Vanguard University of Southern California was founded in 1920 with the vision of preparing Christians for the many different ministries in church. Since 2010, Vanguard University, (VU) has been ranked in the top 10 baccalaureate colleges in the west by the U.S. News and World Report, and The Princeton Review named VU as the “best in the west” in 2014. From the beginning, VU has remained committed to raising up Christian leaders to carry the gospel to the world.
Mission/Vision
The VU mission is to “Honor God and serve others by equipping each student for a spirit empowered life of Christ-centered leadership and service”. Vanguard University focuses of the values of truth, virtue and service, and the mission is measured by evaluating the spiritual vitality of students and staff, academic excellence and institutional health.
Campus Setting
The Vanguard University campus is in Costa Mesa, California. The campus is situated close to many southern California hot spots, just an hour from LA, an hour and a half from San Diego, less than a half hour from Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm and Raging Waters, an hour from Universal Studios and an hour and a half from SeaWorld. Shopping malls, many of southern California’s famed beaches, Hollywood and many professional sports teams are within an hour of the campus. In addition, the VU campus is very close to many public transportation options, and is close to several major airports.
Academics
Vanguard University offers 21 undergraduate degree programs in 15 different academic departments within the college. The departments that offer majors include theater, psychology, religion, music, math, liberal studies, kinesiology, history and political science, English, communications, chemistry, business, biology, and anthropology and sociology. VU’s graduate programs include nursing, clinical psychology, education, organizational psychology and religion. Several adult degree completion programs are also offered at the Vanguard University campus, and classes meet just once a week at night.
Athletics
The Vanguard Lions are a part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and are a member of the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC). The Lions regularly play several other non-conference schools in addition to their GSAC opponents. Men’s sports are basketball, baseball, cross country, soccer, tennis and track and field. Women’s sports include basketball, softball, cross country, soccer, tennis, track and field and volleyball.
Tuition & Financial Aid
Vanguard University is a private institution, as such tuition costs are the same for in state and out of state students. Tuition costs for VU students are an average of $29,250 annually, and on-campus room and board is approximately $8,800 each year. Vanguard estimates that approximately 93% of their students receive some form of financial aid.
Accreditation
VU is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission, which was previously named the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. VU is also accredited by the Alliance for Assemblies of God Higher Education (AAGHE). The Teacher’s Education program, Theatre Arts program and Bachelor of Science in Nursing have each earned accreditation in their respective fields in addition to institutional accreditation.
Admissions
Vanguard University has a rolling admission policy, which means that they send notifications for admission as they receive and process application packets. For Fall semester, the admission deadline for early admission is December 1st, and for regular admission the deadline is March 2nd. For Spring semester admission, the deadline is December 1st.
For more admissions information, please contact the admissions office at:
Vanguard University
Office of Admissions
55 Fair Drive
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Phone: 714-556-3610
Email: admissions@vanguard.edu
