Numbers and rankings are only part of a larger story, but here you will find data and rankings that will help you better understand the work we do and the students we serve. All numbers reflect 2021 Census data. For up-to-date data, visit: University Facts.
Quality and Value
Dominican is proud to again have been named among the top regional universities in the west by U.S. News & World Report. The ranking reflects Dominican’s strength in academic quality and graduate outcomes.
#22 in Best Regional Universities (West)
#20 in Best Value Schools – Regional Universities (West)
#15 in Best Colleges for Veterans – Regional Universities (West)
Dominican was named the nation’s most transformative four-year university by the American Council on Education (ACE) in recognition of a deep commitment to student opportunity and success.
Dominican joins Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale, and Stanford as a top 10 school for post-graduate salaries, according to early-career salary data from the U.S. Department of Education.
Research led by Stanford University reveals that Dominican is 11th in the nation out of 578 selective private colleges for student social mobility for moving students from the bottom of the socio-economic ladder to the top quartile.
In June 2022, Dominican was listed at 174 out of 3,410 institutions nationwide for providing the highest return on investment (ROI) to low-income students, according to a study by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. In California, Dominican held the ninth spot out of 43 private, nonprofit undergraduate institutions.
Based on nominations from school counselors, independent educational consultants, and community-based organization professionals, Dominican University of California was one of 24 institutions across 19 states receiving a 2023 Leading Colleges Award for Retention.
Dominican ranked 5th for Best Value Colleges in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2023 by Niche.
Student Profile
- 1818 — Total enrollment (undergraduate and graduate)
- 29 percent — Pell eligible (undergraduate)
- 82 percent — Students who identity as ethnically diverse (undergraduate)
- 25 percent — Students who are first-generation (undergraduate)
For additional information, please visit University Facts.
Student Success and Opportunities
- Student success as defined by graduation rates has improved by more than 70% since 2011. The four-year graduation rate is 66% and six-year is 78%, well above the national average of 43% and 62%.
- In this same time period, the percentage of students identifying as ethnically diverse has increased by nearly 34%.
- The Dominican Experience is working. This fall, student retention between first-to-second year is at 77%.
- Since the University’s 2009 transition to NCAA Division II athletics, Dominican has led the Pacific West Conference in academic performance.
- Student athletes surpassed a 3.4 aggregate GPA in each of the last six seasons.
- Dominican students have won the PacWest Academic Achievement Award 11 of the last 15 years.
Institutional Effectiveness encompasses a wide range of equity-based evaluation and assessment activities for the purposes of active reflection, strategic planning, and continuous improvement.
Learn More about Institutional Effectiveness
University Facts offers a comprehensive look at who our students are and what they study, as well as their persistence and completion rates.
