La Sierra University posts stable enrollment, charts path forward

The number of enrolled students transferring from other higher education schools rose to 153, a 119% increase over 2025, while graduate student enrollment, including summer cohorts, jumped 132% over last year, to 164. New freshman enrollment stood at 66% of the same period last year. 

The H.M.S. Richards Divinity School saw its enrollment rise by 153%, the Zapara School of Business increased 107%, and the School of Education moved enrollment to 101%. The College of Arts & Sciences achieved 95% of last year’s enrollment total, a slight decrease related to the overall reduction in new freshmen.

In keeping with its mission of stewardship and strategic management of resources, the university is also implementing disciplined and incremental budget management steps this school year that will support its ability to sustain and increase growth. These include refining its approach to strategic enrollment and implementing judicious spending practices. 

The university’s strategies toward increasing enrollment going forward include bolstering its online offerings which currently include a new, hybrid doctoral program in the H.M.S. Richards Divinity School which launched this summer, an online MBA in healthcare management rolled out last year in California and plans to offer three to four new online courses and one or two non-degree online programs going forward.

New scholarships have also been unveiled this fall aimed at local students who receive income-based state and federal grants.

Enrollment gains in any given year typically result from strategic efforts made in prior years.  Strategies to increase enrollment that were initiated over the past school year at La Sierra, such as memorandums of understanding with local school districts and academies and relationship-building with constituent churches, new online offerings, alumni mentorship programs and other KPI-driven goals contained within five defined areas are expected to bear fruit in fall 2027 and the coming school years.

“As an institution that is guided by our faith in God’s purpose, our guiding light is our promise and commitment to transform students’ lives." – La Sierra University President Christon Arthur 

La Sierra University is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) and is currently Accredited on Warning by WSCUC. In response to the warning decision rendered in July, the lowest level of sanction issued by WSCUC, the university has taken significant steps in meeting reporting requirements for student learning outcomes and program reviews , as well as in budget planning and deficit reduction. 

La Sierra University holds a perfect 3.0 Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FRCS) from the U.S. Department of Education and a ‘B+’ grade for its strong finances from the 2026 Forbes College Financial Grades which analyzed the financial health of more than 900 private nonprofit colleges and universities around the nation. In California, La Sierra ranked in the top third, and among the 11 Seventh-day Adventist colleges included in the report, it received the highest grade. 

Over the past week, the university also announced significant gains in its U.S. News & World Report 2027 Best Colleges rankings. The university ranked No. 1 in the West for Social Mobility in the regional universities category and No. 10 in the West for Best Value school. Its overall placement in the rankings jumped up 12 spots to No. 29 out of 110 schools in 15 western states.

In addition, the university also recently landed a $3 million, five-year Launchpad grant via the U.S. Department of Education Strengthening Institutions Program that will help enroll and graduate transfer students and will provide all students with practical experience in entrepreneurship and artificial intelligence, expand internships and create industry partnerships.

“We are continuing to build upon the successes of the past while aggressively pursuing current and long-term growth strategies through new approaches and the redesign of our various models, and by monitoring and ensuring our budgetary health,” said La Sierra University President Christon Arthur. “As an institution that is guided by our faith in God’s purpose, our guiding light is our promise and commitment to transform students’ lives through the cultivation of their potential into all God has called them to become, to help them imagine and achieve their future. The challenges that face us as an institution will help us sharpen and refine our focus on the fulfillment of this promise.”