Vanguard University of Southern California

Private · Moderately Selective · CA

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationCA · West

SettingUrban

Undergrads1,933

Student:faculty13:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate51.5%

6-yr grad rate56.8%

Drop-out rate29.9%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$42k

Out-of-state tuition$42k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity69.5%

Gender diversity66.8%

International0.3%

IdentityAssemblies of God Church

Overview

Vanguard is a Christian university in Costa Mesa, California, affiliated with the Assemblies of God, offering a liberal-arts and professional curriculum inside a close-knit evangelical community minutes from the Orange County coast.

Academics

Psychology, business, nursing, and ministry are the largest programs, with ministry and theology reflecting the university's Pentecostal denominational ties and a chapel-integrated general education. Class sizes are small across a compact undergraduate population.

Campus & student life

The Costa Mesa campus sits close to Orange County beaches, and student life centers heavily on chapel, worship, and small-group community consistent with Vanguard's Assemblies of God identity. Athletics compete at the NAIA level.

Getting in

Admissions typically expects applicants to affirm the university's statement of faith, and a pastoral reference alongside academic materials is common for a faith-based school of this kind.

Worth knowing

Vanguard's specifically Pentecostal, Assemblies of God character, with an emphasis on worship style distinct from other evangelical traditions, is worth understanding for students comparing it to more broadly nondenominational Christian colleges.

vanguard.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate62.4%

Enrolled mid-50%1140

Test policynot used

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying