1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. The Chicago School at Los Angeles Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # The Chicago School at Los Angeles CA · Small private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #305 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 21, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/the-chicago-school-at-los-angeles/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/the-chicago-school-at-los-angeles/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/the-chicago-school-at-los-angeles/admissions/)[Majors](/school/the-chicago-school-at-los-angeles/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/the-chicago-school-at-los-angeles/similar/) ## [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) The Chicago School at Los Angeles #305 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for The Chicago School at Los Angeles is a private nonprofit university in Los Angeles, California, where the degree mix is concentrated in Psychology. The strongest pillar is return, which is well above average. Graduates out-earn what the model predicts for students like them. The model attributes an addition to what it cannot explain and a subtraction to the factors it measures — field of study, enrollment and the local labor market. An estimated half of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix, and the four-year earnings figure counts only graduates who are not enrolled. The admission rate is below the median for comparable institutions. The bachelor's program mix is concentrated entirely in Psychology. ## The Chicago School at Los Angeles at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 46.3% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 0.0% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $82,068 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** Not reported **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $20,000 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $21,265 ## The Chicago School at Los Angeles rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) The Chicago School at Los Angeles is a private nonprofit university located in Los Angeles, California, enrolling 337 undergraduates. Among nonprofit four-year institutions in the Azimuth coverage set, the university lands in the upper fifth of the ranking (79th percentile). The Chicago School at Los Angeles accepts 46.3% of applicants to the reported entering class. The median admission rate at comparable institutions, defined as the same type and size, is 75.7%. That rate is drawn from the reported entering class and does not predict an individual chance of admission. The three assessed pillars are spread across a wide range. Return is the strongest pillar (84th percentile). Access sits between the other two (75th percentile). Mobility is the weakest of the three assessed pillars (61st percentile). The federal data for this school does not support an affordability assessment under the framework. Azimuth evaluates The Chicago School at Los Angeles on three pillars among nonprofit four-year institutions. Return is the strongest, at the 84th percentile, and access follows at the 75th percentile. Mobility is the weakest of the three, at the 61st percentile. The shape is a return-led profile where mobility is the lowest of the three. [How value-added outcomes are assessed](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) · [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) The Chicago School at Los Angeles rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #305 | | [California](/rankings/best-colleges-in-california/) | #40 | | [West](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-west/) | #64 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 61 **Access & reach** National percentile: 75 **[Affordability](/school/the-chicago-school-at-los-angeles/cost/)** — **[Return on investment](/school/the-chicago-school-at-los-angeles/outcomes/)** National percentile: 84 ### Top-ranked majors 1. Psychology, General**#29** This school’s highest-ranked program nationally. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ. [Explore major rankings](/school/the-chicago-school-at-los-angeles/majors/#major-rankings) 01 / The Chicago School at Los Angeles briefing ## [The Chicago School at Los Angeles cost & financial aid](/school/the-chicago-school-at-los-angeles/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) The Chicago School at Los Angeles is a private nonprofit university in Los Angeles, California, enrolling 337 undergraduates. The published tuition and fees are $21,780, which reflects the instructional price before room, board and other expenses. [Net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is the amount aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships. Among comparable institutions (same type and size), the median net price is $22,347. That figure represents the middle value for similar schools. It serves as a benchmark for what students typically pay after aid at institutions of the same control and size. Individual aid packages differ by family income and assets. The final price a student faces depends on their specific grant and scholarship eligibility. Your family income Choose a household income range to see estimated net price. $0–30K$30–48K$48–75K$75–110K$110K+ Reported average annual net price · $48–75K**Not reported** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at The Chicago School at Los Angeles Completing borrowers at The Chicago School at Los Angeles hold a median of $20,000 in federal student debt. This amount is $5,000 below the median for comparable institutions (same type and size). At those institutions, the median is $25,000. The median is the middle value for borrowers who completed. It excludes both [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) and private loans. If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $227 a month. Parents who borrow through the federal Parent PLUS program are a separate borrower population. Four years after completing a degree at The Chicago School at Los Angeles, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $82,068. That is $26,153 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size), and it sits in the 90th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $11,232 more than the model expects for similar students. That puts the gap at the 86th percentile. Borrowers who finish carry a median of $20,000 in federal loans, $5,000 below the median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $227 a month if repaid over ten years. For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $21,265. