About National
University
OUR PHILOSOPHY
Whole Human Education™
At National University, we know you’re more than a student. You’re an ANDer. You’re a working professional, a parent, a caregiver, a service member or all of the above.
Through our Whole Human Education™ approach, we put your well-being first by providing flexible learning, personalized support, and lasting career value to help you succeed well beyond graduation.
Built on Three Pillars of Support
Learning
Flexible, career relevant education designed to fit your life and help you move forward with confidence.
Support
Personalized guidance, academic resources, wellness services, and a community that helps you navigate challenges along the way.
Value
Outcomes that extend beyond graduation, including career growth, professional advancement, and lifelong opportunity.
150+ Academic Degree Programs
250,000+ Alumni
40,000 Students
WSCUC
Accredited
Nonprofit
National University Awarded Carnegie Classifications
Recognized by the American Council of Education and the Carnegie Foundation for providing accessible education to diverse, nontraditional, and military students while delivering strong economic mobility and career outcomes for graduates.
NU’s History of Excellence
Fifty years ago, U.S. Navy Capt. Dr. David Chigos identified a need for educational opportunities and support for deployed soldiers and Veterans. His desire to help these nontraditional students led to pursuing a university that would focus on all adult learners and working students in particular. In 1971 he founded National University, and his legacy of pioneering higher education for nontraditional students continues. Today, NU is the largest private nonprofit university in San Diego and a top educator of the U.S. military.
National University merged with Northcentral University on September 30, 2022, growing the institution by over 10,000 students and 80 graduate and doctoral programs.
We’ve worked hard to close the education gaps in underserved populations. We are proud to be recognized by the Hispanic Association of Colleges & University (HACU) and Excelencia in Education as a Non-Traditional Working and Military (NWM), increasing year over year (for the past five years) the number of students who identify as Hispanic. This commitment to expanding access and supporting diverse learners has also helped earn National University a place among the top 20 accredited colleges and universities offering online programs, according to the Online University Database.
Mission & Vision
At NU, we’re changing lives through education. Driven by our mission, supportive and inclusive culture, and our 50+ year history of excellence, we empower students to join the ranks of our more than 250,000 alumni worldwide to become well-rounded professionals striving to share their success with the world around them.
Our Mission
To deliver accessible world-class student experiences by providing quality programs and services that ensure student success through meaningful learning.
Our Vision
To be an inclusive and innovative university serving lifelong learners who contribute to the positive transformation of society.
Our Values
Quality
Academic quality is paramount to student success. To best achieve this value, we offer a highly supportive student experience that guides learners on their education journey to the completion of a degree or certificate program.
Innovation
Contribution of new knowledge is central to the purpose of a modern university. Our valued commitment to innovating within higher education advances opportunities for our students, and all students, within higher education.
Collaboration
Partnering to meet the needs of students provides the most relevant and valued outcome. Whether with potential employers, community agencies, or partnering across disciplines within our University, are committed to working together toward student success.
Diversity
We are enriched by the extraordinarily diverse student body, faculty, and staff. Diversity of background, orientation, and thought are necessary and valued elements of a learned society. We proactively seek and support diversity within our entire enterprise.
Access
We believe that access to education is a fundamental right. Barriers to access can be finances, preparation, or simply logistics. We aspire to remove barriers to access as a means of creating social justice and path toward a more productive life for our students.
We’re Continuously Innovating
Virtual Campus
Virtual Campus Launched in 2023 and is available to students in select programs. Created using advanced VR and 3D modeling technologies, it vividly recreates elements of a traditional, physical college campus. Students can explore a lifelike simulation of a campus student center and academic building within this digital environment, creating a fully immersive environment for digital instruction, virtual field trips, and connecting with others using digital avatars. In 2020, after the successful pilot program, National University received a federal Health Resources and Services Administration grant to build a new virtual reality-based curriculum for the university’s nursing education programs. This expansion of our immersive learning initiatives continues to benefit students to this day.
Value-Rich Pathways
National University creates deeper connections and meaningful outcomes for adult learners through credential-rich and experience-rich pathways that include military, community college, and employer partnerships. These pathways provide “on-ramps” for students to help them continue their educational journey. This includes stackable badges, credential, and certificate programs, to associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees.
Partnerships
Through corporate partnerships, we help businesses and organizations attract and retain employees with customized education and training programs. In 2022, National University was selected by Amazon as one of its exclusive Career Choice national higher education partners. Through the program, hourly blue badge associate can receive a free college education. Other partners include Sharp Healthcare, Hunter Industries, and the City of San Diego. We also support organizations throughout California and nationwide, including the YMCA, County of Riverside, and AMN Healthcare. Learn more about NU partnerships.
Our Culture
At National University, you’re part of a family. As a student, you’ll have the support of staff, faculty members, students, and alumni who will be there with you every step of the way, cheering you on as you pursue your goals.
“National University has impacted my career. You can immediately apply what you learn in class to your business.”
-Francisco R., Class of 2016
Hear from NU Students and Alums
Veteran Support
From the military team to the faculty, they’re 100% willing and able to support you through your program.
Ted E.
Class of 2025
Balancing Life and School
It was important for me to find a school that matched my busy life as a non-traditional student.
Asya W.
Class of 2009
Support Every Step of the Way
My education from National University has set me up for success to be the entrepreneur that I aspire to be.
Rico M.
Class of 2013
Start a Career at NU
We’re breaking barriers in education and the workplace by prioritizing our employees’ well-being through programs designed to ensure personal and professional success. We offer a diverse and inclusive culture, competitive pay and benefits packages, 100% remote work perks, and more. See current job opportunities.