# Westcliff University

Westcliff University (WU) is a private, for-profit university in Irvine, California. Founded in 1993, it offers bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees, as well as certificate programs and continuing education courses.

## History

Westcliff University was founded in 1993 with a focus on online education in the fields of business and education.
In 2019, Westcliff University acquired Western State College of Law, further expanding its educational offerings and strengthening its presence in legal education.

## Campus

The university moved to a new campus in 2018, located in the Von Karman Creative Campus area of Irvine, California. The new location expanded the university's campus space more than four times larger than the previous facility. The campus is centered by the main building housing classrooms, faculty offices, administrative services, and study areas, as well as a multipurpose building for athletics and recreation, career fairs, and other events. In 2020, it moved to the nearby Intersect Campus area of Irvine.
Westcliff also holds in-person classes at Plaza Tower in Cerritos, California.

## Academics

The university offers online and hybrid programs focused on business, IT, and education fields. Programs include one-year certificates, bachelor's degrees, post-baccalaureate certificates, master's degrees, and doctoral degrees. The university is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), and Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). It is also approved by California's Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE).

### Colleges and schools

Westcliff University offers 20+ areas of study and confers degrees from five colleges. The university is classified as a Special Focus Four-Year: Business & Management School. The university has a 10-to-1 student-faculty ratio and offers bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees through its four colleges and one law school:
* College of Business
* College of Education
* College of Technology & Engineering
* College of Nursing
* Western State College of Law

### Enrollment

In fall 2024, the university reported 7,190 students. Among those students, 1,817 were first-time undergraduate students and 144 were undergraduate transfer students. Nearly all (95%) of those students were enrolled full-time; over half of them (58%) came from outside the United States and 36% of the domestic students came from states other than California. Westcliff University's retention rate for first-time bachelor's degree-seeking students was 75%, comparable to the national average of 76%.
The university enrolled 3,808 graduate students. Most (83%) were enrolled in in-person courses.

### Local philanthropy

Westcliff University established the Social Responsibility Committee in 2022 to collaborate with local nonprofits. According to a 2023 Companies That Care special report by the Orange County Business Journal, the university's impact more than doubled in 2023, with donations reaching $68,843 and volunteer hours exceeding 5,188 compared to $17,000 and 634 hours in 2022. Westcliff also awarded $2,885,916.12 in scholarships, fostering a culture of social responsibility and service.

### Military and veterans

Westcliff University is designated as a Military Friendly School, offering programs to support veterans and active-duty service members (e.g., Yellow Ribbon Program, credit for military training, and dedicated support point of contact). Their membership in the Department of Defense Voluntary Educational Partnership Memorandum of Understanding further emphasizes their commitment to the military community.

## Athletics

The Westcliff athletic teams are called the Warriors. The university competed as an independent program until 2020, when it joined the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the California Pacific Conference (Cal Pac) in March of that year, effective beginning the 2020–21 school year.
Westcliff competes in a variety of intercollegiate varsity sports. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, volleyball, soccer, wrestling, surf and water polo, while women's sports include softball, basketball, volleyball, soccer, wrestling, cheer and surf. Westcliff Athletics also offers an academy team (developmental program) for another 11 teams.
For the 2023-24 season, Westcliff University's Athletics Department was awarded the NAIA Champions of Character 5-Star Institution Gold Status, marking the first time the department achieved this prestigious recognition. The department had previously been awarded Bronze status during the 2021-2022 season.