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?
- Students at National University have an easier time paying back their loans. The school's student loan default rate is only 5%, compared to the national rate of 10.1%.
- The doctor's degree is the highest award offered at National University.
- In 2017-2018, 22% of the faculty were full-time.
- A student who earns a bachelor's degree from National University makes roughly $59,400 a year. This is 46% more than their peers from other colleges and universities.
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National University Rankings
National University landed the #296 spot in our 2021 ranking of best colleges. We analyzed 2,320 colleges and universities across the nation to determine this ranking. This puts it in the top 15% of all schools in the nation. Out of the 220 colleges in California, it is ranked at #26.
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 also been awarded the following overall awards by our latest rankings.
Rank | Ranking Name | Share |
---|---|---|
#28 | Most Popular Master’s Degree Schools | Tweet It - Post It |
#48 | Most Popular Online Bachelor’s Degree Schools | Tweet It - Post It |
#318 | Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree 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.
Awards From Around the Web
The following table lists some notable awards National University has earned from around the web.
Rank | Ranking Name | Source |
---|---|---|
#3 | Best Management Information Systems Colleges for Veterans | College Factual |
#13 | Best Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting Colleges for Veterans | College Factual |
#13 | Best General Psychology Colleges for Veterans | College Factual |
#23 | Best Psychology Colleges for Veterans | College Factual |
#28 | Best Business Administration & Management Colleges for Veterans | College Factual |
#39 | Best Teaching Schools | Teaching Degree Search |
Where Is National University?

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 |
Website: | www.nu.edu |
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
Can I Afford National University?
The student loan default rate at National University is 4.9%. 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

There are also 9,314 graduate students at the school.
Gender Diversity
Of the 2,856 full-time undergraduates at National University, 45% are male and 55% are female.

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

Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Asian | 229 |
Black or African American | 230 |
Hispanic or Latino | 766 |
White | 1,009 |
International Students | 26 |
Other Races/Ethnicities | 596 |
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
The following chart shows how the online learning population at National University has changed over the last few years.

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 2017-2018.
Online Growth Rankings of National University
The average growth rate over the last four years of online students at National University was -7.7%. This is the #2,543 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.
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.
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.
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.
- College Factual
- National Center for Education Statistics
- Image Credit: By University under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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