Concordia University-Irvine

Concordia University Irvine has seen its standing fluctuate in recent years, placing at 342 in the 2027 U.S. News Best Colleges rankings after holding rank 317 in 2023. Gaining admission is relatively accessible, though the institution remains more selective than the average in its comparison group of similarly ranked private comprehensive universities. In 2025, the university admitted 66% of applicants, an admit rate higher than 26% of peer schools. However, the school demonstrates modest drawing power once offers are extended, as many admitted candidates evaluate other destinations. The yield rate reached 11.6% in 2025, higher than 44% of peer institutions. For prospective applicants, this profile suggests that candidates with solid academic credentials face reasonably accessible admission hurdles, while the low enrollment rate among admitted students shows the university frequently contends with other colleges for its incoming class.

Concordia University -- Irvine operates under a test-blind policy, meaning standardized test scores are not considered in undergraduate admissions even if submitted. As a result, recent years have no published SAT or ACT score ranges for admitted students. Even before standardized testing was removed from review, score submissions had fallen dramatically. In 2013, 84% of enrolled first-year students submitted SAT scores and 41% submitted ACT scores. By 2022, the share of students submitting scores had dropped to 12% for the SAT and 8% for the ACT. Because the admissions office does not review test results, applicants do not need to target specific percentile thresholds or score ranges. Instead, academic evaluation relies entirely on other application components, including high school coursework, grade trends, and core academic transcripts, making classroom performance the primary measure of preparation for prospective undergraduates.

Degrees at Concordia University -- Irvine are heavily clustered in professional disciplines, particularly nursing and business, rather than academic specialties with elite national standings. In 2025, bachelor's degrees were concentrated, with the top three majors accounting for 53.7% of all undergraduate graduates. Registered Nursing led the campus with 127 bachelor's recipients, followed by Business Administration and Management with 61 graduates. However, the institution's largest undergraduate programs are not nationally prominent; undergraduate nursing was ranked 589 by US News in 2027. Instead, the school's strongest national recognition appears at the graduate level, where its master's program in Healthcare Management achieved a rank of 86 in 2026. In terms of compensation, 2023 graduate data shows registered nursing graduates earning a median first-year salary of $107,439.

Concordia University Irvine educates a student body where graduate attendees outnumber undergraduates, and female students form the majority across all levels. White and Hispanic students represent the largest demographic segments on campus. Asian and international students form smaller communities within the student body. In the incoming first-year undergraduate class for 2025, Asian students numbered 14, representing 4.1% of the cohort. International enrollment is similarly modest, with 8 first-year international students accounting for 2.4% of entering freshmen. Across continuing undergraduate and graduate programs, Asian students maintain a noticeable presence, while international students consistently comprise a small fraction of degree seekers. For prospective applicants, this environment offers a predominantly domestic collegiate setting, where international scholars and Asian students form smaller, close-knit communities within the broader student population.

The student body at Concordia University -- Irvine displays a distinct generational separation between undergraduate and graduate programs. In 2025, undergraduates were heavily clustered within traditional college ages, with students aged 18 to 19 accounting for 35.2% and those aged 20 to 21 making up 34.4%. Conversely, the graduate student population spans a broad spectrum of working-age adults. Students aged 25 to 29 represented 22.1% of graduate enrollment, closely followed by those aged 40 to 49 at 21.2%. This profile indicates that undergraduate campus life is shared almost entirely among young adult peers, whereas graduate cohorts consist of students drawn from varied career and life stages.

International enrollment at Concordia University -- Irvine constitutes a minor share of the student population across all levels. In 2025, undergraduate international students accounted for 3.8% of the undergraduate body, continuing a downward trajectory over the past decade. In contrast, the graduate division has seen modest growth in foreign enrollment, reaching 2.1% of graduate students that same year. Among degree recipients in 2025, international students made up 4.8% of bachelor's degree earners, while representing a smaller fraction of master's graduates and none at the doctoral level. At the undergraduate level, international graduates were most concentrated in Business Administration and Management, General, where they made up 6.6% of the class, followed by Exercise Science and Kinesiology. At the master's level, international representation remained minimal across all major fields, including Sport and Fitness Administration. Prospective international students should recognize that they will be joining a predominantly domestic campus community with relatively few peers from abroad.

Several higher education institutions are located within convenient reach of Concordia University -- Irvine in Southern California. The nearest major public option is University of California-Irvine, located just 1.7 kilometers away and holding the 34th position among National Universities in 2027. South of the city, Soka University of America sits 8.2 kilometers away, ranking 41st on the 2027 National Liberal Arts Colleges list. Another private comprehensive option is Chapman University, situated 9.9 kilometers away in Orange, which ranked 100th among National Universities. Further north, California State University-Fullerton is 16.3 kilometers away and ranked 156th among National Universities. These institutions offer diverse campus sizes and academic models within the local metropolitan area.

Campus safety reports at Concordia University -- Irvine indicate a comparatively calm environment, with incidents predominantly consisting of disciplinary policy violations rather than major crimes. In 2025, the campus recorded a crime rate of 3.2 per 1,000 students. Across the three-year period from 2023 to 2025, the university's largest incident category was disciplinary referrals, led by 16 drug referrals and 5 alcohol referrals. Serious property and interpersonal offenses occurred infrequently during those same years, comprising five reports of larceny alongside occasional instances of motor vehicle theft and dating violence. Overall, these figures suggest that safety concerns on campus are largely confined to internal substance-related policy enforcement rather than pervasive threats to personal safety. For incoming students, the campus maintains a secure day-to-day setting, though general awareness of institutional rules and personal property remains prudent.