Dominican University of California

Private Higher Educationdominican.edu

Dominican University of California is a private Catholic-heritage university in San Rafael, California, serving undergraduate, graduate, and adult learners through three academic schools (business, health and natural sciences, liberal arts and education) with tuition-based revenue, federal grant funding, and regional industry partnerships.

Company typePrivate
Founded1890
HeadquartersSan Rafael, United States
Headcount501–1,000
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What Dominican University of California does

Dominican University of California is a private, independent university of Catholic heritage founded in 1890, operating a single main campus at 50 Acacia Avenue in San Rafael, California — approximately 12 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin County. The university is organized into three academic schools: the Barowsky School of Business (offering MBA, Executive MBA, MS in Accounting, and MS in Business Analytics and Artificial Intelligence); the School of Health and Natural Sciences (offering nursing, physician assistant studies, occupational therapy, and natural sciences); and the School of Liberal Arts and Education (offering humanities, education, art therapy, and creative writing). It enrolls undergraduate, graduate, transfer, international, and adult learners across more than 60 majors, minors, and concentrations, anchored by an institutional framework called the Dominican Experience that integrates personal coaching, signature work, digital portfolios, and community engagement. The university competes in NCAA Division II across 15 intercollegiate sports as the Dominican Penguins.

The institution's primary revenue model is tuition and fees across undergraduate and graduate programs, supplemented by federal grant funding (notably two $3 million U.S. Department of Education grants awarded in 2022 and 2023 to support Hispanic/Latino student programs including La Vida Dominican Postbaccalaureate), private donations and alumni giving managed through the Office of Advancement and Alumni Engagement, and clinical/extramural partnerships. Financial aid, scholarships, Pell Grants, and Cal Grant B eligibility are central to the access proposition, with a Net Price Calculator published online. The go-to-market motion is admissions-led and event-driven, combining dedicated undergraduate, graduate, transfer, international, and adult admissions offices with campus tours, information sessions, open houses, and virtual recruitment, supported by integrated marketing across web, social media (Twitter/X, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok), email, and a dedicated media relations office.

Distinctive operational assets include a Sea Sponge Research Library housing 1,200+ species and ~13,700 vials of sponge-derived crude extracts for biomedical research, strategic partnerships with the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, BioMarin Pharmaceutical, Oxford University, and the Marin County Office of Education, and operation of the Marin Small Business Development Center (serving ~300 local businesses annually with reported $41M+ in capital investments and $52M+ in sales increases). Online programs are authorized in California plus 22 additional U.S. states, broadening the addressable market beyond the Bay Area. The university does not publicly disclose revenue figures.

Dominican University of California firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Dominican University of California
Legal name: Dominican University of California
Website: https://dominican.edu
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1890
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 501–1,000 employees
Short description: Dominican University of California is a private Catholic-heritage university in San Rafael, California, serving undergraduate, graduate, and adult learners through three academic schools (business, health and natural sciences, liberal arts and education) with tuition-based revenue, federal grant funding, and regional industry partnerships.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Dominican University of California industry classification

Industry

Product category: Private Higher Education
NAICS: Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)
SIC: Services-Educational Services (8200)
akta.pro primary industry: General Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAA)
akta.pro secondary industries: Schools of Nursing (EDAHAGAC), Academic Affairs Administration (Curriculum, Scheduling, Academic Policy) (EDADAKAB)

Keywords

Private higher education
Undergraduate degree programs
Graduate professional programs
Adult continuing education
Biomedical research facilities

Where Dominican University of California is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: San Rafael
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

Dominican University of California business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

Tuition and Fees: Private university tuition revenue from undergraduate, graduate, and adult education programs. Financial aid and scholarships are offered to support access.
Federal Grants: U.S. Department of Education grants supporting Latino/Hispanic student programs and diversity initiatives, including $3 million grants for La Vida Dominican Postbaccalaureate program.
Private Donations and Alumni Giving: Advancement and Alumni Engagement office managing donor relations and fundraising activities.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Subscription	Annual	Private university tuition with financial aid support

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Dominican University of California product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Dominican University of California is a private, Catholic-heritage university that delivers undergraduate degree programs (60+ majors, minors, and concentrations), graduate professional programs (MBA, MS in Business Analytics and AI, MS in Accounting, Master in Physician Assistant Studies, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Counseling Psychology), and adult/continuing education. The institution organizes teaching into three schools—Barowsky School of Business, School of Health and Natural Sciences, and School of Liberal Arts and Education—and supports enrollment through dedicated undergraduate, graduate, transfer, international, and adult admissions offices.

