Dominican University of California is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in San Rafael, California. It enrolls 1,114 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorWestern Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Good
67/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes84
Value38
Affordability28
Selectivity48
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Dominican University of California admits 83.5% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.
Acceptance Rate
83.5%
Easy
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1210 – 1300
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Dominican University of California is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Stable ↑
4.3 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $35,333 a year on average, it sits above what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. That is a serious number, so the earnings further down matter more here than usual. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$52,161
Room & Board (on-campus)
$16,191
Room & Board (off-campus)
$17,784
Books & Supplies
$1,152
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,122
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$4,931
Total Cost of Attendance
$71,751
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$24,572
$30,001 – $48,000
$29,275
$48,001 – $75,000
$30,313
$75,001 – $110,000
$35,343
Over $110,000
$43,317
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$6,38810%percentile
$15,00025%percentile
$27,000Medianpercentile
$30,62575%percentile
$38,16690%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $23,878
↓ $3,122
No Pell $24,789
↓ $2,211
Dependent students $24,250
↓ $2,750
Independent students $25,000
↓ $2,000
Female students $25,000
↓ $2,000
Male students $18,417
↓ $8,583
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $11,613, less than completers ($27,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
72% of students who start here finish within six years, and 87% come back after first year. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
72%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
87%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
High first-year retention. Students who arrive tend to stay.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $84,713 a year, well above the national median. Strong earnings, though the field studied drives much of that. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$84,713
Earning > $25K
90%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$62,100
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$68,700
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$63,600
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$62,900
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$64,200
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $6,600, about 10% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
14.0 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 87% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 1,114 students, a small, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 31% are the first in their family to go to college.
Total Enrolled
1,114
Part-Time
10%
First-Generation
31%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
Hispanic 32.3%360
Asian 30.1%335
White 20.7%230
Black 5.8%65
International 2.7%30
Other 2.4%27
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Dominican University of California. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Dominican University of California offers
a varied set of programs:
33 distinct programs across
14 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 8 students for every instructor here: small classes, and staff who are likely to know your name.
Student : Faculty
8:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$77M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$85,716
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
109 instructional faculty across 5 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
29
27%
$97,035
Associate Professors
25
23%
$81,939
Assistant Professors
45
41%
$78,792
Instructors
4
4%
$103,424
Lecturers
6
6%
—
Pros & Cons of Dominican University of California
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Dominican University of California is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Best for:
Based on the data, Dominican University of California is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; students prioritizing post-graduation earnings; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about Dominican University of California
The questions families ask most about Dominican University of California, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Dominican University of California hard to get into?
Not especially. Dominican University of California admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 83.5%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Dominican University of California?
83.5% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Dominican University of California?
Aim for 1300 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1210 and 1300 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Dominican University of California cost?
Budget around $35,333 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Dominican University of California worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $84,713 a year against a net price of $35,333, about 2.4 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Dominican University of California known for?
Mostly Business & Management, Other, Nursing, Rehabilitation. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Dominican University of California graduates earn?
About $84,713 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Dominican University of California accredited?
Yes. Dominican University of California is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission.
How many students attend Dominican University of California?
1,114 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Dominican University of California?
72% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Dominican University of California a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Dominican University of California located?
Dominican University of California is located in San Rafael, California.
What programs does Dominican University of California offer?
33 different programs, most commonly Business & Management, Other, Nursing, Rehabilitation. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Dominican University of California?
8 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
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