Dominican University of California

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Dominican University of California

All are welcome at Dominican!

Dominican is a top-ranked private, non-profit university in San Rafael, CA, 12 miles north of San Francisco. With a broad range of majors 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. You’ll experience highly engaging personal coaching and mentoring along with many opportunities for internships, community projects, global learning, clinicals, field research and much more. You will be ready for your dream job or grad school. 

Whatever your goals, it's our privilege to help you achieve them!

Academic Programs

  • Applied Computer Science
  • Art & Design
  • Biological Sciences
  • Business
  • Communication
  • Criminology
  • Design
  • Education
  • Finance/Accounting
  • Government/Political Science
  • Health Science
  • Kinesiology
  • Liberal Arts
  • Music
  • Nursing
  • Nursing
  • Performing Arts
  • Pre-Occupational Therapy
  • Research
  • Science
  • Social Justice
  • Social Science
  • Sociology
  • Technology
  • Visual Arts

Student experience

  • Athletics
  • Career Placement Assistance
  • Co-op/Internship Opportunities
  • Digital Portfolio
  • Disability Services
  • Distance/online learning
  • Diversity
  • Inclusive Environment
  • Internships
  • Intramural/Club Sports
  • LGBTQIA Services
  • Military/Veteran Services
  • On-Campus Housing
  • Personal Coaching
  • Service Learning
  • Small Class Size
  • Study Abroad
  • Undergraduate Research
  • Veteran Fee Waiver

Application information

Find out about requirements, fees, and deadlines

First-year

Applying to Dominican is as easy as 1 - 2 - 3:

  1. Complete the Common Application
  2. Upload your essay
  3. Submit your official transcripts
Dominican is test-optional, so tell us if you want your test scores considered (and if you do, make sure to send them). 

Transfer

The transfer admissions process at Dominican is easy and seamless, and our counselors are here to help you. We evaluate several factors, including academics, leadership both inside and outside the classroom, recommendation from a teacher, counselor or community leader and your personal essay. 

For most majors we accept applications year-round.

Transfer Students: 
Spring Deadline: January 5
Fall Deadline: August 1 

Nursing Transfer Students: 
Spring Deadline: September 1 
Fall Deadline: March 1

Additional Information

Scholarships and Financial Aid - With 99% of Dominican students receiving financial aid, it’s not at all unusual for the real cost of a Dominican degree to be less than that of a state school. Dominican offers many forms of financial assistance, ensuring equitable access to a top-notch, private university education for a diverse student body. Ask your counselor about merit- and need-based scholarships and find out if you qualify for additional financial aid by completing the FAFSA! Our school code is 001196. Submit it by March 2 if you want to be considered for state aid like Cal Grant. 

Visit us

If you’re like most of our students, you’ll fall in love with our beautiful (and very safe) campus. Come schedule a tour and meet with an admissions counselor. Or sign up for any of our events designed to highlight our academic programs and guide you through the admissions process. Visit our website to learn more. Get ready for awe-inspiring views, hiking and mountain biking trails among Redwoods and sparkling reservoirs nearby. The Bay Area is also home to 38 Fortune 500 companies and more than 29,000 non-profits. In total, there are more than 4 million jobs here. 

“We are so lucky at Dominican that our classes are small and that our professors get to know us. I think it is much harder to get this type of attention from your professor at a bigger school.”

Maxwell Ward, Alumni, 2023
School seal

Admissions office

Visit us

School location
Address

50 Acacia Ave
San Rafael, CA 94901-2298, United States of America

Phone number

(415) 485-3204

Region

West

West