Private Nonprofit Graduate Good 57/100

Southern California Seminary

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

Compare This College

El Cajon, California

About Southern California Seminary

Thinking about Southern California Seminary, a college in California where more students graduate in Theology than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Southern California Seminary is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in El Cajon, California. It enrolls 32 students (a very small, intimate 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.

Acceptance
—
Graduation
—
Net Price
—
Median Earnings (10yr)
$39,607
Enrollment
32
Student : Faculty
9:1

Accreditor Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools
Academic Calendar Trimester

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 Open / Online), 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
57/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes 38
Value —
Affordability 42
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Southern California Seminary does not report an acceptance rate. Schools that do not publish one are usually open-admission, but confirm with the admissions office before you assume it.

Acceptance Rate
—
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported

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. Southern California Seminary has not reported one, so ask the financial aid office for a written estimate before comparing it against anywhere else.

Average Net Price
—
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
34%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
41%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees
$19,080
Room & Board (on-campus)
$15,633
Room & Board (off-campus)
$22,086
Books & Supplies
$1,062
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$4,446
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$6,930

Application fee: $50 (one-time, due at submission)

What this means: 34% of students receive Pell grants. Most cost is borne by families above Pell thresholds. Verify your individual aid offer before deciding.

Graduation Rate & Retention

0% come back after first year. A sizeable share do not return for year two. Worth asking why. 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
—
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
0%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $39,607 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$39,607
Earning > $25K
—
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$39,000$40,000$41,500$42,500$43,5006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 32 students, an intimate, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 69% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.

Total Enrolled
32
Part-Time
69%
First-Generation
—

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 50.0% 16
Hispanic 21.9% 7
Black 18.8% 6
International 6.3% 2
Asian 3.1% 1
White: 50.0% (16 students)Hispanic: 21.9% (7 students)Black: 18.8% (6 students)International: 6.3% (2 students)Asian: 3.1% (1 students)Total32

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Southern California Seminary. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Large Suburb El Cajon, California
Housing
Partly residential 8 beds available
Adult Learners
77% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Trimester scheduling structure
Designation
Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)
Designation
Religiously affiliated

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Psychology graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Southern California Seminary offers a varied set of programs: 10 distinct programs across 3 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.

6 Programs
1 Program

Faculty & Resources

There are 9 students for every instructor here: small classes, and staff who are likely to know your name.

Student : Faculty
9:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$659,119
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$53,595
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

5 instructional faculty across 1 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 5 100% $53,595

Pros & Cons of Southern California Seminary

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Southern California Seminary is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
  • Tight-knit, close community feel
  • Flexible part-time enrollment options
CONS
  • Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
  • First-year retention is below typical
  • Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
  • Narrow program catalog compared to mid-sized peers
  • Mostly part-time student body, less full-time campus feel
Best for: Based on the data, Southern California Seminary is a fit for working adults or students needing part-time study options; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.

Frequently Asked Questions about Southern California Seminary

The questions families ask most about Southern California Seminary, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

What is Southern California Seminary known for?
Mostly Missions/Missionary Studies and Missiology, Bible/Biblical Studies, Pastoral Counseling. 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 Southern California Seminary graduates earn?
About $39,607 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 Southern California Seminary accredited?
Yes. Southern California Seminary is accredited by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools.
How many students attend Southern California Seminary?
32 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Southern California Seminary 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 Southern California Seminary located?
Southern California Seminary is located in El Cajon, California.
What programs does Southern California Seminary offer?
10 different programs, most commonly Missions/Missionary Studies and Missiology, Bible/Biblical Studies, Pastoral Counseling. 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 Southern California Seminary?
9 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Continue Exploring

Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.