This article does that with Dominican University of California, in San Rafael, California. You will find exact figures, without embellishment or drama. Some will reassure you. Others will require you to ask an uncomfortable question before deciding. Both are part of getting to know a place well.
What kind of university it is
Dominican University of California is a private, nonprofit institution offering four years or more of study. The federal government classifies it at the highest level it reports—doctoral—but that is a general institutional fact: it does not mean the program your child is interested in reaches that level. What is consistent is that it is a school focused primarily on undergraduate and advanced study, with a real graduate offering on the same campus.
Carnegie, the system that organizes U.S. universities according to what they do, describes it as a master's university with medium programs: neither a school focused only on doctoral research nor a small school with a single purpose. According to that same profile, it is also a four-year, small, primarily residential institution: between one-quarter and one-half of its undergraduate students lived in institutionally controlled housing, and at least one-half studied full time. And within its category, it is among those that receive more transfer students. If your child is thinking about arriving here after studying elsewhere, this matters: ask in writing which courses will count and which will not. The label “receives many transfers” does not tell you how many credits each person receives.
As for specialization: in Carnegie’s most recent snapshot, between 60 and 79 out of every 100 bachelor’s degrees awarded were in professional fields, and the rest were in arts and sciences. It is not a school focused on just one subject, but it does have a clear professional tilt. If your daughter already knows what she wants to study, ask about that specific major, not the school as a whole.
Geographically, it is in San Rafael, within Marin County, in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont metropolitan area. That does not mean the campus is in the center of that large city. If your child is thinking about living at home and commuting daily, drive the route yourself on a weekday, at the actual time of their classes. The time shown on a map is almost never the real time.
One note worth clarifying right away: Dominican University of California is not listed as a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. That says nothing about how many Latino students are on campus or how your child will feel there. Ask directly: what cultural centers exist today, what student organizations are there, and, better yet, talk with someone who already studies there.
The real size and who shares the classroom with your child
Dominican had 2,026 students enrolled in the most recent official count. It is a medium-sized school—neither large nor small—compared with similar selective private institutions.
But that total of 2,026 hides something important: it is divided into 1,182 undergraduate students and 844 graduate students. If your child is entering a bachelor’s program, the number that matters is 1,182, not the total. A substantial part of this community has already completed a degree and is studying something more advanced.
As for who shares the campus with your child, there is one figure worth emphasizing: 31 out of every 100 undergraduate students reported as Hispanic or Latino. That is one out of four, or more. And compared with 941 similar selective private schools, that proportion is among the highest: nine out of ten of those schools report an equal or lower proportion. Being Latino on this campus would not be the exception.
Now, the hard truth that goes with that figure: a high percentage of Latino students is not the same as support for Latino students. The figure counts how many there are. It does not say whether there is a counselor who speaks Spanish, whether there is targeted tutoring, or whether those students complete their degrees at the same rate as others. And it is the percentage for the entire school, not for the specific major your child is interested in.
Two other community facts: women are a clear majority in undergraduate study, 72 out of every 100. And adults ages 25 to 64 are a minority, only 12 out of every 100—so if your child is considering this school right after high school, they will mostly be surrounded by people at the same stage of life. Most newly enrolled students, 82 out of every 100, came from California before applying.
How the academic year is organized
The year is organized by semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. This is the most common calendar among U.S. universities, so there are no surprises there.
What is worth knowing is that the school reported accepting two types of prior credit: credit for AP examinations and what IPEDS calls credit for life experience—independent study, adult courses, work experience, portfolios, licenses or certifications, including military training. Reporting them does not mean they will automatically recognize them for your child. Request the evaluation of equivalencies in writing before enrolling. Do not assume the savings until you have it in hand.
One thing it does not offer: it does not enroll high school students in college-credit courses, according to its most recent report.
As for the student-to-faculty ratio: Dominican reports 8 students for every full-time-equivalent instructional staff member. Compared with 941 similar schools, it is in the bottom quarter—that is, among the lowest ratios in the group. It is a number that sounds good, but be careful: a low ratio does not guarantee small classes. The calculation relates institutional totals; it does not count seats in a specific classroom. If this matters to you, ask directly how many students are in the first-year classes your child would take.
As for degrees awarded: in a recent year, the school awarded 319 bachelor’s degrees, and 150 of them—47 out of every 100—were in health professions. That is a strong concentration. This does not measure quality or tell you how good a specific program is, but it does tell you where this institution leans. Before deciding, ask about the exact major your child is interested in: how many graduated in it, how long it took, and what the curriculum is like.
