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Private College

University of
the People

Private College in Pasadena, CA. Six-year graduation rate 34%.

Verdict Profile in progress
University of the People · Campus
Graduation rate
33.5%
Green Flags
Red Flags
  • ! Graduation rate 34% — below national average

Academics

Full-time retention
Transfer-out rate
1%
Student:faculty
28:1

Completion is the problem here: 34% graduate within six years. At 28:1, instructor access is thin — worth probing on a campus visit. As a private nonprofit four-year college, the relevant comparison is other four-year schools rather than the national average across all institutions. The undergraduate body runs to 36,386, large enough that student experience varies widely by program.

Financial Aid

Average net price
$1,575
Full-time, first-time undergraduates paying the in-state rate who were awarded grant or scholarship aid
% receiving grants
67%
degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates
% receiving federal loans
degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates

IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · grant and loan rates against 19,276 degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates

At $1,575 a year on average after grant aid, cost is low here relative to most undergraduate institutions. About 67% get grants averaging $852, so plan on the possibility of paying closer to full price.

Entering first-year students

A different, smaller group than the rates above: full-time students in their first year of college anywhere. The grant series here also excludes the "other sources" counted in the all-undergraduate figure, so the two are not comparable.

% receiving grants
74%
Average grant
$1,026

IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · 1,454 students

Local housing costs

Typical rents near campus (Los Angeles County) — budget these against any cost-of-attendance housing estimate.

Studio
$1,863/mo
1 bedroom
$2,085/mo
2 bedroom (whole unit)
$2,601/mo

HUD Fair Market Rents (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities) · FY2026

Compare University of the People with peer institutions

How we evaluate University of the People

IPEDS
US Department of Education
College Scorecard
Post-grad earnings
Census PSEO
Earnings by major
Opportunity Insights
Mobility by institution
Read our full methodology →