Westcliff University
About
Westcliff University (WU) is a private, for-profit university in Irvine, California. Founded in 1993, it offers bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees, as well as certificate programs and continuing education courses.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 37 Title IV programs, 0 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 37 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing0 · 0.0%
- No Data37 · 100.0%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
Severity spectrum
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.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
WASC Senior College and University Commission
WASC Senior College and University Commission
Distance Education Accrediting Commission
Action history · 13
- Dec 2025Grant Substantive Change: Final Branch ApprovalWASC Senior College and University Commission
- Mar 2025Grant Substantive Change: OtherWASC Senior College and University Commission
- Mar 2025Grant Substantive Change: Final Branch ApprovalWASC Senior College and University Commission
- Mar 2025Grant Substantive Change: ProgramWASC Senior College and University Commission
- Jun 2024Renewal of AccreditationWASC Senior College and University Commission
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.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 160 students received $990K in Pell grants, alongside $15.5M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
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.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 33 borrowers who entered repayment, 7 (21.2%) defaulted within three years — above the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* 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.
Academic programs at Westcliff
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
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 10
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus2
- Non-campus4
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
No hate crimes reported.
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Westcliff vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Westcliff 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 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectWestcliff University | 62% | — | 7,686 | $26,455 | — |
California Miramar University | 0% | 18.5% | 247 | $11,007 | — |
DeVry College of New York | 29% | 100.0% | 107 | $34,530 | — |
DeVry University-Florida | 33% | — | 114 | — | — |
DeVry University-Georgia | 17% | 100.0% | 522 | $30,243 | — |
DeVry University-Nevada | 0% | — | 1 | — | — |
DeVry University-Texas | 0% | — | 17 | — | — |
DeVry University-Virginia | 0% | — | 19 | $22,341 | — |
LIM College | 49% | 95.9% | 1,467 | $37,514 | — |
Millennia Atlantic University | 100% | — | 220 | — | — |
San Ignacio University | 72% | — | 319 | $9,433 | — |
Schiller International University | 25% | — | 59 | $24,840 | — |
Strayer University-Georgia | 25% | — | 4,916 | $18,224 | — |
Strayer University-Global Region | 8% | — | 12,098 | $18,918 | — |
Strayer University-Maryland | 38% | — | 1,290 | $18,092 | — |
Strayer University-South Carolina | 0% | — | 2,110 | $22,134 | — |
Strayer University-Tennessee | 0% | — | 1,965 | $18,466 | — |
Strayer University-Texas | 25% | — | 2,508 | $17,517 | — |
University of Phoenix-Texas | 40% | — | 6 | — | — |
University of the Potomac-VA Campus | 50% | — | 551 | — | — |
University of the Potomac-Washington DC Campus | 27% | — | 1,241 | $18,868 | — |
| Peer group median | 25% | 97.9% | 522 | $18,918 |
Westcliff Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The purpose of these data is to effectively demonstrate how well Westcliff achieves its goals and objectives, which focus on enhancing the performance and the achievement of learning outcomes by students.
Visit IR office page- Dr. Sammy ElzarkaDirector
- Giang DoData Analyst
- Brian LeeData Analyst
- Jason LeeData Analyst
Common 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.
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- GlossaryWestcliff University GlossaryWestcliff University's glossary section is dedicated to defining crucial terms used by the university staff, faculty, and the Institutional Research Department. Covering a broad spectrum of topics from academic performance indicators to big data analytics, online education, global trends, and finance, the glossary serves as a comprehensive resource for understanding key concepts and initiatives related to higher education and institutional research.ir.westcliff.edu
- Strategic planWestcliff University 2020-2025 Strategic Plan2020Westcliff University's 2020-2025 Strategic Plan focuses on achieving academic excellence and enhancing student success through innovative programs and comprehensive support systems. The plan aims to develop a diverse team of professionals and expand the university's reach both nationally and globally. Emphasizing community engagement and visibility, Westcliff strives to foster collaborative relationships and promote a culture of service among its staff and students.westcliff.edu
Grants & funding (7)
Federal grant awards and open funding opportunities awarded to this institution.
- opportunityDr. David McKinney Memorial ScholarshipWestcliff Universityinstitution_site$10,000
- opportunityHarris-Cooper Rising Groups in STEM ScholarshipWestcliff Universityinstitution_site$10,000
- opportunityFounder’s Scholarship for Business (Doctoral)Westcliff Universityinstitution_site$5,000
- opportunityCybersecurity Bootcamp Certificate Introductory ScholarshipWestcliff Universityinstitution_site$1,500
- opportunityFull Stack Coding Bootcamp Certificate Introductory ScholarshipWestcliff Universityinstitution_site$1,500
- opportunityCivil Servant ScholarshipWestcliff Universityinstitution_site
- opportunityMilitary ScholarshipWestcliff Universityinstitution_site
Frequently asked questions about Westcliff University
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Westcliff.
What is the graduation rate at Westcliff University?
How many students attend Westcliff University?
What is the average net price at Westcliff University?
What is the yield rate at Westcliff University?
Where is Westcliff University located?
Who runs Institutional Research at Westcliff University?
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