Academic opportunities reported by the institution
Dominican reports several structured pathways: study-abroad programs, a full program that can be completed only at night or on weekends, and pathways related to teacher certification, including state approval for initial teacher certification. Their being reported confirms that they exist as declared options; it does not say how many students use them or how they work in practice. Ask for details if any of this interests your child.
What getting in is like: the door and what happens after it opens
This is where it is worth sitting down calmly, because several numbers together tell a more complete story than any one of them separately.
Dominican does not have open admission: it reviews materials before saying yes. But among the nine considerations it evaluates, only one is required: the English-proficiency examination, for those to whom it applies. Everything else—high school record, grade-point average, class rank, course plan, personal essay, letters of recommendation, portfolio, work experience, and whether someone in the family studied there—is considered if you submit it, but is not required. The application fee, moreover, is $0.
And here is the fact that most defines this door: in the most recent cycle, out of 2,011 applicants, the school admitted 1,923. That is 96 out of every 100. Compared with 942 similar selective private schools, it is among those that admit the most: nine out of ten in that group admit an equal or lower percentage. Put simply: out of every 100 young people who apply here, 96 receive a yes. Your child’s effort goes further by completing the application materials on time than by worrying about competing for a place.
But being easy to get into does not mean it is inexpensive, nor that most students finish. Those two calculations—net price and graduation—weigh more heavily than admission, and you will see them later in this same article.
There is another number that deserves your full attention: out of every 100 admitted students, only 13 enrolled. The other 87 do not appear as enrolled here in that period—the data do not say whether they attended another school or what they decided. Compared with similar schools, this proportion is on the lower side: at seven out of ten similar schools, a larger share of admitted students stays. Do not read this as a blemish. The fact that most admitted students did not enroll does not mean the school is bad; the federal record does not explain why each person chose what they chose. What does matter is this: what others decided does not predict what they will offer you. Wait for your own letter with the net price—what the year would really cost you—before deciding whether this school remains on your list.
As for tests: the SAT and ACT are not required. If your child sends them, they are considered; if not, the application remains valid anyway. Of enrolled students, only 5 out of every 100 submitted SAT scores—a very low proportion compared with similar schools. The sample was only 12 students, so although the official report records a range (between 525 and 673 in reading and writing, between 545 and 618 in mathematics), with such a small group that figure does not work as a reliable threshold or a guarantee of anything.
As for transfers: of a cohort of full-time students who entered in 2017, 16 out of every 100 transferred to another school without completing a bachelor’s degree here. This is a common proportion among similar schools. Transferring is not the same as failing, but your child should know beforehand how to request records to leave if needed, and you should request in writing, with the course list in hand, which credits would be recognized in any move.
The list price and what it could really cost you
At Dominican University of California, among 30 first-time, full-time, degree-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $45,630. Among 28 students in the same population with EFC family income of $48,001 to $75,000, it was $46,242; among 76 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $54,480. For dependent students, the band adds their parents’ income and their own.
The difference between the average for the lower-income band (30 students) and that for the highest band (76 students) is $8,850. Among first-year students who received any grant, the average was $51,292.
Among the 937 schools of the same type and control included in this census that reported this information with the same time coverage, this one falls in the most expensive quarter for lower-income families. That does not mean it should be ruled out. It means you should request the aid letter before deciding.
An average does not tell you how different the cases were within that band; with this information, it cannot be claimed that there were families far below or above the published figure. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, degree-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or district rate. The overall average with grants, when it appears, describes first-time, full-time, degree-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional scholarships or grants.
Aid that does arrive, and loans that must be added carefully
93 out of every 100 degree-seeking students received some scholarship or aid that does not have to be repaid. Receiving something is common here, not the exception. Among those who received it, the annual average was $15,793—but that average counts only those who received something; it is not spread across everyone.
The Pell Grant, which is federal aid specifically for low-income families, went to 30 out of every 100 students. This is a lower proportion than aid in general, which makes sense: not everyone qualifies based on income. Be careful not to read these figures as a promise: they are what happened to other students in a specific year, not your probability or your amount. Request in writing which applications must be completed, the deadlines, and what happens to the grant if your child’s grades drop.
As for loans: 55 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal student loan, and among those who borrowed, the annual average was $3,382. This is a common proportion compared with similar schools. If your child borrowed something similar each year throughout the program’s four years, the total would be around $13,528, not including interest. That calculation is made before the first signature, not at the end. And note: this average includes only federal loans in the student’s name. It does not include Parent PLUS loans that parents sometimes sign, bank debt, or credit cards. Nor is it the total debt with which someone leaves at graduation—to determine that, all four years would need to be added, and that number is not in this report.
The institution also offers a tuition installment payment plan as an additional mechanism for managing costs.
