Doctoral/ProfessionalPrivate (nonprofit)

Fielding Graduate University

Santa Barbara, California·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Far West·fielding.edu
Acceptance
Grad-only
—
6-yr Graduation
Grad-only
—
Total enrollment
915
peer median 7,624
Avg net price
Grad-only
—
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AboutProgram outcomesAccreditationFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsCampus safetyPeersIR OfficeDocumentsGrantsAlumni

About

Fielding Graduate University is a private university in Santa Barbara, California, United States. It offers postgraduate and doctoral studies mainly in psychology, education, and organizational studies, primarily through distance education programs.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 12 Title IV programs, 2 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 10 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
12
Passing
2
16.7% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

12programs
  • Passing2 · 16.7%
  • No Data10 · 83.3%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
0
Safe
2
No data
10

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

2
Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology
Graduate Certificate · Psychology
+78.4%
$86,802 vs $48,653
Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology
Doctoral Degree · Psychology
+123.4%
$108,694 vs $48,653

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

2
Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology
Doctoral Degree · Psychology
185%
$201,427 debt · $108,694 earn
Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology
Graduate Certificate · Psychology
24%
$20,925 debt · $86,802 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

WASC Senior College and University Commission

Accredited since 1982Next review Jun 2026
PreaccreditedInstitutional accreditor

WASC Senior College and University Commission

Accredited since 1978Next review Dec 2018

Programmatic accreditations · 1

Action history · 6

  1. Nov 2023Grant Substantive Change: Other
    WASC Senior College and University Commission
  2. Mar 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Clinical Psychology (CLPSY) - PhD Doctoral programs
  3. Oct 2019Accreditation Reaffirmed: Probation Removed
    American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Clinical Psychology (CLPSY) - PhD Doctoral programs
  4. Jul 2018Probation or Equivalent or a More Severe Status: Probation
    American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Clinical Psychology (CLPSY) - PhD Doctoral programs
  5. Jun 2018Renewal of Accreditation
    WASC Senior College and University Commission

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, students received in Pell grants, alongside $21.7M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
—
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
—
null total
Direct Loans
$21.7M
904 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

0k
’20
0k
’21
0k
’22
0k
’23
0k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Unsubsidized · UG$16K
3 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$10.1M
493 loan awards
Grad PLUS$11.5M
408 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 198 borrowers who entered repayment, 0 (0.0%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
0.0%
-2.3pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
198
Defaulted
0
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
4.9%
2017
3.3%
2018
2.8%
2019
0.0%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Fielding Graduate

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs9
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

283 total completions
01Psychology
16156.9%
02Business
5419.1%
03Family/Consumer Sci
4315.2%
04Education
258.8%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
915
12-mo unduplicated
1,274

Gender split

Men
18%235
Women
82%1,039

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
0.00
0 offenses · 937 students

3-year trend

0.002 yrs ago0.001 yr ago0.00Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
0
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
0
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

No criminal offenses reported.

By location

0total

    VAWA offenses

    0
    Domestic violence
    0
    Dating violence
    0
    Stalking
    0 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

    Hate crimes by bias

    No hate crimes reported.

    Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

    CategoryArrestsReferrals
    Weapons00
    Drugs00
    Liquor00

    Residence-hall fires

    No residence-hall fires reported.

    Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

    Fielding Graduate vs Peer comparison

    The peer institutions Fielding Graduate selected for federal comparison reporting.

    IPEDS
    GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
    This institutionPeer median

    A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

    Carnegie
    SubjectFielding Graduate University
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only915Grad-onlyDoctoral/Professional
    Alliant International University-San Diego
    		22%0.0%4,530$25,481Doctoral/Professional
    Azusa Pacific University
    		62%88.4%6,272$22,212R2 Research
    Capella University
    		20%Open admission47,761$17,956Doctoral/Professional
    Fordham University
    		82%59.3%16,150$44,338R2 Research
    Nova Southeastern University
    		63%73.2%20,910$30,371R2 Research
    Pacific University
    		67%89.6%3,427$35,273Doctoral/Professional
    Pacifica Graduate Institute
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only833Grad-only—
    Pepperdine University
    		83%62.9%8,976$58,098Doctoral/Professional
    Rutgers University-Newark
    		64%71.4%11,315$19,703R2 Research
    Saybrook University
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only1,057Grad-onlyDoctoral/Professional
    St. John's College-Department of Nursing
    		No freshman cohortNo freshman entry132No freshman cohort—
    Walden University
    		0%Open admission49,441$33,817Doctoral/Professional
    Wright State University-Main Campus
    		42%96.3%10,603$15,415R2 Research
    Peer group median63%72.3%7,624$27,926

    Institutions like Fielding Graduate

    Explore the federal data for institutions in Fielding Graduate's comparison group.

    IPEDS

    Fielding Graduate Institutional Research office

    The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

    Office
    Office of Research
    Phone
    805-898-4026
    Address
    2020 De La Vina Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93105

    Fielding Graduate University researchers are scholar-practitioners who advance scholarship in the interest of practical applications to make our world a better place.

    Visit IR office page

    Reports & documents (2)

    Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.

    Grants & funding (1)

    Federal grant awards and open funding opportunities awarded to this institution.

    USA Spending

    Notable alumni of Fielding Graduate (6)

    A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.

    • Randall Bell
    • Tara Brach
    • Salud Carbajal
    • Marshall Colt
    • Marilyn Price-Mitchell
    • Ref Rodriguez

    Frequently asked questions about Fielding Graduate University

    Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Fielding Graduate.

    What is the acceptance rate at Fielding Graduate University?

    Fielding Graduate University does not have a reported acceptance rate. This institution offers no undergraduate degree programs, so there is no undergraduate admissions cycle to report.

    What is the graduation rate at Fielding Graduate University?

    Fielding Graduate University does not have a reported federal graduation rate. Federal graduation rates track first-time, full-time undergraduates seeking a degree. This institution offers no undergraduate degree programs, so there is no cohort to follow.

    How many students attend Fielding Graduate University?

    Fielding Graduate University reports a total enrollment of 915 students per the latest IPEDS.

    What is the average net price at Fielding Graduate University?

    Fielding Graduate University does not have a reported average net price. Net price is a federal metric for first-time, full-time undergraduates receiving federal aid. This institution offers no undergraduate degree programs, so it does not report one.

    Where is Fielding Graduate University located?

    Fielding Graduate University is located in Santa Barbara, California 93105-3538.

    Who runs Institutional Research at Fielding Graduate University?

    Fielding Graduate University's IR work is done by the Office of Research.

    About the data on this page

    Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

    IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
    Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
    National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
    College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
    Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
    U.S. Department of Education
    FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
    Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
    U.S. Department of Education
    DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
    Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
    U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
    Federal Pell Grant & loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
    Pell Grant and Direct Loan recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
    U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
    Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
    Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
    U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
    Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
    Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
    U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
    Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
    Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
    U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
    Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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