University of San Francisco vs Vanguard University of Southern California

When it comes to higher education, University of San Francisco (USF) and Vanguard University of Southern California (Vanguard) stand out as two distinct institutions with unique offerings. USF, a private Jesuit university located in the heart of San Francisco, boasts a diverse student body and a strong focus on liberal arts education. On the other hand, Vanguard, a private Christian university situated in Costa Mesa, California, emphasizes faith-based learning and offers a range of undergraduate and graduate programs. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence, they differ in terms of acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation rates. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
University of San Francisco logo

University of San Francisco

Vanguard University of Southern California logo

Vanguard University of Southern California

Overview

Location San Francisco, California Costa Mesa, California
Campus setting City: Large City: Midsize
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 86.0% 75.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation Catholic Protestant

Admission

Acceptance rate 70.9% 69.0%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $55
Undergraduate: $45

Graduate: $45
SAT range 1190 - 1390 980 - 1200
ACT range 26 - 31 19 - 25
Students submitting SAT score 17.0% 12.0%
Students submitting ACT score 11.0% 5.0%
Total number of applicants 22,372 2,917
Total number of admissions given out 15,867 2,013
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,452 500
Yield rate 9.2% 24.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $75,232 $60,800
Average net price $39,825 $20,427
Tuition $52,920 $37,000
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $11,030

Meal plan: $5,110
Room/dormitory: $6,588

Meal plan: $5,430
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

92.0%
Average amount $31,112
100.0%
Average amount $27,535
Students receiving federal student loan 47.0%
Average amount $5,182
95.0%
Average amount $5,626
Students taking out private loans 6.0%
Average amount $23,306
3.0%
Average amount $15,362

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 5,969
Men 35.6% Women 64.4%
1,975
Men 31.5% Women 68.5%
Graduate students 4,065
Men 34.0% Women 66.0%
293
Men 31.4% Women 68.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 35.6% N/A
International students 12.9% 0.2%
Campus local/setting City: Large City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity 2,800 1,049
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from California Washington Oregon Texas Hawaii N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Psychology
  • Education
  • Business
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Psychology
  • Business
  • Education
  • Health Professions
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
Students to faculty ratio 13:1 17:1
Institutional accreditation Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 75.6% 61.5%
Dropout rate 7.8% 37.7%
Transferred out 16.4% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $154,879
  • Year 2: $175,674
  • Year 3: $161,396
Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $103,844
  • Year 2: $91,744
  • Year 3: $130,019
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $117,274
  • Year 2: $122,038
  • Year 3: $127,016
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $91,668
  • Year 2: $100,292
  • Year 3: $112,643
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $101,719
  • Year 2: $96,866
  • Year 3: $106,157
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $97,959
  • Year 3: $105,769
Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $71,015
  • Year 3: $103,513
Public Administration (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $76,025
  • Year 2: $79,284
  • Year 3: $95,947
Law (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $57,019
  • Year 2: $67,101
  • Year 3: $85,917
Economics (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,064
  • Year 2: $67,660
  • Year 3: $78,626
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $116,679
  • Year 3: $134,779
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $91,857
  • Year 2: $91,300
  • Year 3: $89,882
Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $59,124
  • Year 3: $60,756
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $54,112
  • Year 2: $42,682
  • Year 3: $47,596
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,217
  • Year 2: $40,697
  • Year 3: $45,892
Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $34,348
  • Year 3: $42,899
Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $30,413
  • Year 2: $33,043
  • Year 3: $39,397
Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $29,685
  • Year 3: $37,493
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $25,194
  • Year 3: $35,701
Education, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $35,495

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