The campus: housing, sports, library, and support
Dominican does have institutionally controlled housing, and not all first-time, full-time students are required to live there—although that does not rule out a specific program requiring it. The reported maximum capacity is 535 students. It also offers meal plans, with a fixed number of meals per week in the largest plan. The existence of the option does not guarantee an available bed: request in writing this year’s rate, the housing application deadline, and whether you are guaranteed a place or placed on a waiting list.
As for ROTC: the institution did not mark any ROTC opportunity in its most recent report, neither the general box nor any of the three branches. Of the four-year schools in this directory, 926 out of 1,786 did mark it; this one was not among them. Its not being marked does not prove that no nearby path exists—it only says it was not reported in this field. If this matters to your family, ask admissions directly before ruling out the school for this reason.
In sports, Dominican does compete at the intercollegiate level and is affiliated with the NCAA, not other associations. It reports membership for basketball and cross-country or track and field. Membership belongs to the school, not your child: if they are interested in playing, write directly to the coach for the specific sport and ask whether there is space, what division they compete in, and whether that discipline offers athletic aid.
Distance education exists at the undergraduate and graduate levels, but it is a minority option: only 4 out of every 100 undergraduate students took all their classes at a distance; the other 96 took at least one in-person class. The institution also reported offering at least one full program that can be completed at a distance, although the data do not specify whether that program is undergraduate or graduate. Confirm the exact level and major if this is relevant to your child.
The library operates with employed staff, and its annual spending exceeds the threshold of $100,000 recorded by the government. It has physical and digital collections, as well as interlibrary lending. Exceeding that threshold does not guarantee that there are databases specific to your child’s major—that should be asked by major name, not generally.
Finally, the institution reports combined academic and career counseling services, employment services for current students, participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program for veterans, a dedicated point of contact for veterans and military families, a student veterans organization, and a published web address for disability services. The reporting of these services confirms that they exist as declared resources; it does not measure their quality or effectiveness. That is learned by speaking with someone who already uses them.
Who stays and who finishes: the numbers that matter most in the long term
We have reached the part that, for many families, matters more than any other.
Of the cohort that entered in the fall of 2022—215 first-time, full-time, bachelor’s-degree-seeking students—190 met the official retention criterion one year later: 88 out of every 100 were still enrolled here or had already completed a bachelor’s degree. Compared with 930 similar selective private schools, this proportion is toward the top: Dominican retains a larger share of its cohort than most similar schools. It is worth stating clearly what this means and what it does not: this number combines two distinct groups—those still enrolled and those who had already graduated—and does not separate how many are in each.
As for graduation: of the cohort that began a bachelor’s degree in 2017—236 first-time, full-time students—180 had their degree in hand six years later. That is 76 out of every 100. Compared with 920 similar schools, this figure is in the top quarter: three out of four similar schools, or more, report an equal or lower proportion.
But there is a fact worth examining closely before getting excited: at four years—the time frame most families budget for—the figure is only 61 out of every 100. That is 15 points lower than at six years.The data do not say how many semesters each person attended and do not report tuition, rent, or earnings.
Of the rest of that same cohort of 236: 37 transferred without completing here and enrolled at another institution; 1 was still enrolled without having completed within the time frame; and 18 fell into the federal category of “no longer enrolled”—a category that does not explain the reason and may include people who completed their studies after the measured time limit.
Finally, a longer-term fact: following a cohort of 405 students who entered between July 2015 and June 2016, 77 out of every 100 had a degree or certificate from this institution at the eight-year cutoff, in August 2023. Among those who specifically received a Pell Grant, the figure was 73 out of every 100—6 points below the group without Pell. This proportion is also in the top quarter compared with similar schools.
A high percentage does not predict the outcome for a particular student. It describes what happened to an earlier cohort, in specific years. If this matters to you, the right question is not “how high is the number?” but “what support does the program have today, and what results have the most recent cohorts had?”
What you already know, and what remains yours to decide
You now know something real about Dominican University of California: how people get in, how likely they are to stay through the end, what it really costs, and what supports exist on paper. That is one piece of the plan, not the complete plan.
What the university offers is already in front of you. What your child wants to study, how far they are willing to live from home, and how they imagine those four years—that belongs to them, and only they can keep building it.
None of the three pieces replaces the other two. Put them together, and that is where a real plan comes from.
Note on sources: The information in this article comes from data reported by the institution to the IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) of the U.S. Department of Education, corresponding primarily to the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles, as well as the Carnegie classification based on data from 2019-20 and 2021. Best College Aid does not represent Dominican University of California or the U.S. government; this piece organizes and explains public information to help you understand it.