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National University

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National University Overview

National University is a private not-for-profit institution located in La Jolla, California. La Jolla is a great location for students who prefer city over country life.

What Is National University Known For?

2,382 Undergraduate Awards
89% Acceptance Rate
  • The 5% student loan default rate at National University is better than the national rate of 10.1%. That's a good sign that you may be able to pay off student loans easier than your peers at other schools can.
  • The doctor's degree is the highest award offered at National University.
  • In 2017-2018, 11% of the faculty were full-time.
  • After graduation, National University bachelor's degree recipients go on to jobs where they make $59,400 a year. That's about 46% more than their peers at other schools.

Best Schools

National University Rankings

According to our 2022 analysis, National University is ranked #449 out of 2,587 schools in the nation that were analyzed for overall quality.

Our rankings are based on an outcomes-based approach rather than subjective ones used by other media outlets. As such, we utilize data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and the College Scorecard, among other sources. Visit our rankings and methodology section to learn more.

National University has been awarded the following overall awards by our latest rankings.

Rank Ranking Name Share
#9 Best Associate Degree Schools Tweet It - Post It
#88 Best Undergraduate Certificate Schools Tweet It - Post It

Program Level Awards

These are highlights of some of the most noteworthy awards granted to specific programs at National University.

Rank Ranking Name Share
#3 Best Corporate Communications Bachelor’s Degree Schools Tweet It - Post It
#4 Best Multilingual Education Master’s Degree Schools Tweet It - Post It
#5 Best Legal Professions Undergraduate Certificate Schools Tweet It - Post It
#7 Best Law Enforcement & Firefighting Undergraduate Certificate Schools Tweet It - Post It
#8 Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools Tweet It - Post It
#12 Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools Tweet It - Post It
#12 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools Tweet It - Post It
#36 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools Tweet It - Post It
#79 Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools Tweet It - Post It
#101 Best Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools Tweet It - Post It

Awards From Around the Web

The following table lists some notable awards National University has earned from around the web.

Rank Ranking Name Source
#18 Best Instructional Media Design Schools College Factual
#19 Best General Studies Schools College Factual
#54 Best Special Education Schools College Factual
#68 Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools College Factual
#68 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools College Factual
#86 Best Nursing Schools Nursing Degree Search

Where Is National University?

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Contact details for National University are given below.

Contact Details
Address: 11255 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037-1011
Phone: 800-628-8648
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nationaluniversity
Twitter: https://twitter.com/natuniv

How Do I Get Into National University?

You can apply to National University online at: www.nu.edu/Admissions/ApplyOnline.html

Admission Requirements for National University

Submission Required?
High School GPA required
High School Rank considered but not required
High School Transcript considered but not required
College Prep Program neither required nor recommended
Recommendations neither required nor recommended
SAT or ACT Scores neither required nor recommended
TOEFL required

How Hard Is It To Get Into National University?

89% Acceptance Rate
50% Of Accepted Are Women
With an acceptance rate of 89%, National University is fairly easy to get into, but you must be sure to submit the required materials.

Approximately 50% of accepted students are men and 50% are women. The acceptance rate for men is 84%, and the acceptance rate for women is 95%.

Can I Afford National University?

55% Take Out Loans
4.5% Loan Default Rate

Student Loan Debt

It's not uncommon for college students to take out loans to pay for school. In fact, almost 66% of students nationwide depend at least partially on loans. At National University, approximately 55% of students took out student loans averaging $7,381 a year. That adds up to $29,524 over four years for those students.

The student loan default rate at National University is 4.5%. This is significantly lower than the national default rate of 10.1%, which is a good sign that you'll be able to pay back your student loans.

National University Undergraduate Student Diversity

3,292 Full-Time Undergraduates
54% Women
45% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
There are 8,441 undergraduate students at National University, with 3,292 being full-time and 5,149 being part-time.

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There are also 9,629 graduate students at the school.

Gender Diversity

Of the 3,292 full-time undergraduates at National University, 46% are male and 54% are female.

