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Soka University of America

Soka University of America

Aliso Viejo, CA · Suburb · 484 students
WebsiteCommon AppForbes rankingScorecard
$18,260
Average net priceYour net price
2023-24
<30
30–48
48–75
75–110
110+
By household income — tap a bar
89%
Graduation rate
Entered fall 2017 & 2018
69% typical
$55,017
Earnings 10 years on
Measured 2020 & 2021
$58,391 typical
43%
Acceptance rate
Applied for fall 2024
64% typical · not scored
Accredited by Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission
About

Soka University of America is a private, non-sectarian liberal arts institution in Orange County known for its founding principles of peace, human rights, and global citizenship. Undergraduates pursue a singular interdisciplinary Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts with concentrations in areas like International Studies, Environmental Studies, and Life Sciences, benefiting from rigorous seminar-style classes and an 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Campus life is close-knit and exceptionally multicultural, with roughly half of the student body hailing from outside the United States, fostering a globally minded residential community. Soka is uniquely distinguished by its requirement that every undergraduate complete a semester of fully funded study abroad, as well as a generous financial aid model that provides free tuition for eligible lower-income families.

Wikipedia:Soka University of America (SUA) is a private liberal arts college in Aliso Viejo, California. Originally founded in 1987 by Daisaku Ikeda, the founder of the Soka Gakkai International Buddhist movement, it was established on its current campus in 2001. It maintains a secular curriculum which emphasizes pacifism, human rights, and the creative coexistence of nature and humanity, though allegations of sectarism and proselytizing in the past.

Location
Aliso Viejo, CA, 92656-8081 · Suburb campus
✈
Nearest airport from college
SNA · Orange County
11 mi away
Open in Google Maps
Cost & aid
Cost of attendance
YoursEveryone
Tuition & fees$38,728
Housing & food (on campus)$14,378
Books & supplies$1,062
Cost of attendance$63,674
Average net price$18,260
Same price for all students
Tuition & fees$38,728
Housing & food (on campus)$14,378
Books & supplies$1,062
Cost of attendance$63,674
Average net price$18,260
Source: U.S. College Scorecard · published total: www.soka.edu
How it’s made up · 2026-27
Soka University of America’s own figures for 2026-27, newer than the 2024-25 federal figures above, so the amounts differ.
Tuition$38,486
Housing$16,000
Books & supplies$1,304
Personal expenses$6,498
Transportation$1,386
Total published by the school$63,674
Net price by family income · 2023-24
$0–30k
$12,020
$30–48k
$10,619
$48–75k
$12,049
$75–110k
$12,724
$110k+
$30,940
Outcomes
Completion
Within 6 yrs
89%
Entered 2017–18
Within 4 yrs
79%
Back for yr 2
90%
Transferred
0%
8 yrs after starting · first-time, full-time students
90% graduated · 5% transferred · 5% left or unknown · none still enrolled
Earnings · measured 2020 & 2021
6 yrs after entry$42,696
10 yrs after entry$55,017
Debt
Median at graduation$15,650
Monthly payment$166
Middle 50% owe$9.3k–$26.7k
90th percentile$28,128
Green marks a figure above the typical Baccalaureate — arts & sciences: 69% graduate within 6 yrs.
Admissions
Getting in · applied for fall 2024
Admit rate
43%
Test policy
Test optional
Per College Scorecard
SAT average
1440
R 620–720 · M 713–790
ACT midpoint
26
SAT middle 50%: 1333–1510
40080012001600

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Essay prompts

If Soka University of America 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 38%Women 62%
Who enrolls
Faculty ratio
7 : 1
Pell grant
20%
Family income
$44,001
Age at entry
19.0
Part-time
0%
Race & ethnicity
White
12%
Hispanic
14%
Black
1%
Asian
10%
Two or more
6%
Non-resident
55%
Unknown
1%
Varsity sports
NAIA Division II · EADA 2024-25
  • Cross Country
    Men's · Women's
  • Golf
    Men's · Women's
  • Soccer
    Men's · Women's
  • Swimming
    Men's · Women's
  • Track and Field (Indoor)
    Men's · Women's
  • Track and Field (Outdoor)
    Men's · Women's
  • Volleyball
    Men's
Programs & Earnings
Bachelor's degrees by annual completions · 4yr national median earnings
Median earnings, all programs · measured 2020 & 2021
After 6 yrs
$42,696
After 10 yrs
$55,017
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities98
Type your major above to highlight and detail relevant programs.
Institutional
Resources
Endowment
$1.5B
Full-time faculty
77%
Faculty salary
$13,313/mo
Teaching spend
$45,356
per student
Federal loans
37%
Classification
Carnegie type
Baccalaureate — arts & sciences
Undergraduate profile
Four-year, more selective admissions

Wondering if Soka University of America is the right fit for you?

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