Private nonprofit · University
National University
San Diego, California · Large city
- —
- Admit rate
- $22,878
- Avg net price
- 43%
- Graduation rate
- $67,548
- Median earnings
National University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in San Diego, California (large city setting), enrolling 10,794 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).
About San Diego, California
San Diego is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. What has been referred to as the San Dieguito complex was established in the area at least 9,000 years ago. The culture of San Diego is influenced heavily by the mixing of American and Mexican cultures, due to the city's position on the Mexico–United States border, its large Chicano population, and its history as part of Hispanic America and Mexico. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Large city
- Highest degree offered
- Graduate
- Nearest big city
- 8 miles to San Diego, CA
- To the ocean
- 8 miles
- Nearest airport
- 8 miles to San Diego (SAN) · major hub
How National University compares
Higher than 27% · #99 of 122 in California
Higher than 7%
Higher than 80% · #57 of 130 in California
Cheaper than 36% · #57 cheapest of 118 in California
Lower than 34%
Lower than 28%
Larger than 90%
Percentiles compare National University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in California.
National University campus
Student body
Undergraduate vs. graduate
- Undergraduate10,79450%
- Graduate10,87850%
Undergraduates by gender
- Women6,85964%
- Men3,93536%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White29%
- Black18%
- Hispanic32%
- Asian7.3%
- Other or multiracial14%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 10,794
- Graduate enrollment
- 10,878
- Student–faculty ratio
- 16 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 29%
- First-generation students
- 44%
- Students over 25
- 82%
- Median family income
- $31,188
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $83,988
- Endowment
- $916,202,700
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $13,284
- Room & board
- —
- Books & supplies
- $936
- Total cost of attendance
- $33,978
- Average net price
- $22,878
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)
- 43%
- Graduated on time (4 years)
- 17%
- First-year retention
- 53%
- Transferred to another college
- 0%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $64,331
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $67,548
- Median debt at graduation
- $25,000
- Students with federal loans
- 25%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 43%
About 26% 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
- No
- Application fee
- Free
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%.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- A
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.0 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 0
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 0
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 17 campuses (22,115 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.
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.
$25,176/year × about 4.9 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.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $67,548
- Typical debt at graduation
- $25,000
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 37%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 76%
Typical debt would take roughly 3.7 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 $18,055 (29%) 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
- 82°F
- Winter low
- 45°F
- Annual rain
- 11″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, San Diego Montgomery Fld, CA US station (1.2 mi from campus).
What National 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 National University
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare National University side by side →
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, Missouri · Large city · 2 mi to St. Louis
- Students
- 7,267
- Admission
- 75%
- Net price
- $24k
- SAT
- 1317
- GPA
- 3.7
- Earnings
- $71k
St. John's University-New York
Queens, New York · Large city · 11 mi to New York
- Students
- 9,477
- Admission
- 83%
- Net price
- $30k
- SAT
- 1244
- GPA
- 3.5
- Earnings
- $70k
California Baptist University
Riverside, California · Large city · 5 mi to Riverside
- Students
- 8,179
- Admission
- 85%
- Net price
- $26k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $62k
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois · Large city · < 1 mi to Chicago
- Students
- 14,090
- Admission
- 76%
- Net price
- $31k
- SAT
- 1262
- GPA
- 3.6
- Earnings
- $69k
Maryville University of Saint Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri · Large suburb · 17 mi to St. Louis
- Students
- 5,658
- Admission
- 95%
- Net price
- $22k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $62k
Pace University
New York, New York · Large city · < 1 mi to New York
- Students
- 7,665
- Admission
- 76%
- Net price
- $31k
- SAT
- 1266
- GPA
- 3.6
- Earnings
- $70k
Colleges near National University
The University of Arizona Global Campus
Chandler, AZ · Public · Bachelor's · 20,152 students
San Diego Mesa College
San Diego, CA · Public · Associate · 16,098 students
California Miramar University
San Diego, CA · Private for-profit · Bachelor's · 135 students
Pacific College of Health and Science
San Diego, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 143 students
Design Institute of San Diego
San Diego, CA · Private for-profit · Bachelor's · 77 students
San Diego State University
San Diego, CA · Public · Bachelor's · 35,377 students
Alliant International University-San Diego
San Diego, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 391 students
United States University
Sandy Springs, CA · Private for-profit · Bachelor's · 153 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.














