Southern California Seminary
El Cajon, CA 92019-1108
About Southern California Seminary
Southern California Seminary is a private research university in El Cajon, California, enrolling about 32 students. Southern California Seminary awards degrees and certificates tracked in federal College Scorecard and IPEDS reporting. Published tuition for full-time study is about $19,080 per year before aid; net price varies by family income. Median earnings about ten years after entry reach about $39,607 among students who received federal aid.
Key findings
- Versus the California median, sticker tuition is about 2.4×.
- Completion within 150% of normal time is 50.00%.
- Median earnings 10 years after entry are $39,607.
Cost benchmarks
| Benchmark | Median Tuition | Median Net Price | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern California Seminary | $19,080 | — | 1 |
| Private Non-profit (national median) | $29,325 | — | 1,444 |
| California (state median) | $8,093 | $8,343 | 287 |
| Rural (locale median) | $14,160 | $18,700 | 1,649 |
| United States (national median) | $11,900 | $17,156 | — |
Compares this campus to school-type, state, and locale medians plus a U.S. national median (College Scorecard–derived). Locale groups campuses by NCES locale type; state tuition is the median published tuition among campuses in that state.
How expensive is Southern California Seminary really?
Key findings
- Southern California Seminary charges 35% below the national private non-profit median tuition ($19,080).
- Versus the California median, sticker tuition is about 2.4×.
Southern California Seminary tuition
Published undergraduate tuition $19,080
Finding Southern California Seminary charges 35% below the national private non-profit median tuition.
Evidence Published tuition is $19,080. That is 35% below the national private non-profit median ($29,325). Versus the California median ($8,093), sticker tuition is about 2.4×. Versus the U.S. median ($11,900), sticker is 60% above.
Method Sticker tuition compared with Scorecard-derived medians by ownership, state, locale, and national rollups when available.
Interpretation Published tuition measures sticker price relative to private non-profit and geographic peers; it does not equal what undergraduates typically pay after aid.
Limitation Sticker comparisons omit room, board, and institutional aid; average net price and income-band net prices are the stronger signals of typical family cost.
Evidence: published tuition at Southern California Seminary versus school-type, state, locale, and U.S. medians.
Southern California Seminary: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for Southern California Seminary—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
The combination of completion and 10-year earnings is a multidimensional outcomes signal; it does not measure educational quality by itself.
Financial profile
Annual tuition
$19,080
Sticker tuition × four years (estimate, no room/board): $76,320. See cost investigation.
Student outcomes
Share of first-year students returning the following fall.
Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.
What Southern California Seminary is known for
Top program completions
- Bible/Biblical Studies14
- Pastoral Studies/Counseling9
- Missions/Missionary Studies8
- Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling7
- Divinity/Ministry4
See earnings & programs for more.
Is Southern California Seminary a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
Southern California Seminary is a good school for those looking for strong completion alongside solid mid-career earnings.
EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.
More from the data
Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for Southern California Seminary.
Campus
Location
El Cajon, CA
City / state
- ZIP
- 92019-1108
- NCES locale
- Rural fringe
Compared with Rural campuses nationally, tuition is 35% above the median for Rural campuses.
Control
Institution type
Private Non-profit
Control
- Region
- Far West
- Carnegie
- Special Focus Four-Year: Faith-Related Institutions
Size
Enrollment
32
Total enrollment
- Undergraduate
- 40
- Graduate
- 129
- Full-time share
- 31%
Student aid
Debt & aid
- Pell grant share
- 34.38%
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Tuition vs average net price after aid for Southern California Seminary.
Financial Aid by Income Level
Financial aid distribution by income level.
Student Loan Default Rate
The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at Southern California Seminary was 0.00%.
Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.
Tuition tracker
Published tuition and average net price by reporting year come from the College Scorecard institution file. Values are not adjusted for inflation; missing cells mean the field was not reported or was suppressed for Southern California Seminary in that year.
Reporting years in the table below: 2013–2023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).
| Year | In-state tuition & fees | Out-of-state tuition & fees | Average net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | $13,692 | $13,692 | — |
| 2014 | $14,244 | $14,244 | $35,051 |
| 2015 | $14,244 | $14,244 | $31,678 |
| 2016 | $14,245 | $14,245 | $25,718 |
| 2017 | $15,600 | $15,600 | $26,755 |
| 2018 | $17,540 | $17,540 | — |
| 2019 | $16,884 | $16,884 | $33,984 |
| 2020 | $16,884 | $16,884 | — |
| 2021 | $17,736 | $17,736 | — |
| 2022 | $18,240 | $18,240 | — |
| 2023 | $18,720 | $18,720 | — |
Sticker tuition and net price over time
Where the institution reported separate in-state and out-of-state tuition, both appear. Gaps mean the value was not reported for that year.
College Scorecard reporting-year fields (not inflation-adjusted).
Net price by family income
Brackets follow Scorecard definitions for the series shown (public vs private institution).
Latest income-band net prices available in the processed extract.
How difficult is it to get in?
Acceptance Rate
Acceptance rate data is not available for this institution.
Admissions funnel data is not available for this institution.
Test Scores
Test score data is not available for this institution.
Score distribution is not available for this institution.
Academic Requirements
GPA requirements are not published by this institution. Contact the admissions office for specific academic requirements.
Estimated GPA range is not available for this institution.
