Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsPrivate (nonprofit)HSI

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, California·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Far West·msmu.edu
Acceptance
73.1%
-7.7pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
6-yr Graduation
53%
-9.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Total enrollment
2,312
peer median 2,309
Avg net price
$21,413
-$4.3k vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
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About

Mount Saint Mary's University is a private Catholic university located in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1925 and focuses on empowering women through education and leadership, with a notable emphasis on liberal arts and professional studies.

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

Applied
4,882
4,882 candidates competed
Admitted
3,570
73.1% acceptance rate
Enrolled
428
12.0% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
53%-9.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
4-year graduation
33%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
48%
Full-time retention
71%

Pell equity

3.2pp gap
Pell recipients
52%133 of 255
Non-Pell (all)
55%80 of 145
Subsidized loan, no Pell
53%60 of 113
No Federal Aid
63%20 of 32

Non-Pell students graduate at a 3.2-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

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

Of 73 Title IV programs, 19 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 54 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
73
Passing
19
26.0% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

73programs
  • Passing19 · 26.0%
  • No Data54 · 74.0%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
1
Watch
1
Safe
17
No data
54

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.

19
Human Development Family Studies and Related Services
Bachelor Degree · Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
+9.0%
$39,318 vs $36,082
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Associate Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
+12.7%
$40,668 vs $36,082
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+30.5%
$47,091 vs $36,082
Research and Experimental Psychology
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
+36.4%
$49,222 vs $36,082
Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology
Master's Degree · Psychology
+42.7%
$69,430 vs $48,653
Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
+46.7%
$52,940 vs $36,082
Education General
Master's Degree · Education
+47.2%
$68,305 vs $46,391
Business Administration Management and Operations
Associate Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+49.9%
$54,075 vs $36,082

Debt vs earnings

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

17
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
Doctoral Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
190%
$180,986 debt · $95,385 earn
Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology
Master's Degree · Psychology
89%
$61,500 debt · $69,430 earn
Human Development Family Studies and Related Services
Bachelor Degree · Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
66%
$26,000 debt · $39,318 earn
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Bachelor Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
59%
$33,332 debt · $56,616 earn
Research and Experimental Psychology
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
55%
$27,052 debt · $49,222 earn
Education General
Master's Degree · Education
53%
$36,000 debt · $68,305 earn
Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
51%
$27,175 debt · $52,940 earn
Sociology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
49%
$29,250 debt · $59,575 earn

Accreditation status & history

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

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

WASC Senior College and University Commission

Accredited since 1952Next review Feb 2032

Programmatic accreditations · 4

Action history · 5

  1. Sep 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the graduate degree levels
  2. Feb 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    WASC Senior College and University Commission
  3. Oct 2019Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
  4. Oct 2019Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the graduate degree levels
  5. Jul 2018Grant Substantive Change: Program
    WASC Senior College and University Commission

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$23,849
$30–48k$13,718
$48–75k$17,876
$75–110k$30,247
$110k+$18,762

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$21,413
-$4,344vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs median $25,757
Federal loans
67.7%
In-state tuition
$49,564
Out-of-state
$49,564

Federal aid volume & trends

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

In AY 2024–25, 1,097 students received $7.1M in Pell grants, alongside $29.4M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
1,097
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$7.1M
$7,088,998 total
Direct Loans
$29.4M
3,019 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

1k
20
1k
21
1k
22
1k
23
1k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$4.9M
1,148 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$3.9M
1,047 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$7.0M
384 loan awards
Parent PLUS$5.5M
236 loan awards
Grad PLUS$8.1M
204 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.

Of 1,106 borrowers who entered repayment, 18 (1.6%) defaulted within three years below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
1.6%
-0.7pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
1,106
Defaulted
18
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
3.3%
2017
2.2%
2018
3.3%
2019
1.6%
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 Mount Saint Mary's

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs80
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

599 total completions
01Health Professions
24741.2%
02Psychology
14624.4%
03Business
599.8%
04Education
366.0%
05Visual/Performing Arts
254.2%
06Public Admin
213.5%
07Social Sciences
213.5%
08English Language
203.3%
09Family/Consumer Sci
122.0%
10Liberal Arts
122.0%

Enrollment trends & demographics

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

Fall total
2,312
12-mo unduplicated
2,740
Undergraduate
1,985
Graduate
755

Gender split

Men
13%352
Women
87%2,388

Race / ethnicity composition

Hispanic
57.5%
Asian
18.0%
White
8.0%
Unknown
7.4%
Black
6.5%
Two or more
1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.8%
Non-resident
0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.2%

Campus safety & crime statistics

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

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
10.40
24 offenses · 2,308 students

3-year trend

2.672 yrs ago3.691 yr ago10.40Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
40
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
38
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
1

Criminal offenses by type

Burglary
15
Rape
3
Fondling
2
Motor vehicle theft
2
Arson
1
Aggravated assault
1

By location

24total
  • On campus24

Includes 14 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

3
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
16
Stalking
19 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs04
Liquor00

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
8.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
122

Mount Saint Mary's vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Mount Saint Mary's selected for federal comparison reporting.

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
SubjectMount Saint Mary's University
53%73.1%2,312$21,413Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
51%85.7%1,317$22,540Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
62%88.4%6,272$22,212R2 Research
70%75.7%3,351$30,109Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
63%62.0%2,309$29,954Doctoral/Professional
61%44.7%786$16,590Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
78%83.5%1,900$35,333Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
79%45.1%10,179$48,381R2 Research
62%16.7%640$25,181Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
7%99.9%306$24,544Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
70%86.5%2,734$30,378Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
63%71.2%5,021$20,161Doctoral/Professional
57%85.1%3,774$21,696Baccalaureate
67%82.7%3,087$30,031Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
70%77.0%1,310$29,053Baccalaureate
60%80.8%795$25,757Baccalaureate
60%81.6%849$33,692Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Peer group median62%80.8%2,309$25,757

Institutions like Mount Saint Mary's

Explore the federal data for institutions in Mount Saint Mary's's comparison group.

Mount Saint Mary's Institutional Research office

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

Office
Institutional Planning & Research
Email
research [at] msmu.edu
Phone
213-477-2500

Institutional Planning and Research serves Mount Saint Mary’s University by providing sound, action-oriented research in order to support institutional assessment, decision-making, and strategic planning. The office strives to provide consistent and accurate information that will help decision-makers to act on behalf of students and the community to foster student success and institutional effectiveness.

Visit IR office page
Team
4 members
  • Maria Narvaez
    Director
  • Emily Lopez-Lemus
    Title V Data Research Analyst
  • Kristina Yawn
    Research Analyst
  • Maria-Pia Sotomayor
    Research Analyst

Reports & documents (2)

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

Frequently asked questions about Mount Saint Mary's University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Mount Saint Mary's.

What is the acceptance rate at Mount Saint Mary's University?

Mount Saint Mary's University's acceptance rate is 73.1% (3,570 admitted from 4,882 applicants), based on the latest IPEDS.

What is the graduation rate at Mount Saint Mary's University?

Mount Saint Mary's University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 53% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Mount Saint Mary's University?

Mount Saint Mary's University reports a total enrollment of 2,312 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Mount Saint Mary's University?

The average net price at Mount Saint Mary's University is $21,413 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Mount Saint Mary's University?

Mount Saint Mary's University's yield rate is 12.0%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Mount Saint Mary's University located?

Mount Saint Mary's University is located in Los Angeles, California 90049-1599.

Who runs Institutional Research at Mount Saint Mary's University?

Mount Saint Mary's University's IR work is done by the Institutional Planning & 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.
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.
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.
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
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.
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.

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