Product overview

Dominican University of California is a private university offering a diverse portfolio of educational products and programs. The institution operates three academic schools: the Barowsky School of Business (offering MBA, MSBA-AI, and MS in Accounting programs), the School of Health and Natural Sciences (offering nursing, occupational therapy, physician assistant studies), and the School of Liberal Arts and Education (offering humanities, education, art therapy programs). Central to the university's offering is The Dominican Experience, an innovative educational framework combining coaching, signature work, digital portfolios, and community engagement. The university also supports La Vida Dominican Postbaccalaureate Program for Latinx students and operates NCAA Division II athletics. The institution serves undergraduate, graduate, adult learners, and offers continuing education through OLLI.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Undergraduate Programs Bachelor's degree programs across arts, humanities, social sciences, education, business, and health and natural sciences, offering 60+ majors, minors, and concentrations for first-year and transfer students.
Graduate Programs Master's and doctoral-level professional degrees including MBA, Executive MBA, MS in Business Analytics and AI, MS in Accounting, Master in Physician Assistant Studies, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, and Counseling Psychology, providing advanced credentials and hands-on experience.
Adult Degree Completion and Continuing Education Flexible degree completion and continuing education programs designed for working adults seeking to complete a bachelor's degree or earn certificates, addressing work-life balance and career transition needs.
The Dominican Experience An innovative educational framework integrating personal growth, connectedness, accomplishment, and readiness through personal coaching, signature work, digital portfolios, and community engagement to support student personal and professional goals.
Barowsky School of Business Business school offering graduate programs including MBA, Executive MBA, MS in Accounting, MS in Business Analytics and AI (MSBA-AI), and undergraduate business majors.
School of Health and Natural Sciences Health and sciences school offering programs in nursing, occupational therapy, physician assistant studies, natural sciences, and public health.
School of Liberal Arts and Education School offering programs in liberal arts, education, humanities, social sciences, art therapy, and creative writing.
MS in Business Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (MSBA-AI) One-year graduate program combining business analytics with artificial intelligence training for professionals seeking analytics and AI credentials.
MS in Accounting (MSA) One-year graduate program preparing students for accounting careers and CPA certification.
Master in Physician Assistant Studies (MSPAS) 28-month physician assistant program with 16 months of didactic education followed by 12 months of clinical rotations covering family medicine, surgery, pediatrics, women's health, behavioral health, emergency medicine, and other specialties.
La Vida Dominican Postbaccalaureate Program Program supporting Latinx/Hispanic graduate students with scholarships, mentorship, and campus resources, funded by U.S. Department of Education grants.
NCAA Division II Athletics Intercollegiate athletics program competing in NCAA Division II and the Pacific West Conference with 15 sports teams (Dominican Penguins).
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) Continuing education programs for older adults seeking lifelong learning opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

U.S. News & World Report #16 Best Value Schools – Regional Universities (West)
+2 more outcomes

Companies that use Dominican University of California

Customer profile

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Dominican University of California technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Dominican University of California partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

Buck Institute for Research on AgingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Long-standing partnership providing Dominican students with hands-on research experience in aging and biomedical research at one of the premier research institutions in the field.
BioMarin PharmaceuticalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership providing Dominican students with industry experience in pharmaceutical research and development, complementing classroom learning with practical applications.
Marin County Office of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Established partnership supporting educational programs and providing Dominican education students with student teaching and placement opportunities in county schools.
Oxford UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Exchange and partnership opportunity providing Dominican students with international academic experiences at Oxford University.
Marin Small Business Development Center (SBDC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Dominican hosts the Marin SBDC which serves approximately 300 local Marin businesses annually with no-cost business advising. Through SBDC services, over 180 businesses started, 1100+ jobs created/retained, $41M+ capital investments, $52M+ sales increases.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Dominican University of California competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

University of San Francisco: Private Jesuit university in San Francisco offering undergraduate and graduate programs across business, health sciences, and liberal arts. Directly comparable as a Bay Area Catholic-affiliated private university with similar scale and program mix.
Santa Clara University: Private Jesuit university in Silicon Valley with undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs including business, engineering, and law. Closely comparable on religious heritage, Bay Area location, and comprehensive Catholic university profile.
Saint Mary's College of California: Private Catholic (De La Salle) liberal arts university located in the East Bay. Comparable as a Northern California Catholic-affiliated private university competing for similar Bay Area undergraduate applicants.
University of Redlands: Private regional university in California offering undergraduate and graduate programs including business and education. Comparable as a private, tuition-driven California regional university of similar size.
Chapman University: Private university in Orange County, California with comprehensive undergraduate and graduate programs including Dodge College of Film, business, and health sciences. Comparable private California comprehensive university with similar mission-driven positioning.
Loyola Marymount University: Private Jesuit/Marymount Catholic university in Los Angeles with undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. Comparable as a West Coast private Catholic research-and-teaching university.
Mount Saint Mary's University Los Angeles: Private Catholic university in Los Angeles with strong programs in nursing, health sciences, and liberal arts. Comparable as a smaller California Catholic-affiliated university serving similar student demographics.
Holy Names University: Small private Catholic university in Oakland, California offering undergraduate and graduate programs. Comparable as a small Northern California Catholic-affiliated private institution with similar scale.
Mills College at Northeastern University: Private liberal arts college in Oakland (now part of Northeastern) focused on undergraduate and graduate programs in arts, sciences, and professional fields. Comparable as a small Bay Area private institution serving similar student segments.

Regional players

Pacific University: Private university in Oregon with comprehensive programs including health sciences (PA, OT, pharmacy) and liberal arts. Comparable as a private regional comprehensive university with similar program mix, though operating in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Dominican University of California financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Dominican University of California leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Dominican University of California funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Dominican University of California M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dominican University of California

What does Dominican University of California do?

Is Dominican University of California a public or private company?

Dominican University of California is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.

When was Dominican University of California founded?

Dominican University of California was founded in 1890. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.

Where is Dominican University of California based?

Dominican University of California is headquartered in San Rafael, United States, in the North America region.

How does Dominican University of California make money?

Three revenue lines are on record. Tuition and Fees are the primary driver. The others are federal Grants and private Donations and Alumni Giving.

Who are Dominican University of California's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are University of San Francisco, Santa Clara University, Saint Mary's College of California, University of Redlands, Chapman University, Loyola Marymount University, Mount Saint Mary's University Los Angeles, Holy Names University and Mills College at Northeastern University. Pacific University is listed as a regional player.

Does Dominican University of California have an API?

No public API is recorded for Dominican University of California.

What industry is Dominican University of California in?

Dominican University of California's product category is Private Higher Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHACAA, General Liberal Arts Colleges, with a secondary code of EDAHAGAC, Schools of Nursing. Its NAICS code is 6113 and its SIC code is 8200.