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Racial-Ethnic Diversity

The racial-ethnic breakdown of National University students is as follows.

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 0
Black or African American 301
Hispanic or Latino 956
White 1,179
International Students 13
Other Races/Ethnicities 843

Geographic Diversity

California students aren't the only ones who study at National University. At this time, 7 states are represented by the student population at the school.

Over 29 countries are represented at National University. The most popular countries sending students to the school are China, Germany, and Thailand.

Online Learning at National University

4,683 Took All Classes Online
7,959 Took At Least One Class Online
-19.3% Avg Growth Over 4 Years
There are 45 bachelor’s degree and 45 master’s degree programs available online at National University. In 2019-2020, 7,959 students took at least one online class at the school.

The following chart shows how the online learning population at National University has changed over the last few years.

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This school is the 3rd most popular in California for online learning according to the online graduations recorded by the Department of Education for the academic year 2019-2020.

Online Affordability Rankings of National University

The following table shows how National University is ranked for affordability for both in-state and out-of-state students among colleges and universities that are not mostly online.

Major Tuition for In-State Students Tuition for Out-of-State Students
Manufacturing Engineering #1 #1
Construction Engineering #1 #1
Arts & Media Management #1 #1
Other Psychology #1 #1
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants #1 #1
Business/Corporate Communications #4 #1
Electronics Engineering Technology #4 #1
Drama & Theater Arts #4 #1
Film, Video & Photographic Arts #4 #1
Non-Professional General Legal Studies #7 #1
Design & Applied Arts #7 #1
International Studies #10 #1
Legal Support Services #10 #1
Construction Management #13 #1
International Business #13 #1
Multilingual Education #13 #1
Radio, Television & Digital Communication #16 #1
Legal Professions #18 #3
Romance Languages #19 #7
Electrical Engineering #19 #1
Mathematics & Statistics #20 #11
General Social Sciences #22 #1
Visual & Performing Arts #25 #10
Sustainability Science #28 #4
Mathematics #28 #10
Public Relations & Advertising #31 #4
General Psychology #34 #4
Foreign Languages & Linguistics #34 #10
Management Sciences & Quantitative Methods #39 #1
Writing Studies #43 #1
Homeland Security #45 #4
Management Information Systems #46 #10
Medical Illustration & Informatics #48 #4
Computer Science #52 #13
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science #58 #10
History #58 #1
Health Sciences & Services #66 #13
History #67 #4
Information Technology #73 #16

Online Affordability Rankings of National University Rankings

The following table shows how National University is ranked for affordability for both in-state and out-of-state students among colleges and universities that are mostly online.

Major Tuition for In-State Students Tuition for Out-of-State Students
Writing Studies #1 #1
Arts & Media Management #1 #1
Construction Management #1 #1
Drama & Theater Arts #1 #1
Health & Physical Education #1 #1
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies #1 #1
Sustainability Science #1 #1
Statistics #1 #1
Construction Engineering #1 #1
Mathematics & Statistics #1 #1
Radio, Television & Digital Communication #1 #1
Electrical Engineering #1 #1
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants #1 #1
Medical Illustration & Informatics #1 #1
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science #1 #1
Manufacturing Engineering #1 #1
Electronics Engineering Technology #1 #1
Multilingual Education #4 #4
General English Literature #4 #4
Romance Languages #4 #1
Legal Support Services #4 #4
Engineering #4 #4
Communication & Media Studies #4 #4
Engineering-Related Fields #4 #4
International Studies #4 #4
Foreign Languages & Linguistics #7 #4
History #7 #4
Public Relations & Advertising #7 #4
Visual & Performing Arts #7 #7
Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology #7 #7
History #7 #4
Student Counseling #10 #7
Public Health #10 #7
International Business #10 #10
Computer Science #10 #10
Business/Corporate Communications #10 #7
Health Sciences & Services #12 #15
General Psychology #13 #10
Interdisciplinary Studies #13 #13
Allied Health Professions #13 #10
Engineering Technologies #16 #13
Management Sciences & Quantitative Methods #16 #16
Information Technology #16 #16
Homeland Security #18 #15
Non-Professional General Legal Studies #19 #16
Finance & Financial Management #19 #19
Legal Professions #19 #16
Mathematics #19 #16
Political Science & Government #21 #15
Teacher Education Subject Specific #21 #18
Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies #22 #16
Accounting #22 #22
Instructional Media Design #25 #22
English Language & Literature #25 #25
General Education #27 #24
Teacher Education Grade Specific #28 #28
Public Administration & Social Service #28 #28
Management Information Systems #31 #31
Public Administration #31 #31
Social Sciences #31 #25
Sociology #34 #22
Education #37 #34
General Social Sciences #37 #31
Human Resource Management #41 #41
Educational Administration #49 #43
Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities #64 #58
Liberal Arts General Studies #64 #58
Health & Medical Administrative Services #67 #61
Psychology #73 #61

