La Sierra University

Riverside, CA · WestQuad's selectivityOpen

Website Admissions Apply Visit Financial aid

Admissions · Fall 2024

9 in 10 applicants admitted

La Sierra admits about 9 in 10 applicants (92%). That puts it in the "Open" tier, more selective than 19% of the 1,547 colleges that report admissions.

92%

acceptance rateQuad's selectivityOpen

Applied

1,917

Admitted

1,754

Yield

13%

of admits enroll

Applications −59% since fall 2014 · admit rate 41% → 92%Over time

Getting in, in detail: funnel, what they look at, your scores

Students

Who's on campus

A small campus of 1,116 undergrads, where 47% receive Pell Grants, a high share compared to other colleges.

1.1K

undergrads · larger than 40% of colleges

Diversity index

0.67

Pell Grant

47%

above the median

First generation

40%

above the median

Large cityNAIA · California Pacific ConferenceStudy abroadUndergrad research

Less diverse · index 0.74 → 0.67 since fall 2014Over time

Students and campus life in detail

Academics

Majors and faculty

The most popular major is Criminal Justice/Safety Studies (18% of graduates). 12 students for every faculty member, fewer than at 59% of colleges. 64% of faculty are full-time. Spends $13,162 a year on instruction per student.

12 to 1

students per faculty member · fewer than at 59% of colleges

What it costs

In 2023–24, the average first-year paid an estimated $25,687 in total (tuition, housing, food, books and other costs, after grants), $1.4K more than the national median. The 98% who received grants paid $23,848 on average; the other 2% paid the full sticker price of $52,908.

51%

$25.7K

average total cost per year, all first-years, after grants (est.) · $1.4K above the national median

Full price: $52,908 a year; tuition, housing, food, books, and other costs
Need-based aid: Little need-based aid above $110K; aid thins out for families above that income
Merit aid: 22% · avg $102K; of first-years got a grant without federal aid (a proxy: at most colleges that's merit aid)

Aid generosity

Generous

grants cover 51% of full price

Federal loans

59%

of undergrads · national median 45%

Your price

Net price calculator

the college's own

Financial aid

Financial aid office Veterans' benefits

Cost falling · −22% after inflation since 2013–14Over time

Prices, who gets aid, and borrowing in detail

Outcomes

What it pays

Former students earn a median $61,824 ten years after enrolling, more than at 71% of colleges; 52% graduate within six years. Four years of net price is about 1.7 years of that salary.

52%

graduate within six years · national median 59%

Median earnings

$61.8K

10 years after entry

Median debt

$27K

≈ $286/month for 10 years

Retention

77%

come back for year two

Graduation rate 50% → 60% since the class that entered fall 2008Over time

Earnings, finishing, 8-year outcomes, by group

Over time · since 2013–14

How it's changed

Since 2013–14, the full price fell 3% after inflation, while what the average first-year paid fell 22%, because grants grew faster. Applications fell 59% since fall 2014, and the acceptance rate went from 41% to 92%.

Cost
Falling
−22% after inflation
Applications
Shrinking
−59%
Selectivity
Less selective
admit rate 41% → 92%
Diversity
Less diverse
index 0.74 → 0.67

Every series, year by year

Keep exploring

Schools like this one

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93% admit · 1.3K undergrads

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Nelson University

89% admit · SAT 990 · 1.5K undergrads

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Columbia College

94% admit · 1.3K undergrads

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Southern Nazarene University

1.5K undergrads

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Sources for this overviewEvery dataset and year behind the numbers on this profile; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources for this profile

1
IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2025–26 · retrieved 2026-10-12
2
College Scorecard
U.S. Department of Education · most recent release; Entered fall 2023; Fall 2024; 2023–24; Fall 2023 · retrieved 2026-10-12
3
IPEDS Admissions survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
4
IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
5
IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2025–26 · retrieved 2026-10-12
6
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
7
IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2024–25 graduates · retrieved 2026-10-12
8
College Scorecard Field of Study data
U.S. Department of Education · most recent release · retrieved 2026-10-12
9
IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
10
IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
11
Common Data Set
Each college (voluntary, standardized template) · most recent release · retrieved 2026-10-12
12
IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Entered fall 2018 · retrieved 2026-10-12
13
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part C, residence of first-time students)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
14
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part A, enrollment by level)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
15
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (distance education)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
16
IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
17
IPEDS Outcome Measures survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Students entering fall 2016 · retrieved 2026-10-12
18
La Sierra University (2026)
La Sierra University · 2026 · retrieved 2026-10-04

IPEDS unit ID 117627 · Data retrieved 2026-10-12. Tap any ⓘ to see where that number came from and what year it describes. National ranks and medians include every 4-year college that reports the measure. How we source and calculate everything