Vanguard University of Southern California
Costa Mesa, California · Also known as Vanguard University · Website
$59,541
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$59,541
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Vanguard University of Southern California is a private nonprofit 4-year college in Costa Mesa, California with 1,933 undergraduates and 286 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $21,241 a year (tuition and fees $41,700). It admits 62% of applicants and 57% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $59,541 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $22,000 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$21,241
US median $17,138
Tuition and fees
$41,700
US median $11,837
Admission rate
62%
US median 78%
Completion rate
57%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$22,000
About $233 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$59,541
Rank 817 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $21,241
- Tuition and fees
- $41,700
- Cost of attendance
- $52,665
- Students with a need-based grant
- 44%
- Students with federal loans
- 57%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $17,225
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $18,462
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $18,976
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $24,117
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $27,684
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $30,050 in 2015-16 to $41,700 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 62%
- SAT reading, middle
- 555
- SAT math, middle
- 535
- ACT, middle
- 22
- Undergraduates
- 1,933
- Graduate students
- 286
- Part-time students
- 11%
- Women
- 67%
- Students per teacher
- 13
- Completion rate
- 57%
- Retention rate
- 70%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 47
- Endowment
- $18.3M
- Other
- Hispanic-serving, Religious affiliation
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 817 of 5,094 US colleges and 113 of 494 in California (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | CA median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $21,241 | $20,161 | $22,320 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $41,700 | $8,086 | $31,170 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 62% | 76% | 74% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 57% | 64% | 57% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 70% | 80% | 77% | 75% |
| Median debt | $22,000 | $11,537 | $24,287 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $43,464 | $36,048 | $44,392 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $59,541 | $41,472 | $52,928 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US private nonprofit 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 66% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 67% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
47 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 74 | $16,266 | Withheld | $47,582 | $50,706 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 60 | $26,000 | $58,539 | $62,957 | $68,257 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 50 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $54,562 |
| Pastoral Counseling and Specialized MinistriesOnlineMaster's | Master's | 43 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $53,024 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied PsychologyOnlineMaster's | Master's | 40 | Withheld | Withheld | $75,686 | $65,184 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 39 | $18,930 | $102,915 | $102,239 | $88,910 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsGraduate certificate | Graduate certificate | 33 | - | - | Withheld | - |
| Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 27 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $56,359 |
| SociologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 25 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $52,657 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingMaster's | Master's | 24 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $120,193 |
| Curriculum and InstructionMaster's | Master's | 22 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Theological and Ministerial StudiesOnlineMaster's | Master's | 20 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $61,300 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 15 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Religion/Religious StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 15 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $41,390 |
| Education, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 14 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $49,808 |
| HistoryBachelor's | Bachelor's | 14 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $50,680 |
| Pastoral Counseling and Specialized MinistriesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 12 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and StagecraftBachelor's | Bachelor's | 11 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $39,775 |
| MarketingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 10 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $69,303 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 9 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $47,382 |
| MusicBachelor's | Bachelor's | 7 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| English Language and Literature, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 6 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $48,590 |
| ChemistryBachelor's | Bachelor's | 6 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 5 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $76,194 |
| BiotechnologyMaster's | Master's | 4 | - | - | Withheld | - |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Costa Mesa and California on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in California
- Homes: Homes for sale in California
Questions and answers
How much does Vanguard University of Southern California cost?
$21,241 a year is the average net price at Vanguard University of Southern California after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $41,700, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $52,665. Families earning under $30,000 pay $17,225 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Vanguard University of Southern California?
62% of applicants are admitted to Vanguard University of Southern California. The median admission rate of colleges in California is 76%.
How much do Vanguard University of Southern California graduates earn?
$59,541 a year is the median pay of former Vanguard University of Southern California students who work, 10 years after they started ($43,464 after 6 years). That ranks 817 of 5,094 US colleges and 113 of 494 in California. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's) at $102,915.
How much student debt do Vanguard University of Southern California graduates have?
$22,000 is the median federal student loan debt of Vanguard University of Southern California graduates, about $233 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 57% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Vanguard University of Southern California?
57% of first-time, full-time students at Vanguard University of Southern California finish within 6 years. 70% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of private nonprofit 4-year colleges is 57%.
What are the most popular majors at Vanguard University of Southern California?
Psychology, General (74 bachelor's graduates), Business Administration, Management and Operations (60 bachelor's graduates), Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness (50 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 47 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.