Private nonprofit university in San Diego serving adult learners with flexible, blended, and online degree programs.
National University offers associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees across six schools and colleges: College of Letters and Sciences, Sanford College of Education, College of Business Engineering and Technology, JFK School of Psychology and Social Sciences, School of Health Professions, and College of Law and Public Service. The university confers over 130 undergraduate and graduate degree programs plus 23 teacher credential programs. Programs emphasize blended learning with concentrated four-week courses, weeknight classes, and asynchronous online instruction. The student-faculty ratio is 16:1 with a continuous-based academic calendar.
National University maintains an urban, geographically dispersed footprint with administrative headquarters in La Jolla and academic campuses throughout California (San Diego County, Fresno, West Los Angeles, Oxnard, Rancho Cordova, San Jose) plus extensive online offerings. The student body is diverse: 33% Hispanic/Latino, 30% White/Caucasian, 15% Black/African American, 8% Asian, with 54% female enrollment (2023). Approximately 40% of students are full-time; 69% receive grants or scholarships.
National University maintains open admissions and serves nontraditional, adult learners. The university offers pathways for undergraduate, graduate, military, transfer, and international students. For 2022–2023, tuition and fees were $13,320 annually. The institution is recognized for accessibility and higher earnings outcomes for diverse student populations.
Undergraduate graduation rate is 71%; graduate graduation rate is 65% (2014 data). The university was recognized by Washington Monthly (2017) as a top school for adult learners and received the Carnegie Classification designation (2025) for 'Opportunity Colleges and Universities – Higher Access, Higher Earnings.' Approximately 70% of San Diego County's 26,000 teachers earned credentials from National University. The institution holds teaching contracts with 643 California school districts.