About
Soka University of America (SUA) is a private liberal arts college in Aliso Viejo, California. Originally founded in 1987, it was established on its current campus in 2001 by Daisaku Ikeda, the founder of the Soka Gakkai International Buddhist movement. Though affiliated with Soka Gakkai, it maintains a secular curriculum which emphasizes pacifism, human rights, and the creative coexistence of nature and humanity.
Admissions & acceptance rate
How selective is this institution, and how many admitted students choose to enroll?
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Non-Pell students graduate at a 13.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Academic programs at Soka University of America
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Soka University of America vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Soka University of America selected for federal comparison reporting.
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 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectSoka University of America | 92% | — | 495 | $21,446 | Baccalaureate |
Claremont McKenna College | 91% | 9.6% | 1,393 | $27,384 | Baccalaureate |
Harvey Mudd College | 92% | 12.7% | 951 | $32,492 | Baccalaureate |
Occidental College | 81% | 44.2% | 1,881 | $39,329 | Baccalaureate |
Pitzer College | 83% | 25.2% | 1,242 | $31,663 | Baccalaureate |
Pomona College | 93% | 7.1% | 1,700 | $19,424 | Baccalaureate |
Scripps College | 83% | 38.3% | 1,137 | $38,802 | Baccalaureate |
| Peer group median | 91% | 18.9% | 1,242 | $31,663 |
Soka University of America Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The page provides information about the Common Data Set initiative at Soka University of America, including downloadable PDFs of past years' data. It also contains contact details for the Office of Institutional Research & Assessment and links to relevant resources such as accreditation and student success data.
Visit IR office pageCommon Data Set (1)
The institution's official annual Common Data Set publications — the most detailed reference for enrollment, admissions, and outcomes.
Reports & documents (3)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- Data dictionaryInstitutional Research & Assessment2026The Office of Institutional Research and Assessment at Soka University of America collects and publishes data on enrollment, graduation, and student outcomes to support institutional planning, regulatory reporting, and transparency for prospective students, families, and researchers. The data includes detailed statistics on undergraduate and graduate admissions, enrollment, graduation rates, and student success metrics. The university maintains an average undergraduate graduation rate of 88% and a graduate program completion rate of 95%. The page provides additional resources such as career reports and links to download the Common Data Set for various years.soka.edu
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- GlossaryInstitutional Research & AssessmentThe Institutional Research & Assessment section of Soka University of America's website provides essential data on student enrollment, graduation rates, and outcomes to aid in institutional planning and transparency. It highlights its accreditation status, detailed student success data, and post-graduation pathways for students. Accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission, Soka maintains high standards for educational quality. The Common Data Set initiative supports standardized higher education reporting.soka.edu
Grants & funding (4)
Federal grant awards and open funding opportunities awarded to this institution.
- opportunityFulbright Student AdvisingFulbright US Student Programinstitution_site
- opportunityGraduate Grants & ScholarshipsSoka University of Americainstitution_site
- opportunityPBRC Summer GrantsPacific Basin Research Centerinstitution_site
- opportunitySummer Internship GrantsSoka University of Americainstitution_site
Notable alumni of Soka University of America (2)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Tahereh MafiLiterature
- Aditi Rao
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