Admit rate has ranged 73%–80% over the last 5 years. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
John Paul the Great Catholic University is a small, mission-driven institution in Escondido, California, that defies easy categorization. It’s a Catholic university laser-focused on the creative arts and business innovation, where students can major in Game Development or Animation while studying the great texts of Western civilization. The campus culture is intensely communal and faith-oriented, deliberately eschewing a typical party scene for daily Mass, professional showcases, and a shared drive to create culture.
Admission requirements
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Required
High school transcript
Grade point average
Considered (not required)
Test scores (SAT/ACT)
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Undergrad enrollment
286
In-state tuition
$30,265
Out-of-state tuition
$30,265
Top Major
Communication & Media Studies (63%)
Graduation Rate
64%
On-Campus Living
75%
Average Aid Package
$15,251
Early Decision Plan
Not offered
Median Earnings (10yr)
$56,930
Students Receiving Institutional Aid
98%
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$56,930
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
1.6×
Median debt at graduation
$26,968
Graduation rate
64%
First-year retention
85%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
77%
Pell (lower-income) share
33%
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
Financial health
1.7 / 3.0Meets the federal financial-responsibility standard
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Film/Video and Photographic Arts$25,658
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
0
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
Pleasant days / yr
206
Summer high
82°F
Winter low
43°F
Annual rain
20.4"
Natural-hazard risk
Very High
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility▾
Research output
Institutional h-index
6
Scholarly works
60
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at John Paul the Great Catholic University?
John Paul the Great Catholic University's acceptance rate is approximately 80% (Escondido, CA), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for John Paul the Great Catholic University?
Admitted students at John Paul the Great Catholic University typically score 975–1270 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does John Paul the Great Catholic University cost?
At John Paul the Great Catholic University, the average net price (after aid) is about $34,666 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend John Paul the Great Catholic University?
John Paul the Great Catholic University enrolls approximately 286 undergraduate students.
Where is John Paul the Great Catholic University located?
John Paul the Great Catholic University is located in Escondido, CA.
Admissions
Admissions at JPCatholic are accessible, with an of 80%. The process draws a modest number of applicants—216 applications for 172 admissions in one recent cycle—and is not hyper-competitive. The university reports a rate (the percentage of admitted students who enroll) of 43.02%. Standardized test scores are considered but not required for all; among those who submit, the SAT middle 50% range is 975–1270, and the ACT range is 21–28. The average GPA of admitted students is 3.6. The school does not offer an Early Decision plan. While many colleges track 'demonstrated interest' (an applicant's level of engagement), JPCatholic's policy on this factor is not explicitly stated in the provided sources, though the is the definitive source for such information.
The academic model is a distinctive fusion of classical humanities and cutting-edge professional training. The university offers a tightly focused set of majors, primarily in three areas: Communication and Media Studies (which accounts for 63% of graduates), Humanities/Humanistic Studies (20%), and Business. Within these broad categories, however, are highly specialized and unusual programs for a small Catholic school, including Game Development and Animation. The curriculum is built on a 'great texts' foundation in the humanities, paired with a strong emphasis on real-world learning and entrepreneurship. Students are expected not just to study culture but to create it, benefiting from internships and project-based work. The small size ensures a personalized, hands-on approach where theoretical study is directly applied to creative and business ventures.
Life at JPCatholic is defined by a close-knit, intentionally Catholic community. The university states its mission is to provide 'the authentic opportunity to grow in faith, fellowship, and character.' This is operationalized through a robust schedule of spiritual activities including Daily Mass, Confession, Adoration, Rosary, retreats, and service projects. The social scene notably avoids a conventional party culture involving drugs and alcohol; instead, student events revolve around faith, fellowship, and professional development. A beloved annual tradition is a professional showcase event for students. Residential life is a central experience, with 75% of students living in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing. The campus in Escondido is designed as a place for both professional and spiritual growth, fostering a culture of life and creative collaboration.
The university reports a graduation rate of 64%. Post-graduation earnings data shows median earnings of approximately $28,428 one year after graduation, rising to $32,190 after five years. The university's own fact sheet breaks down graduation rates by program, showing a 60% rate for Media majors and a 44% rate for Business majors, averaging to 59.5%. For context, the average graduation rate for private non-profit institutions is cited as 64.6%. The outcomes emphasis is on placement within creative and entrepreneurial fields, with the curriculum designed to make graduates job-ready for the media and business industries they are trained to enter.
The average after aid is $34,666. The university states that 98% of students receive an Institutional Scholarship or Grant, and the financial aid process evaluates both need and merit. The average aid package is reported to be $15,251, composed of federal, state, and institutional grants. Federal grant aid averages $5,354, state grant aid $8,139, and institutional grant aid $13,763. The university offers a net price calculator for families to estimate their cost. Financial aid packages can include need-based self-help aid like federal loans and work-study, averaging $3,210. The provided sources do not indicate that JPCatholic has a 'no-loan' policy or that it meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for all admitted students without packaging loans.
JPCatholic stands out for its audacious, niche mission: to form the next generation of Catholic creative professionals. It is not a liberal arts college with a theater department; it is a professional school for filmmakers, game developers, animators, and entrepreneurs, built on a solid core of Catholic humanities. This combination is virtually unique in American higher education. The culture is all-in—students live, pray, and create together in a residential community that actively rejects a secular party scene. It’s for the student who wants to make movies, not just write papers about them; who sees business as a vocation; and who seeks an education where faith and creativity are inseparable. The trade-off is a narrow academic scope and a tiny size, but for the right student, it offers a focused, immersive path into the culture-making industries.
John Paul the Great Catholic University seal · sourceOur Campus - Saint John Paul The Great Catholic High School · sourceCampus - Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage & Family · sourceJohn Paul the Great Catholic University - Wikipedia · source
