Vanguard University of Southern California
Costa Mesa, CA · Private · Midsize city · VUSC · Vanguard University
Private institution in Costa Mesa, CA · 1,975 undergraduates · 65% acceptance rate · $59,541 median earnings 10 years after entry.
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- $19,7611,054th cheapest of 1,969 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $39,9501,635th cheapest of 2,024 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $39,9501,603rd cheapest of 2,024 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $50,1781,477th cheapest of 1,969 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $22,000884th lowest of 1,865 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $59,541560th highest of 1,954 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $43,464987th highest of 1,950 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 55.9%921st highest of 2,014 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 73.7%1,034th highest of 1,837 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 64.7%491st most selective of 1,596 reporting
- Average SAT
- —
- Median ACT
- 22604th highest of 952 reporting
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 1,975944th largest of 2,144 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 16.0:11,454th smallest of 2,141 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 42.9%589th highest of 2,122 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 35 mi (LAX)
On 2 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 29 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingHealth Professions | bachelors | $86,015 | $91,300 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusiness | bachelors | $42,682 | $40,697 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital CommunicationCommunications | bachelors | $36,560 | $25,194 |
| MarketingBusiness | bachelors | $36,275 | $34,348 |
| Pastoral Counseling and Specialized MinistriesTheology | bachelors | $33,993 | $29,685 |
| Religion/Religious StudiesPhilosophy & Religious Studies | bachelors | $33,993 | — |
| Communication and Media StudiesCommunications | bachelors | $32,391 | $33,043 |
| Psychology, GeneralPsychology | bachelors | $30,771 | $28,960 |
| Health and Physical Education/FitnessParks, Recreation & Fitness | bachelors | $22,329 | $17,950 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and StagecraftVisual & Performing Arts | bachelors | $19,227 | $28,019 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBusiness | bachelors | — | — |
| AnthropologySocial Sciences | bachelors | — | — |
Campus facts
- Religious affiliation: Assemblies of God Churchsource
- Founded in 1920source
- Competes in NCAA Division IIsource
- School colors: #003767 and #FFC522source
- Athletic nickname: "Lions"source
- Motto: "Truth. Virtue. Service"source
- Formerly known as "Southern California Bible School" (1920–1939)source
- Formerly known as "Southern California Bible College" (1939–1959)source
- Formerly known as "Southern California College" (1959–1999)source
- Athletic conference: Pacific West Conferencesource
- Notable alum: Emily Rosesource
Athletics — 10 sports
NCAA Division II without football · NCAA Division II
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $2,905,710 (M $1,260,187 · W $1,645,523)
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Beach Volleyball
- Golf
- Other Sports
- Soccer
- Softball
- Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
- Volleyball
- Wrestling
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Similar-size colleges
Nearest undergraduate enrollment to Vanguard University of Southern California’s 1,975 (College Scorecard UGDS, compiled 2026-10-24). Size only — not a judgment of similarity or quality.
In CA
- Saint Mary's College of CaliforniaMoraga, CA · 2,024 undergrads
- Westcliff UniversityIrvine, CA · 2,037 undergrads
- Art Center College of DesignPasadena, CA · 2,054 undergrads
- University of RedlandsRedlands, CA · 2,095 undergrads
- Occidental CollegeLos Angeles, CA · 1,844 undergrads
- Mount Saint Mary's UniversityLos Angeles, CA · 1,746 undergrads
Elsewhere
- Eastern UniversitySaint Davids, PA · 1,978 undergrads
- Moravian UniversityBethlehem, PA · 1,970 undergrads
- Dakota State UniversityMadison, SD · 1,969 undergrads
- Western Nevada CollegeCarson City, NV · 1,967 undergrads
- Eckerd CollegeSaint Petersburg, FL · 1,984 undergrads
- La Salle UniversityPhiladelphia, PA · 1,966 undergrads
Key links
- Official websitevanguard.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 123651)
- Compare colleges in CARe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in CaliforniaEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Compare with Saint Mary's College of CaliforniaSide by side on every Scorecard measure — closest in-state school by enrollment
- Showdown: Vanguard University of Southern California vs Saint Mary's College of CaliforniaHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 10 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.