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La Sierra University

#76 in Best Value Colleges in California
  • 4 Year
  • Riverside, CA
  • 704 reviews
    How to Apply
    B-
    Overall Niche Grade
    How are grades calculated?
    1. Academics
      B
    2. Value
      B
    3. Diversity
      A+
    4. Campus
      C
    5. Athletics
      C+
    6. Party Scene
      C
    7. Professors
      B-
    8. Location
      B-
    9. Dorms
      C-
    10. Campus Food
      B-
    11. Student Life
      C+
    12. Safety
      A-
    View Full Report Card
    La Sierra is a private, Christian university located in Riverside, California in the Los Angeles Area. It is a small institution with an enrollment of 1,830 undergraduate students. Admissions is fairly competitive as the La Sierra acceptance rate is 48%. Popular majors include Criminal Justice and Safety Studies, Business, and Pre-Medicine Studies. Graduating 47% of students, La Sierra alumni go on to earn a starting salary of $33,700.
    About La Sierra University...
    Athletic Division
    NAIA Division II
    Athletic Conference
    Other
    Address
    4500 Riverwalk Parkway
    Riverside, CA 92505
    Website
    admissions.lasierra.edu

    La Sierra University Rankings

    Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and millions of reviews.

    Admissions

    Acceptance Rate
    48%
    Application Deadline
    —
    SAT Range
    870-1120
    ACT Range
    16-22
    Application Fee
    $0
    SAT/ACT
    Recommended
    High School GPA
    Required
    Early Decision/Early Action
    —

    Cost

    Net Price
    $25,661/ year
    National
    $15,523
    Average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, as reported by the college.
    Average Total Aid Awarded
    $17,566/ year
    National
    $7,535
    Students Receiving Financial Aid
    100%

    Academics

    Professors
    B-
    Based on faculty accomplishments, salary, student reviews, and additional factors.
    Student Faculty Ratio
    13:1
    Evening Degree Programs
    Yes
    77%
    of students agree that professors put a lot of effort into teaching their classes.39 responses
    83%
    of students agree that it is easy to get the classes they want.48 responses
    60%
    of students agree that the workload is easy to manage.48 responses

    Majors

    Most Popular Majors
    • Criminal Justice and Safety Studies
      58 Graduates
    • Business
      39 Graduates
    • Pre-Medicine Studies
      22 Graduates
    • Social Work and Youth Services
      19 Graduates
    • Health Service Preparatory Studies
      18 Graduates
    • Biomedical Sciences and Molecular Medicine
      16 Graduates
    • Foods, Nutrition, and Wellness Studies
      16 Graduates
    • Healthcare Management
      14 Graduates
    • Accounting
      13 Graduates
    • Kinesiology and Exercise Science
      13 Graduates

    Students

    Full-Time Enrollment
    1,830Undergrads
    Part-Time Undergrads
    199
    Undergrads Over 25
    7%
    Pell Grant
    50%
    Varsity Athletes
    8%
    Poll
    What one word or phrase best describes the typical student at this school?
    Based on 34 responses
    Report
    • Respectful
      32%
    • Determined
      29%
    • To themselves
      18%
    • Some nice some not so nice
      12%
    • Diverse
      6%
    • Stressed
      3%

    Campus Life

    Freshmen Live On-Campus
    39%
    Poll
    74%
    of students say they don't have Greek life.58 responses
    Poll
    60%
    of students say varsity sporting events are attended, but not a huge part of campus life.65 responses
    Poll
    What one word or phrase best describes your school?
    Based on 33 responses
    Report
    • Friendly
      24%
    • Respectful/ outgoing
      24%
    • Decent
      15%
    • Unsocialble
      12%
    • Builds the better you
      9%
    • Home away from home
      9%
    • Biased and unequal
      6%

    After College

    Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation
    $49,500/ year
    National
    $33,028
    Graduation Rate
    47%
    National
    49%
    Employed 2 Years After Graduation
    89%
    National
    83%
    70%
    of students feel confident they will find a job in their field after graduation.27 responses
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    La Sierra University Reviews

    704 reviews
    All Categories
    The Best thing about La Sierra University is their Criminal Justice Program. I'm a graduate who is currently working in Law Enforcement. The Criminal Justice Program genuinely cares about my success! They train us to be Colleagues not just a graduate. The Core Criminal Justice professors all know their stuff and teach from their real world experiences. I owe my future to them! Best decision I ever made.
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    I enjoy attending La Sierra University. I like that the professors are helpful and genuinely want to see all their students succeed. All professors offer office hours, where their time is specifically for students to come in and ask for help, and aren't busy with other work. They are usually available through email, as well. All other staff and faculty are helpful and always cheerful. La Sierra University provides many resources to increase student success, such as the writing center, tutoring center, etc. The writing center will review your work and help you if are doubtful about your writing, thesis, order, and more. The library has a database that makes it easy to find reliable journal articles and more, to which the librarians are glad to teach you how to use it. I also like that La Sierra plans many events for students where food and games are provided. There is a lot of life in La Sierra University.
    La Sierra University Criminal Justice is the best decision I ever made. The school is always exciting to be there and learn, it doesn't get old or mundane. Most professors are very interesting and they teach from experience for the Criminal justice classes. I think the best part about the school is the staff. I really feel like we're family and they truly care about my well being and academics here. The Criminal Justice Program has it's own campus complete with a Courtroom, Gym, tactical training rooms, CSI Lab, Police Driving Simulator and Police Shooting simulator. I made a lot of life long friends here who share my passion for Criminal Justice. Who will also be my future colleagues. I'm glad I attend this amazing school!!!