National University

Private · CA

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationCA · West

SettingUrban

Undergrads10,794

Student:faculty16:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate16.7%

6-yr grad rate42.9%

Drop-out rate47.4%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$13k

Out-of-state tuition$13k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity71.5%

Gender diversity52.8%

International0%

Identity—

Overview

National University is a private nonprofit based in San Diego serving mostly working adults, veterans, and other nontraditional students, largely through online instruction, and it has grown in recent years into one of California's larger private nonprofit universities, in part through mergers with other adult-serving institutions. It is part of the broader National University System, a family of affiliated nonprofit schools serving similar student populations.

Academics

Its signature academic format is one course at a time in intensive four-week terms, concentrated in education, business, healthcare, and public service, a structure designed to let working students focus deeply on a single subject before moving to the next. Teacher credentialing is a particular strength, with National University long serving as one of the more common paths for working adults in California to earn a teaching credential through its dedicated school of education.

Getting in

Admissions is accessible and built around working adults and veterans rather than a traditional competitive applicant pool, with monthly start dates in many programs rather than a single fall or spring intake.

After graduation

Education graduates frequently move directly into California classrooms via the university's credentialing pathway, while business and healthcare graduates tend to use the degree for advancement within an existing career rather than as an entry-level credential. Its large veteran and military-affiliated population also gives it a strong track record with federal education-benefit programs.

Worth knowing

The one-course-at-a-time, four-week term structure is unusual and worth understanding before enrolling, since it suits students who prefer intense focus over juggling several classes at once. Its recent growth through mergers with other adult-serving nonprofit institutions has made it a larger and more complex system than its San Diego roots might suggest.

nu.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate—

Enrolled mid-50%—

Test policynot reported

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying