Loyola Marymount University

Loyola Marymount University has seen its standing soften in national assessments while maintaining selective admissions standards. In the 2027 U.S. News Best Colleges ranking, the university placed at 109, down from 64 in 2020. Gaining admission remains relatively selective compared to its peers. For 2025, the university posted an acceptance rate of 45.1%, which was higher than only 13% of similarly ranked private comprehensive universities. This indicates that Loyola Marymount turns away more applicants than a typical peer institution in its classification. However, the university experiences significant competition from rival campuses when trying to convert admitted candidates into enrolled undergraduates. Its yield rate stood at 14.8% in 2025, demonstrating that fewer than one in six admitted students ultimately elected to matriculate. For families weighing an application, these figures indicate that while securing an offer of admission requires standing out among a competitive applicant pool, admitted students often hold multiple options and actively compare Loyola Marymount against other institutions before making a final commitment.

Loyola Marymount University operates under an admissions policy where standardized test scores are optional, considered if submitted. Among similarly ranked private comprehensive universities, the university's median SAT score was higher than 68% of peer schools. For the 2025 admissions cycle, enrolled students in the middle score range achieved between 640 and 720 on SAT Reading and between 620 and 710 on SAT Math. ACT Composite results similarly reflected strong preparation, falling predominantly in the upper twenties to low thirties. Most applicants chose not to submit scores, with the SAT submission rate standing at 18% in 2025. Because testing is optional, secondary school coursework and grades carry substantial weight in evaluating candidates. High school profile data from 2021–2022 show that the single largest share of enrolling freshmen earned top-tier GPAs, with most others maintaining strong course records. For prospective applicants, gaining admission demands a rigorous secondary curriculum and consistently strong academic marks, alongside test scores that match these typical thresholds for those who provide them.

Undergraduate degree recipients at Loyola Marymount University are moderately distributed across fields rather than heavily concentrated, with the top three bachelor's majors accounting for 25.8% of all graduating seniors in 2025. The single largest undergraduate program was Psychology, General, with 166 graduates, followed closely by Marketing and Finance. Several of the school's most popular undergraduate disciplines overlap directly with its nationally recognized strengths. In the 2027 U.S. News business rankings, the university placed 16th in Entrepreneurship, 17th in Marketing, and 29th in Finance, confirming that student interest aligns well with academic reputation. Graduate legal studies also maintain high visibility, including an 8th-place ranking in Tax Law in 2026. Looking at financial outcomes, 2023 earnings data one year after graduation show that technology graduates earned the highest pay, led by Computer and Information Sciences alumni with median earnings of $99,505. Prospective applicants can expect robust training across business and communications, with high early career returns concentrated in quantitative and technological majors.

The student body at Loyola Marymount University is primarily undergraduate and draws students from diverse backgrounds. Within the incoming freshman class for 2025, Asian students accounted for 183 individuals, representing an 11.9% share of entering first-year students. International students in the freshman cohort numbered 112, accounting for 7.3% of the class. Across the broader undergraduate and graduate populations, Asian and international students each continue to hold consistent representation of roughly one in ten learners. White and Hispanic students comprise the two largest racial and ethnic groups on campus, while female students represent a clear majority across both undergraduate and postgraduate divisions. For prospective applicants, this demographic balance creates a collegiate environment where domestic diversity is prominent and international perspectives are integrated throughout campus life.

The age distribution at Loyola Marymount University shows a distinct separation between undergraduate and graduate student bodies. In 2025, undergraduates were predominantly of traditional college age, with 43.1% aged 20 to 21 and 42.4% aged 18 to 19. This concentration means undergraduate campus life primarily revolves around students transitioning directly from secondary school into full-time study. Meanwhile, graduate programs serve a more mature population. In 2025, students aged 22 to 24 made up 33.9% of graduate enrollment, and those aged 25 to 29 accounted for 33.1%. As a result, undergraduate life is centered on the traditional four-year collegiate experience, while graduate divisions cater to individuals balancing advanced professional training.

International enrollment trends at Loyola Marymount University show different paths across degree levels. At the undergraduate level, international representation rose to 9.2% in 2025, which is higher than 93% of peer schools among similarly ranked private comprehensive universities. By contrast, the international share among graduate students declined over the past decade, reaching 8.2% in 2025. International graduates represent a much larger presence in graduate programs than at the undergraduate level, earning 18.1% of all master's degrees in 2025. By discipline, international bachelor's recipients concentrate most heavily in fields like Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies, Finance, General, and Cinematography and Film/Video Production. At the master's level, international students formed a majority in Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies and accounted for substantial shares in Management Science and Cinematography and Film/Video Production. For international applicants, these patterns highlight focused communities primarily within creative arts and business fields.

Families considering Loyola Marymount University can explore several prominent higher education options in the greater Los Angeles area. Located just 7.1 kilometers away, University of California-Los Angeles is a National University ranked 20th in the 2027 U.S. News rankings. Another leading private option is University of Southern California, a National University situated 8.3 kilometers away and ranked 27th. For students interested in a smaller liberal arts setting, Occidental College is a Liberal Arts College located 15.9 kilometers away, holding the 38th spot on the liberal arts ranking list. Further west along the coast sits Pepperdine University, a National University ranked 80th and located 17.3 kilometers from campus.

Campus safety reports for Loyola Marymount University show that student conduct violations make up the largest portion of recorded incidents. In 2025, the university recorded a crime rate per 1,000 students of 8.3. When reviewing specific categories across the three-year period from 2023 to 2025, disciplinary enforcement accounted for the highest numbers, led by 182 drug disciplinary referrals alongside dozens of liquor disciplinary referrals. Property crimes were primarily characterized by 72 motor vehicle thefts during this timeframe. Serious personal offenses occurred less frequently over the same three years, including 27 cases of stalking, followed by smaller numbers of rape and theft reports. For families and prospective students evaluating campus safety in Los Angeles, the records indicate that substance regulation and vehicle security represent the primary safety concerns, while violent crimes occur far less often.