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About La Sierra University

La Sierra University, an institution nationally acclaimed for its diverse campus and its service to others, offers a transformational experience that lasts a lifetime.

U.S. News & World Report named La Sierra University the most diverse university in the western United States the past five years. And in early 2008 the Corporation for National and Community Service selected La Sierra for the Honor Roll with Distinction, part of the 2007 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll program. The award recognized La Sierra’s students for providing nearly 45,000 hours of service. Such efforts included international economic development projects by La Sierra’s World Cup-winning Students In Free Enterprise team, and community projects through La Sierra’s campus-wide Service-Learning program.

The Seventh-day Adventist denomination established La Sierra University in 1922 on acreage formerly part of the Rancho La Sierra Mexican land grant. Today the institution provides more than 120 bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees for about 2,300 students.

To Seek, To Know, and To Serve” is the key to the mission that drives La Sierra University, with all areas of campus encouraging students to develop a deeper relationship with God.

Freedom of Religious Practice and Expression

            La Sierra University is committed to inquiry, learning, and service. Consistent with the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and our belief in a God of grace and redeeming love, the University maintains a safe and civil campus environment that promotes diversity, service and equal dignity and respect for all persons.

            La Sierra University is part of the higher education system of the Seventh-day Adventist Church . The University’s heritage and ethos reflects a dedication of loving service to people of all backgrounds and identities. La Sierra University is committed to creating and fostering an educational environment where all members of its community can thrive. Faith and learning are integrated in the curriculum and in student activities, and religious beliefs and tenets are woven into all aspects of institutional operations. This places the University within the educational plurality of the State of California.

            The freedom to practice and express the University’s religious beliefs and tenets is recognized by the United States and California Constitutions. Other federal and state laws likewise support the opportunity for religious higher education institutions such as La Sierra University to pursue their missions and integrate religious beliefs and tenets into campus life. For example, exemptions in Title IX [1] and the California Equity in Higher Education Act [2]   support the University’s efforts to operate consistently with its religious beliefs and tenets by maintaining faith-based standards of behavior that all students, faculty and employees agree to follow as a condition of participation in our learning community. Those standards may be found at the following on-line documents available at: Faculty Handbook , Employee Salary and Hourly Handbooks, and Student Handbook .

            Notwithstanding the permitted exemptions, and consistent with its commitments to diversity and service, La Sierra University seeks to fully comply with Title IX and does not unlawfully discriminate in student admissions or employment on the basis of gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religion, age (over 40) disability, or veteran status.


[1] 20 United States Code Sec 1681(a)(3); 34 Code of Federal Regulations Sec. 106.12

[2] California Education Code Sec. 66270

La Sierra University, "Where Academic Investigation, Christian Faith and Service to Others Unite," is widely recognized as an exceptional academic institution providing hands-on learning experiences in a safe, nurturing atmosphere.

Affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church, La Sierra is acclaimed for its academic quality, opportunities for research at both the undergraduate and graduate level, community service­ emphasis, and demographically diverse student body. Students thrive in the small, professor-taught classes where academic topics are investigated and Christian faith is a cornerstone of education.

Degree Programs

The 150-acre campus in beautiful Southern California is home to more than 120 bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs for more than 2,300 students. Programs are offered in:

La Sierra offers an outstanding array of programs in the Pre-Health Professions. Many La Sierra students continue their medical education at nearby Loma Linda University, thanks to La Sierra’s long association with that prominent institution.

Growth Through Service

La Sierra students change the world as they learn. Service-learning courses put classroom knowledge to work helping the community. La Sierra’s internationally award-winning Enactus (formerly SIFE) team has empowered people around the globe.

In addition, many students participate in mission work around the world.

Student's Right to Know

Net Price Calculator:

https://lasierra.edu/sfs/calculators/

Campus Safety & Security:
https://lasierra.edu/security/

National Center For Educations Statistics
http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/

More information on Student's Right to Know

Consumer Information

Financial Administration provides leadership and service in a variety of areas. Its purpose and mission focus on providing exceptional support to La Sierra University students and departments. Check more under our Consumer Information page.

Statistics Fall 2023

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