Online Growth Rankings of National University

The average growth rate over the last four years of online students at National University was -19.3%. This is the #2,053 largest growth rate of all schools that are only partially online. This refers to all students at National University regardless of major.

The following table shows the 1-year growth rate of National University majors that offer at least one online course. This table only includes majors with positive growth.

Major 1-Year Growth Rate
Arts & Media Management 44%
Business/Corporate Communications 38%
Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology 19%
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science 43%
Communication & Journalism 30%
Communication & Media Studies 19%
Construction Engineering 55%
Education 17%
Engineering 2%
Engineering Technologies 40%
Engineering-Related Fields 36%
English Language & Literature 8%
General Education 34%
General English Literature 14%
General Psychology 22%
Health & Medical Administrative Services 12%
Health & Physical Education 19%
Health Professions 39%
Health Sciences & Services 28%
History 13%
History 13%
Management Information Systems 17%
Management Sciences & Quantitative Methods 14%
Mathematics 11%
Mathematics & Statistics 4%
Nursing 9%
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies 19%
Psychology 20%
Public Health 19%
Public Relations & Advertising 43%
Radio, Television & Digital Communication 29%
Special Education 1%
Student Counseling 17%
Teacher Education Subject Specific 41%

The table below shows how the average growth rate over 4 years at National University ranks compared to all other partially online schools that offer a specific major. Note that the majors may or may not be offered online at National University.

Major Growth Rate Rank
Construction Engineering #4
Film, Video & Photographic Arts #15
Drama & Theater Arts #19
Business/Corporate Communications #20
General Engineering Technology #25
Other Psychology #25
Construction Management #25
Non-Professional General Legal Studies #27
International Studies #27
Statistics #28
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants #28
Arts & Media Management #29
Electronics Engineering Technology #39
Radio, Television & Digital Communication #52
Multilingual Education #53
Electrical Engineering #70
Romance Languages #72
Interdisciplinary Studies #79
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science #82
Mathematics #85
Design & Applied Arts #98
Medical Illustration & Informatics #98
General Social Sciences #101
International Business #104
Computer Science #105
Political Science & Government #109
Engineering-Related Fields #122
Foreign Languages & Linguistics #123
Mathematics & Statistics #124
Writing Studies #124
Public Relations & Advertising #130
Student Counseling #149
Management Sciences & Quantitative Methods #150
General English Literature #153
Sociology #161
History #162
History #162
Management Information Systems #164
Homeland Security #182
Finance & Financial Management #199
Legal Support Services #206
Visual & Performing Arts #212
Health Sciences & Services #220
Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology #221
Public Administration #233
Engineering #237
General Education #245
Communication & Media Studies #247
English Language & Literature #272
Public Health #296
Instructional Media Design #304
Legal Professions #317
Health & Physical Education #331
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies #366
Human Resource Management #375
Information Technology #379
Communication & Journalism #379
General Psychology #382
Engineering Technologies #389
Special Education #465
Teacher Education Subject Specific #475

When we speak of partially online, we are referring to schools whose online population is less than 50% of its total student body. Mostly online refers to those with online populations greater than or equal to 50%.

