University of San Diego vs La Sierra University

Nestled in the vibrant city of San Diego, California, University of San Diego (USD) and La Sierra University (LSU), located in the serene foothills of Riverside, California, offer distinct educational experiences. USD, a private Catholic university, boasts a diverse student body and a strong focus on liberal arts, while LSU, a private Seventh-day Adventist university, emphasizes a faith-based education and health sciences. With acceptance rates of 65% and 75%, respectively, both universities provide accessible pathways to higher education. Explore the detailed comparison table to delve into further differences, including popular majors, student demographics, and graduation rates, to help you make an informed decision about your academic journey.
La Sierra University logo

La Sierra University

University of San Diego logo

University of San Diego

Overview

Location Riverside, California San Diego, California
Campus setting City: Large City: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Quarter 4-1-4
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 72.0% 92.0%
Common app member No Yes
Religious affiliation Protestant Catholic

Admission

Acceptance rate 66.1% 52.7%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $55

Graduate: $45
SAT range 880 - 1140 N/A
ACT range 18 - 28 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 25.0%
Students submitting ACT score 2.0%
Total number of applicants 2,726 14,326
Total number of admissions given out 1,801 7,550
Admitted students who chose to enroll 287 1,166
Yield rate 15.9% 15.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $59,289 $75,982
Average net price $25,230 $34,155
Tuition $33,228 $52,120
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $4,740

Meal plan: $4,050
$16,246
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

100.0%
Average amount $20,812
82.0%
Average amount $34,413
Students receiving federal student loan 59.0%
Average amount $4,980
33.0%
Average amount $5,216
Students taking out private loans 1.0%
Average amount $22,020
5.0%
Average amount $12,155

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 1,351
Men 41.2% Women 58.8%
5,702
Men 43.9% Women 56.1%
Graduate students 387
Men 33.1% Women 66.9%
3,339
Men 42.4% Women 57.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students N/A 45.5%
International students 14.1% 6.2%
Campus local/setting City: Large City: Large
Dormitory capacity 850 2,484
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A California Washington Colorado Arizona Nevada

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Law Enforcement and Firefighting
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Business
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Legal Profession
  • Business
  • Education
  • Health Professions
  • Law Enforcement and Firefighting
Students to faculty ratio 16:1 13:1
Institutional accreditation Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 44.9% 80.0%
Dropout rate 20.1% 19.5%
Transferred out 34.7% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,771
  • Year 2: $47,260
  • Year 3: $56,649
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $28,359
  • Year 2: $26,933
  • Year 3: $41,100
Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $41,044
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $22,771
  • Year 3: N/A
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $31,215
  • Year 2: $16,478
  • Year 3: N/A
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $32,179
  • Year 2: $28,019
  • Year 3: N/A
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $25,194
  • Year 3: N/A
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,431
  • Year 2: $29,751
  • Year 3: N/A
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $114,672
  • Year 2: $117,572
  • Year 3: $115,744
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $95,123
  • Year 2: $89,672
  • Year 3: $102,690
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $91,786
  • Year 2: $84,653
  • Year 3: $98,598
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $96,329
  • Year 2: $91,744
  • Year 3: $93,985
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,367
  • Year 2: $73,391
  • Year 3: $92,346
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $72,417
  • Year 2: $75,706
  • Year 3: $84,924
Real Estate (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,970
  • Year 2: $63,005
  • Year 3: $84,277
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,809
  • Year 2: $61,962
  • Year 3: $75,083
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,424
  • Year 2: $67,324
  • Year 3: $72,729
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,434
  • Year 2: $61,069
  • Year 3: $72,310

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