Enrollment & Student Demographics
Southern California Seminary reported total enrollment of about 32 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 72% male and 28% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes White (50.0%), Hispanic or Latino (21.9%), and Black or African American (18.8%). About 34.38% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
31.2% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at Southern California Seminary in 2024 is 32 students.
Undergraduate enrollment is about 40 students. Graduate enrollment is about 129 students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
0.0%
2024 Retention Rate
Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall.
Retention rate over time compared to similar institutions.
Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity
Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.
College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).
Do students complete their programs?
Time to Complete
50.00% 100% Completion Time
50.00% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 50.00% of students graduating from Southern California Seminary completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Completions by Sex (Top Programs)
- Bible/Biblical Studies: 71% male / 29% female
- Pastoral Studies/Counseling: 44% male / 56% female
- Missions/Missionary Studies: 100% male / 0% female
IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).
Completions by Race & Ethnicity
Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.
Summed across program completion records in our extract.
Southern California Seminary graduates earn a median of $39,607 ten years after entry
Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of Southern California Seminary.
Evidence Median earnings 10 years after entry: $39,607.
Method College Scorecard median earnings (10-year), median debt, and EDsmart ROI / payback models using campus net price.
Interpretation Institution-wide ROI and debt ratios summarize campus averages; program choice still drives individual outcomes.
Limitation Salary reflects median earnings ten years after entry; ROI is not program-specific.
Key takeaway Southern California Seminary graduates report median earnings of $39,607 ten years after entry—an institution-wide outcomes signal, not a program guarantee.
Return on Investment
Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for Southern California Seminary.
Top Programs by Completions
Largest 10 programs by IPEDS completions (11 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).
IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at Southern California Seminary.
Employment Outcomes
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for Southern California Seminary graduates.
How financially powerful is this institution?
Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for Southern California Seminary—endowment assets (fiscal year 2023), instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.
Institutional endowment
$115,851
End-of-year assets · Fiscal year 2023
- California median 0.01× the median ($19.7M)
- Far West median 0.01× the median ($16.8M)
- U.S. median 0.00× the median ($26.4M)
- California median 0.12× the median ($7,407)
- Far West median 0.12× the median ($7,260)
- U.S. median 0.07× the median ($12,100)
Instructional Resources
- Full-time faculty share: 33.3%
- California median 6.0 pp below median (39.3%)
- Far West median 12.3 pp below median (45.7%)
- U.S. median 24.6 pp below median (58.0%)
- Average faculty salary (monthly): $6,254
- California median 0.62× the median ($10,166)
- Far West median 0.65× the median ($9,635)
- U.S. median 0.82× the median ($7,615)
- Instructional expenditure per FTE: $8,166
- California median 1.3× the median ($6,474)
- Far West median 1.2× the median ($7,030)
- U.S. median 1.1× the median ($7,288)
Instructional metrics from College Scorecard. Peer medians are campus-level; see the institutional financials deep dive. Detailed non-instructional staff counts are not included here.
Southern California Seminary at a glance
Southern California Seminary
Southern California Seminary is a private non-profit institution in El Cajon, CA, classified as Special Focus Four-Year: Faith-Related Institutions.
- Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
- Bible/Biblical StudiesPastoral Studies/CounselingMissions/Missionary Studies
- Largest enrollment groups
- White or Caucasian50.0%Hispanic or Latino21.9%Black or African American18.8%
Schools near Southern California Seminary
Other campuses in El Cajon, CA when available, plus nearby institutions in California.
Similar schools
Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade F) within California, then by similar ownership and admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Southern California Seminary located?
Southern California Seminary is located in El Cajon, CA.
What is Southern California Seminary's tuition?
Southern California Seminary tuition (published undergraduate sticker price) is $19,080 in the latest College Scorecard data.
How much does Southern California Seminary cost?
Reported tuition is $19,080 and average net price is N/A in the latest College Scorecard data. On-campus room and board is estimated at $15,633 annually.
What is the student body demographics at Southern California Seminary?
Southern California Seminary reports undergraduate enrollment of about 40 students, White (50.0%), Hispanic or Latino (21.9%) in federal College Scorecard data.
What do graduates of Southern California Seminary earn?
Median earnings are $43,014 six years after entry and $39,607 ten years after entry.
What is the graduation rate at Southern California Seminary?
The 150%-time completion rate is 50.0% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.
Is Southern California Seminary public or private?
Southern California Seminary is a private nonprofit institution located in El Cajon, CA.
Is Southern California Seminary an HBCU?
No. Southern California Seminary is not flagged as an HBCU in the IPEDS institutional directory.
Is Southern California Seminary a tribal college?
No. Southern California Seminary is not flagged as a tribal college in IPEDS.
Is Southern California Seminary a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI)?
Using a 25% Hispanic enrollment threshold on College Scorecard demographics, Southern California Seminary does not meet that proxy (reported share 21.9%).
Is Southern California Seminary religiously affiliated?
Yes. IPEDS reports a religious affiliation for Southern California Seminary: Baptist.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
- Related geography & profiles
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology & Data Scope
This profile uses institution-level fields from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, merged with IPEDS directory attributes where needed for locale, ownership, and program completions.
Benchmark rows compare this campus to NCES locale-type medians (for example Suburban) from our processed location extract. Implied U.S. medians are derived from locale-vs-national percentage fields in that extract—not a separate national Scorecard table.