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La Sierra University
Admission at La Sierra University is close to open (91.5%), which shifts the homework to outcomes: check the $61,824 median earnings below before the application.
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La Sierra University sits in Riverside proper — a private campus woven into the city rather than walled off from it. The school maintains its Seventh Day Adventist affiliation, which threads through campus life to a degree that varies by program.
Its highest-earning path is Social Work, where graduates median $69,244 four years out. 47.3% of undergraduates carry Pell grants — a plain read on who the campus actually serves. With 1,116 undergraduates and a residential core, weekends happen on campus — and 77.3% of first-years come back for a second year.
La Sierra University won't look at test scores — here the GPA calculator is the tool that matters. Bring your saved semester numbers and see what they average.
Admissions
In the Fall 2023 cycle, La Sierra University received 2,238 applications and admitted 2,088 (93.3%), with 258 enrolling.
Leave the SAT prep out of this one — test scores are disregarded entirely. La Sierra University's 91.5% admission rate turned on grades and application strength.
How La Sierra University compares
| La Sierra University | California median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 91.5% | 75.7% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $37,710 | $23,000 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $61,824 | $64,778 | $53,781 |
At $61,824, ten-year earnings trail the state median ($64,778). Look at La Sierra University's major-level rows below before reading too much into the campus-wide number.
Cost, size & completion
Tuition runs $37,710 regardless of where you're from. At La Sierra University, that sticker is a starting point for aid talks — not what the median family pays.
Enrollment sits at 1,116 — La Sierra University is one of the smaller campuses on this site.
59.7% graduate within six years. Roughly 40% don't — ask a La Sierra University tour guide what happens to them and watch the answer carefully.
Top majors by earnings at La Sierra University
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Social Work | $69,244 |
| Accounting and Related Services | $59,153 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $56,939 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | $55,711 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $53,902 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | $51,085 |
| Psychology, General | $49,265 |
| Marketing | $48,040 |
Median earnings for these 8 La Sierra University programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $61,824 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 42 additional La Sierra University programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for La Sierra University?
La Sierra University doesn't look at test scores; its 91.5% admission rate turned on transcripts, coursework rigor and the application itself.
What is La Sierra University's acceptance rate?
93.3% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 2,088 admitted from 2,238 applicants.
How much does La Sierra University cost?
At La Sierra University, published tuition is $37,710 — net price after aid usually comes in lower. That number is La Sierra University's ceiling, not a quote.
What do La Sierra University graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $61,824 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in California
- Laguna College of Art and Design — 94.3% admitted
- Life Pacific University — 95.8% admitted
- California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt — 98.2% admitted
- Newschool of Architecture and Design — 100% admitted
Run your own numbers
Data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Jun 2026), IPEDS ADM2023/HD2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01. Figures reflect the latest federal cohorts, which lag the current admissions cycle.