Dominican University of California
San Rafael, CA
San Rafael, CA
San Rafael, CA
All are welcome at Dominican!
Dominican is a top-ranked non-profit university in San Rafael, CA; just 12 miles north of San Francisco. With a broad range of majors and minors from health care and natural sciences to business, education, humanities and the arts, you can be sure that all programs have a distinctly current curriculum. As a Penguin, you’ll experience highly engaging personal coaching and mentoring along with a myriad of opportunities for internships, community projects, global learning, clinicals, field research and much more so that you’re ready for your dream job or grad school upon graduation.
Whatever your goals, it's our privilege to help you achieve them!
No application fee and automatic scholarship consideration
The application is free through the Common App and on our website. You can easily start your application right now. Based on your personal situation, you will be automatically considered for scholarships.
An excellent education at Dominican is deliberately affordable
We offer both merit- and need-based scholarships in addition to the federal and/or state aid you may be eligible for. 99% of our first-year students receive financial aid.
Dominican is a designated Minority Serving Institution (MSI), specifically both a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Institution (AANAPISI). 71% of our undergrads identify as ethnically diverse and 23% are the first in their families to attend college.
Financial aid
From need-based aid to athletic awards and more, 99% of entering undergraduate students receive financial aid. Federal and state loans and grants, work-study, and other grants are also available. In almost all cases, there’s no application fee.
Test-optional admission
Dominican University is test-optional! We take the whole you into consideration when considering your application. This includes your experiences and goals, your grades, the rigor of your high school curriculum and your extracurricular activities.
Dominican athletics
Dominican sponsors 15 intercollegiate sports and is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II, the Pacific West Conference, and MCLA Division I.
• Men’s sports: Basketball, cross-country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, track & field,
• Women’s sports: Basketball, cross-country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field, volleyball
Campus visits and counseling appointments
Come schedule a visit or explore our beautiful campus virtually at: dominican.edu/connect
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Ranked #18 among "Best Value Schools" | U.S. News & World Report, 2024 |
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Ranked among the "Top Performers on Social Mobility" | U.S. News & World Report, 2024 |
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Named the Nation’s Most Transformative Four-Year University | American Council on Education (ACE) |
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Ranked #5 among "Best Value Colleges" in the San Francisco Bay Area | Niche, 2023 |
No matter what you do or where you work, technology will touch some part of your day-to-day. Dominican University of California’s innovative Coding & Software Design minor—developed with input from Etsy, Lyft, and LinkedIn—gives students of any major a major career edge. Leave with a basic grasp of coding, apps, and analytics—and stand out to employers of all kinds.
“I loved how hands-on my work was, and I felt like I was really making an impact in my local community.”
“Looking back at my capstone project, I feel like it taught me how to be adaptive to different types of changes, how to be patient with myself and others, and how to bring my own personal values into the work I’m doing.”
“From the beginning, I recognized that Dominican would have a vested interest in my future and my well-being.”
“I chose Dominican University of California because it’s transfer-student and first-generation-student friendly; the faculty is amazing; the small class sizes were appealing; there are a lot of opportunities available; and diversity is a big focus of the school.”