University of the People
Pasadena, CA 91101
About University of the People
University of the People is a private two-year college in Pasadena, California, with about 22,688 students. The college offers associate degrees, career certificates, and transfer pathways to four-year universities. Published tuition for full-time study starts near $1,400 before fees and financial aid. Student demographics in federal data include Race/ethnicity unknown (87.9%) and White (4.7%) among the largest enrollment groups.
Key findings
- Versus the California median, sticker tuition is about 0.2×.
- Completion within 150% of normal time is 33.54%.
Cost benchmarks
| Benchmark | Median Tuition | Median Net Price | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of the People | $1,400 | — | 1 |
| Private Non-profit (national median) | $29,325 | — | 1,444 |
| California (state median) | $8,093 | $8,343 | 287 |
| Suburban (locale median) | $13,135 | $18,048 | 684 |
| 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 University of the People really?
Key findings
- University of the People charges about 0.0× the national private non-profit median tuition ($1,400).
- Versus the California median, sticker tuition is about 0.2×.
University of the People tuition
Published undergraduate tuition $1,400
Finding University of the People charges about 0.0× the national private non-profit median tuition.
Evidence Published tuition is $1,400. That is about 0.0× the national private non-profit median ($29,325). Versus the California median ($8,093), sticker tuition is about 0.2×. Versus the U.S. median ($11,900), sticker is about 0.1×.
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 University of the People versus school-type, state, locale, and U.S. medians.
University of the People: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for University of the People—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
High completion indicates students finish programs at scale; it does not alone measure instructional quality or labor-market fit.
Financial profile
Annual tuition
$1,400
Sticker tuition × four years (estimate, no room/board): $5,600. See cost investigation.
What University of the People is known for
Top program completions
- Business Administration and Management, General3,292
- Computer and Information Sciences, General1,077
- Public Health, General585
- Secondary Education and Teaching335
- Elementary Education and Teaching270
See earnings & programs for more.
Is University of the People a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
University of the People is a good school for those looking for high program completion rates.
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 University of the People.
Campus
Location
Pasadena, CA
City / state
- ZIP
- 91101
- NCES locale
- Suburb
Compared with Suburban campuses nationally, tuition is about 0.1× the median for Suburban campuses.
Control
Institution type
Private Non-profit
Control
- Region
- Far West
- Carnegie
- Master's Colleges and Universities: Medium Programs
Size
Enrollment
22,688
Total enrollment
- Undergraduate
- 58,606
- Graduate
- 5,060
- Full-time share
- 66%
Student aid
Debt & aid
- Pell grant share
- 0.00%
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Tuition vs average net price after aid for University of the People.
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 University of the People was not reported in the College Scorecard extract for this institution.
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 University of the People in that year.
Reporting years in the table below: 2020–2023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).
| Year | In-state tuition & fees | Out-of-state tuition & fees | Average net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $1,200 | $1,200 | — |
| 2021 | $1,200 | $1,200 | — |
| 2022 | $1,200 | $1,200 | — |
| 2023 | $1,200 | $1,200 | — |
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
University of the People reported total enrollment of about 22,688 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 53% male and 47% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes Race/ethnicity unknown (87.9%), White (4.7%), and Hispanic or Latino (2.7%).
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
65.5% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at University of the People in 2024 is 22,688 students.
Undergraduate enrollment is about 58,606 students. Graduate enrollment is about 5,060 students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
N/A%
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
17.01% 100% Completion Time
33.54% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 17.01% of students graduating from University of the People completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Completions by Sex (Top Programs)
- Business Administration and Management, General: 55% male / 45% female
- Computer and Information Sciences, General: 79% male / 21% female
- Public Health, General: 37% male / 63% 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.
What do University of the People graduates earn—and in which programs?
Financial value and program completions for University of the People from College Scorecard and IPEDS extracts.
Return on Investment
ROI data is not available for this institution.
Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for University of the People.
Top Programs by Completions
Largest 7 programs by IPEDS completions (8 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).
IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at University of the People.
Employment Outcomes
Employment outcome data is not available for this institution.
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for University of the People graduates.
How financially powerful is this institution?
Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for University of the People—endowment assets (fiscal year 2023), instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.
Institutional endowment
$665,467
End-of-year assets · Fiscal year 2023
- California median 0.03× the median ($19.7M)
- Far West median 0.04× the median ($16.8M)
- U.S. median 0.03× the median ($26.4M)
- California median 0.00× the median ($7,407)
- Far West median 0.00× the median ($7,260)
- U.S. median 0.00× the median ($12,100)
Instructional Resources
- Instructional expenditure per FTE: $199
- California median 0.03× the median ($6,474)
- Far West median 0.03× the median ($7,030)
- U.S. median 0.03× 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.
University of the People at a glance
University of the People
University of the People is a private non-profit institution in Pasadena, CA, classified as Master's Colleges and Universities: Medium Programs.
- Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
- Business Administration and Management, GeneralComputer and Information Sciences, GeneralPublic Health, General
- Largest enrollment groups
- Race/ethnicity unknown87.9%White or Caucasian4.7%Hispanic or Latino2.7%
Schools near University of the People
Other campuses in Pasadena, 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 University of the People located?
University of the People is located in Pasadena, CA.
What is University of the People's tuition?
University of the People tuition (published undergraduate sticker price) is $1,400 in the latest College Scorecard data.
How much does University of the People cost?
Reported tuition is $1,400 and average net price is N/A in the latest College Scorecard data. On-campus room and board is estimated at $2,001 annually.
What is the student body demographics at University of the People?
University of the People reports undergraduate enrollment of about 58,606 students, Race/ethnicity unknown (87.9%), White (4.7%) in federal College Scorecard data.
What is the graduation rate at University of the People?
The 150%-time completion rate is 33.5% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.
Is University of the People public or private?
University of the People is a private nonprofit institution located in Pasadena, CA.
Is University of the People an HBCU?
No. University of the People is not flagged as an HBCU in the IPEDS institutional directory.
Is University of the People a tribal college?
No. University of the People is not flagged as a tribal college in IPEDS.
Is University of the People a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI)?
Using a 25% Hispanic enrollment threshold on College Scorecard demographics, University of the People does not meet that proxy (reported share 2.7%).
Is University of the People religiously affiliated?
No religious affiliation is reported for University of the People in IPEDS institutional characteristics.
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.