Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Vanguard University of Southern California, Fresno Pacific University, Occidental College. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | Vanguard UniversityCosta Mesa, CA | Fresno PacificFresno, CA | OccidentalLos Angeles, CA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 62.4% | 64.1% | 44.2% |
| SAT middle 50% | Not reportedVanguard University of Southern California reports that it neither requires nor recommends admissions test scores, and does not report a score range to the Department of Education. | Not reportedFresno Pacific University reports that it neither requires nor recommends admissions test scores, and does not report a score range to the Department of Education. | 1380–1520 |
| Average net price | $21,24143.8% on Pell grants | $13,63058.4% on Pell grants | $38,26316.6% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $41,700Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $36,660Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $66,274Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 56.8% | 50.0% | 80.9% |
| First-year retention | 70.1% | 71.6% | 89.8% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 43.8% | 58.4% | 16.6% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $59,541 | $58,896 | $75,951 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $22,000 | $23,146 | $23,000 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 16:1 | 8:1 | 9:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,933 | 1,544 | 1,877 |
| Consensus percentile | 28Lower is better | 29Lower is better | 27Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 17 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 20 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 65 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Vanguard University | Fresno Pacific | Occidental |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #43 of 118Regional univ. (West)Regional Universities (West) · 2026 | #47 of 118Regional univ. (West)Regional Universities (West) · 2026 | #34 of 210Liberal arts collegesNational Liberal Arts Colleges · 2026 |
| Forbes | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | #110 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | Not ranked by this source | #432 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #238 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | Not ranked by this source | #141 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #359 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #514 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #524 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #176 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Listed |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
Students comparing Vanguard University of Southern California on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Fresno Pacific University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Occidental College on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
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