National University Undergraduate Concentrations

The table below shows the number of awards for each concentration.

Major Basic Certificate Associate’s Undergraduate Certificate Bachelor’s Graduate Certificate Master’s TOTAL
General Education 0 0 0 0 0 902 902
Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology 0 0 0 0 11 839 850
Business Administration & Management 0 5 2 274 0 283 564
Nursing 0 0 0 326 69 22 417
Allied Health Professions 361 0 0 14 0 0 375
Special Education 0 0 0 3 0 315 318
Public Health 0 0 0 75 0 203 278
Teacher Education Grade Specific 0 0 0 184 1 66 251
General Psychology 0 0 0 167 0 60 227
Student Counseling 0 0 0 0 0 212 212
Educational Administration 0 0 0 0 0 206 206
Information Technology 0 0 0 62 0 79 141
Criminal Justice & Corrections 0 0 1 105 0 26 132
Liberal Arts General Studies 0 107 0 22 0 0 129
Public Administration 0 0 0 15 0 96 111
Homeland Security 0 0 0 56 0 41 97
Human Resource Management 0 0 0 5 0 74 79
Health & Medical Administrative Services 0 0 0 37 0 38 75
Accounting 0 0 0 45 0 28 73
General English Literature 0 0 0 21 0 49 70
Management Information Systems 0 0 0 39 0 27 66
Computer Science 0 0 0 27 0 35 62
Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences 0 54 0 0 0 0 54
Health & Physical Education 0 0 0 9 0 38 47
Interdisciplinary Studies 0 0 0 45 0 0 45
Engineering-Related Fields 0 0 0 0 0 39 39
Writing Studies 0 2 0 0 0 37 39
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science 0 0 0 35 0 0 35
Sociology 0 0 0 34 0 0 34
Instructional Media Design 0 0 0 0 0 32 32
Communication & Media Studies 0 0 0 0 0 26 26
Health Sciences & Services 0 0 0 25 0 0 25
History 0 0 0 21 0 2 23
Teacher Education Subject Specific 0 0 0 16 0 6 22
Public Relations & Advertising 0 0 0 21 0 0 21
Mechanical Engineering Technology 20 0 0 0 0 0 20
Statistics 0 0 0 0 0 19 19
Manufacturing Engineering 0 0 0 18 0 0 18
Medical Illustration & Informatics 0 0 0 0 0 17 17
Business/Corporate Communications 0 0 0 16 0 0 16
Multilingual Education 0 0 0 0 0 16 16
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 0 0 0 1 0 14 15
Finance & Financial Management 0 0 0 12 2 0 14
Electrical Engineering 0 0 0 13 0 0 13
General Biology 0 0 0 11 0 0 11
Construction Engineering 0 0 0 11 0 0 11
Non-Professional General Legal Studies 0 0 0 10 0 0 10
Legal Support Services 0 2 5 2 0 0 9
Mathematics 0 0 0 9 0 0 9
Arts & Media Management 0 0 0 9 0 0 9
Construction Management 0 0 0 8 0 0 8
Management Sciences & Quantitative Methods 0 0 0 0 2 5 7
Radio, Television & Digital Communication 0 0 0 0 0 7 7
Electronics Engineering Technology 0 0 0 0 0 7 7
Romance Languages 0 0 0 7 0 0 7
Political Science & Government 0 0 0 7 0 0 7
International Business 0 0 0 0 0 6 6
Drama & Theater Arts 0 0 0 0 0 6 6
Alternative Medicine & Systems 0 0 0 0 0 3 3
International Studies 0 0 0 2 0 0 2
Other Psychology 0 0 0 2 0 0 2
General Engineering Technology 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
General Social Sciences 0 0 0 1 0 0 1
Design & Applied Arts 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
Mental & Social Health Services 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sustainability Science 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Natural Resources Conservation 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
TOTAL 381 171 8 1,822 85 3,882 6,349

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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