Private nonprofit · College
Pacific Oaks College
Pasadena, California · Midsize city
- 34.4%
- Admit rate
- —
- Avg net price
- —
- Graduation rate
- $52,485
- Median earnings
Pacific Oaks College is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Pasadena, California (midsize city setting), enrolling 312 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).
About Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, 10 miles (16 km) northeast of downtown Los Angeles. The earliest known inhabitants of present-day Pasadena and its surroundings were members of the Hahamog-na tribe, a branch of the Tongva Nation. They spoke the Tongva language, belonging to the Northern subfamily of the Uto-Aztecan language group. Pasadena is home to the Tournament of Roses Parade, held each year on January 1 (or on January 2, if the 1st falls on a Sunday). The first parade was held in 1890 and was originally sponsored by the Valley Hunt Club, a Pasadena social club. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Midsize city
- Highest degree offered
- Graduate
- Nearest big city
- 9 miles to Los Angeles, CA
- To the ocean
- 22 miles
- Nearest airport
- 12 miles to Hollywood Burbank/Bob Hope (BUR) · major hub
How Pacific Oaks College compares
More selective than 92% · #21 most selective of 107 in California
Higher than 46% · #101 of 130 in California
Lower than 5%
Lower than 68%
Larger than 16%
Percentiles compare Pacific Oaks College 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
- Undergraduate31229%
- Graduate75671%
Undergraduates by gender
- Women29193%
- Men217%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White21%
- Black16%
- Hispanic50%
- Asian2.2%
- Other or multiracial12%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 312
- Graduate enrollment
- 756
- Student–faculty ratio
- 11 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 57%
- First-generation students
- 58%
- Students over 25
- 89%
- Median family income
- $24,828
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $63,477
- Endowment
- $12,546,490
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Admissions
- Admission rate
- 34.4%
- Test scores
- Considered but not required
- SAT range (25th–75th %)
- —
- SAT average
- —
- SAT reading
- —
- SAT math
- —
- ACT composite
- —
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $32,520
- Room & board
- —
- Books & supplies
- $2,099
- Total cost of attendance
- —
- Average net price
- —
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
- —
- First-year retention
- —
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $47,962
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $52,485
- Median debt at graduation
- $29,105
- Students with federal loans
- 74%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 43%
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
- $55
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 1 campus (1,068 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.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $52,485
- Typical debt at graduation
- $29,105
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 55%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 72%
Typical debt would take roughly 5.5 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.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 91°F
- Winter low
- 45°F
- Annual rain
- 20.1″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Pasadena, CA US station (0.5 mi from campus).
What Pacific Oaks College 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 Pacific Oaks College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Pacific Oaks College side by side →
Hope International University
Fullerton, California · Large suburb · 24 mi to Los Angeles
- Students
- 564
- Admission
- 33%
- Net price
- $29k
- SAT
- 1020
- GPA
- 3.0
- Earnings
- $50k
Soka University of America
Aliso Viejo, California · Large suburb · 36 mi to Riverside
- Students
- 484
- Admission
- 43%
- Net price
- $18k
- SAT
- 1440
- GPA
- 4.0
- Earnings
- $55k
College of Saint Mary
Omaha, Nebraska · Large city · 5 mi to Omaha
- Students
- 445
- Admission
- 45%
- Net price
- $17k
- SAT
- 1150
- GPA
- 3.4
- Earnings
- $54k
Millsaps College
Jackson, Mississippi · Midsize city · 2 mi to Jackson
- Students
- 549
- Admission
- 43%
- Net price
- $26k
- SAT
- 1181
- GPA
- 3.5
- Earnings
- $54k
Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses
Angola, Indiana · Distant town · 39 mi to Fort Wayne
- Students
- 607
- Admission
- 40%
- Net price
- $16k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $57k
Brescia University
Owensboro, Kentucky · Small city · 29 mi to Evansville
- Students
- 545
- Admission
- 35%
- Net price
- $9k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $46k
Colleges near Pacific Oaks College
Saybrook University
Pasadena, CA · Private nonprofit · Graduate
Providence Christian College
Pasadena, CA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 168 students
Fuller Theological Seminary
Pasadena, CA · Private nonprofit · Graduate
Capstone College
Pasadena, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 148 students
Institute of Culinary Education
Pasadena, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 553 students
Los Angeles College of Music
Pasadena, CA · Private for-profit · Bachelor's · 227 students
Paul Mitchell the School-Pasadena
Pasadena, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 170 students
California College of Music
Pasadena, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 60 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.