Private Nonprofit Graduate Good 57/100

Woodbury University

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

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Burbank, California

About Woodbury University

Thinking about Woodbury University, a college in California where more students graduate in Architecture 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.

Woodbury University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Burbank, California. It enrolls 779 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.

Acceptance
81.7%
Graduation
50.7%
Net Price
$33,692
Median Earnings (10yr)
$65,668
Enrollment
779
Student : Faculty
9:1

Accreditor Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission
Academic Calendar Semester

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
57/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 54
Value 18
Affordability 45
Selectivity 40

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Woodbury University admits 81.7% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.

Acceptance Rate
81.7%
Easy
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test Policy Test Optional Applicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.

5-Year Admission Trend

Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Woodbury University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Becoming less selective ↑ 6.5 pts since 2019
66.3%201970.4%202063%202162.6%202272.9%2023

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 $33,692 a year on average, it sits in line with what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. Plan for the gap between that and what you can pay without borrowing. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$33,692
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
46%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
58%
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
$47,056
Room & Board (on-campus)
$14,843
Room & Board (off-campus)
$22,086
Books & Supplies
$1,062
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$4,446
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$6,930
Total Cost of Attendance
$58,010

Application fee: $85 (one-time, due at submission)


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
    $28,815
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $28,368
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $30,748
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $32,773
  • Over $110,000
    $39,808

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.

$5,500
10% percentile
$14,000
25% percentile
$26,960
Median percentile
$39,750
75% percentile
$53,500
90% 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 $23,000 ↓ $3,960
No Pell $14,000 ↓ $12,960
Dependent students $20,500 ↓ $6,460
Independent students $30,250 ↑ $3,290
Female students $20,500 ↓ $6,460
Male students $25,000 ↓ $1,960
Pell recipients: 17.3% (4,654 students)No Pell: 10.5% (2,833 students)Dependent students: 15.4% (4,148 students)Independent students: 22.7% (6,120 students)Female students: 15.4% (4,148 students)Male students: 18.8% (5,058 students)Overall Median$26,960
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $12,000, less than completers ($26,960), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

51% of students who start here finish within six years, and 77% 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
51%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
77%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $65,668 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$65,668
Earning > $25K
80%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

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

$45,000$50,000$55,000$65,000$70,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

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
$49,400

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$56,400

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$49,200

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$53,100

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$56,600

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $7,000, about 12% 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 ↑ 20.4 pts across 6 years
64%1yr74%3yr78.5%5yr84.4%7yr
What this signals: Strong. 84% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 779 students, a small, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 41% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
779
Part-Time
6%
First-Generation
41%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

GroupShareStudents
White 38.6% 301
Hispanic 27.5% 214
Asian 11.9% 93
Black 5.1% 40
International 4.8% 37
Other 2.7% 21
White: 38.6% (301 students)Hispanic: 27.5% (214 students)Asian: 11.9% (93 students)Black: 5.1% (40 students)International: 4.8% (37 students)Other: 2.7% (21 students)Total779

Student Life & Campus Culture

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

Setting
Large City Burbank, California
Housing
Partly residential 223 beds available
Adult Learners
18% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure
Designation
Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)

What You Can Study

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

Woodbury University offers a varied set of programs: 21 distinct programs across 11 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.

4 Programs
2 Programs
5 Programs
1 Program
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
$19M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$70,511
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

59 instructional faculty across 3 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 32 54% $78,185
Associate Professors 17 29% $65,941
Assistant Professors 10 17% $53,722

Pros & Cons of Woodbury University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Woodbury University 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
  • Accessible admissions for most applicants
  • Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
  • Tight-knit, close community feel
  • Above-average post-graduation earnings
  • Wide reach of need-based federal aid
  • First-gen-friendly student body
CONS
  • Above-average net price
  • Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
  • Below-average completion rate
  • Modest first-year retention
Best for: Based on the data, Woodbury University 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 Woodbury University

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

Is Woodbury University hard to get into?
Not especially. Woodbury University admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 81.7%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Woodbury University?
81.7% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does Woodbury University cost?
Budget around $33,692 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 Woodbury University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $65,668 a year against a net price of $33,692, about 1.9 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 Woodbury University known for?
Mostly Architectural Sciences and Technology, Design, Business Administration. 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 Woodbury University graduates earn?
About $65,668 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 Woodbury University accredited?
Yes. Woodbury University is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission.
How many students attend Woodbury University?
779 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 Woodbury University?
51% 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 Woodbury University 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 Woodbury University located?
Woodbury University is located in Burbank, California.
What programs does Woodbury University offer?
21 different programs, most commonly Architectural Sciences and Technology, Design, Business Administration. 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 Woodbury University?
9 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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