La Sierra University — College Profile

About

La Sierra University, a private Seventh-day Adventist institution in Riverside, California, is best known for its exceptional campus diversity, service-learning ethos, and robust health science preparation. As a primary feeder school to the renowned Loma Linda University Medical Center, it excels in pre-medical, biology, and nursing pathways, alongside highly regarded programs in business, criminal justice, and music. Student life is rooted in a close-knit, faith-centered community that prioritizes holistic well-being, social justice, and active participation in local and global service initiatives. Notably, the entire 150-acre campus doubles as a designated arboretum, offering students a tranquil, botanical setting for academic and personal growth.

Wikipedia:La Sierra University is a private, Seventh-day Adventist university in Riverside, California. Founded in 1922 as La Sierra Academy, it later became La Sierra College, a liberal arts college, and then was merged into Loma Linda University (LLU) in 1967 and became the Loma Linda University La Sierra College of Arts and Sciences. In 1990, the La Sierra Campus separated from Loma Linda University to become La Sierra University, an independent institution. It is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), the Adventist Accrediting Association (AAA), and several discipline-based accrediting bodies.

Location

Riverside, CA, 92505-8247 · City campus

✈

Nearest airport from college

SNA · Orange County

27 mi away

Open in Google Maps

Cost & aid

Cost of attendance

YoursEveryone

Tuition & fees$37,710

Housing & food (on campus)$13,431

Books & supplies$1,062

Cost of attendance$60,450

Average net price$45,566

Same price for all students

Tuition & fees$37,710

Housing & food (on campus)$13,431

Books & supplies$1,062

Cost of attendance$60,450

Average net price$45,566

Source: U.S. College Scorecard · published total: lasierra.edu

How it’s made up · 2026-27

La Sierra University’s own figures for 2026-2027, newer than the 2024-25 federal figures above, so the amounts differ.

Tuition$39,000

Fees$990

Housing$5,520

Food$4,860

Books & supplies$1,305

Personal expenses$3,969

Transportation$1,206

Total published by the school$60,450

Source: lasierra.edu · checked Sep 30, 2026

Net price by family income · 2023-24

$0–30k

$44,988

$30–48k

$44,593

$48–75k

$45,518

$75–110k

$47,266

$110k+

$45,999

Your family's actual price → La Sierra University net price calculator

Source: U.S. College Scorecard

Outcomes

Completion

Within 6 yrs

64%

Entered 2017–18

Within 4 yrs

43%

Back for yr 2

77%

Transferred

16%

8 yrs after starting · first-time, full-time students

50% graduated · 22% transferred · 28% left or unknown · none still enrolled

Earnings · measured 2020 & 2021

6 yrs after entry$42,617

10 yrs after entry$61,824

Debt

Median at graduation$27,000

Monthly payment$286

Middle 50% owe$7.5k–$31k

90th percentile$42,666

Green marks a figure above the typical Master's (medium programs): 52% graduate within 6 yrs, $51,562 earned 10 yrs after entry.

Admissions

Getting in · applied for fall 2024

Admit rate

92%

Test policy

Not required

Per College Scorecard

ACT midpoint

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Essay prompts

If La Sierra University asks for supplemental essays, the prompts are in the Common App.

The personal essay is separate: see the Common App essay prompts.

Student Body

Gender

Men 42%Women 58%

Who enrolls

Faculty ratio

12 : 1

Pell grant

47%

First-gen

40%

Family income

$39,628

Independent

16%

Age at entry

21.0

Part-time

Race & ethnicity

White

Hispanic

54%

Black

Asian

15%

Two or more

Non-resident

NH/PI

Varsity sports

NAIA Division II · EADA 2024-25

Baseball
Men's
Basketball
Men's · Women's
Cross Country
Men's · Women's
Soccer
Men's · Women's
Softball
Women's
Track and Field (Outdoor)
Men's · Women's
Volleyball
Women's

Programs & Earnings

Bachelor's degrees by annual completions · 4yr national median earnings

Median earnings, all programs · measured 2020 & 2021

After 6 yrs

$42,617

After 10 yrs

$61,824

Criminal Justice and Corrections61

Biology, General23

Business Administration, Management and Operations22

Public Health19

Marketing19

Health/Medical Preparatory Programs18

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness13

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities12

Psychology, General12

Social Work12

Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions10

Finance and Financial Management Services9

History7

Computer Science6

Neurobiology and Neurosciences6

Design and Applied Arts5

Type your major above to highlight and detail relevant programs.

Institutional

Resources

Endowment

$121M

Full-time faculty

64%

Faculty salary

$8,396/mo

Teaching spend

$13,162

per student

Federal loans

59%

Classification

Carnegie type

Master's (medium programs)

Research activity

Research college or university

$3M research spending · 5 research doctorates a year

Undergraduate profile