Colleges near La Sierra University
American College of Healthcare and Technology
Riverside, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 272 students
North-West College-Riverside
Riverside, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 717 students
Advance Beauty Techs Academy
Corona, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 90 students
Norco College
Norco, CA · Public · Associate · 8,779 students
California Baptist University
Riverside, CA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 8,179 students
Salon Success Academy-Corona
Corona, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 196 students
Salon Success Academy-Riverside
Riverside, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 164 students
Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology
Riverside, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 317 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.