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $227 a month if repaid over ten years. [How Financial GPS measures payment burden](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) · [The four risk-and-reward zones](/analysis/4-zones-of-college-risk-and-reward/) Financial GPS ### What does repayment look like? **Institution median student debt** $20,000 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $21,265 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $227/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $270/mo Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s. Payment assumptions Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. [Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=the-chicago-school-at-los-angeles#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/the-chicago-school-at-los-angeles/cost/) 02 / The Chicago School at Los Angeles briefing ## [The Chicago School at Los Angeles career outcomes & earnings](/school/the-chicago-school-at-los-angeles/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) The Chicago School at Los Angeles's strongest pillar in the [Azimuth ranking](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)s is return, at the 84th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The median earnings figure four years after completion is $82,068, at the 90th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That is $26,153 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions. Graduates earn about $11,232 more than the model expects for similar students. That puts the gap at the 86th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) subtracts $13,178. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $24,410. Within the measured factors, the STEM component subtracts $1,659. Among federally aided completers at The Chicago School at Los Angeles who are working and not enrolled, the median four years after finishing is $82,068. That amount is $26,153 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That earnings measure sits in the 90th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That median is drawn from 642 completers in the earnings cohort. Graduates earn about $11,232 more than the model expects for similar students. Based on the program mix, an estimated 50.0% of graduates continue to graduate study. The median earnings figure for The Chicago School at Los Angeles sits well above its peer group. Four years after completion, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $82,068, at the 90th percentile nationally. That is $26,153 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the university #240 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $11,232 more than the model expects for similar students. That places the gap at the 86th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) subtracts $13,178. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $24,410. Within the measured factors, the STEM component subtracts $1,659. The university awards degrees in a single field, Psychology. An estimated 50.0% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. These are scenarios estimated from the program mix, not observed groups of graduates. The single program with published earnings data is Psychology, which awards 31 degrees a year. Its graduates earn a median of $53,952 four years after completion, or 1.06x the national median for the field. Borrowers who finish at The Chicago School at Los Angeles hold a median of $20,000 in federal student loans. That figure covers borrowers who completed and excludes Parent PLUS. It is $5,000 below the median at comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $227 a month. Parents who borrow through Parent PLUS hold a separate median of $21,265. Graduates earn about $11,232 more than the model expects for similar students. With debt below the peer median, the earnings and debt figures point the same direction. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** \-$13,178 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** +$24,410 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$11,232 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. [Read the full outcomes brief](/school/the-chicago-school-at-los-angeles/outcomes/) 03 / The Chicago School at Los Angeles briefing ## [The Chicago School at Los Angeles acceptance rate & admissions](/school/the-chicago-school-at-los-angeles/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) The Chicago School at Los Angeles admits 46.3% of applicants, against a median of 75.7% for comparable institutions (same type and size). Admissions **Admission rate** 46.3% [Read the full admissions brief](/school/the-chicago-school-at-los-angeles/admissions/) 04 / The Chicago School at Los Angeles briefing ## [What are the largest majors at The Chicago School at Los Angeles?](/school/the-chicago-school-at-los-angeles/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) The Chicago School at Los Angeles is a specialized institution: all of its bachelor's degrees are awarded in Psychology. The sole program is Psychology, with 31 degrees awarded. Four years after completion, graduates of the Psychology program earn a median of $53,952. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #29 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field, and #7 in California. With only one program, the program-level data and the school-level data are the same. A student considering The Chicago School at Los Angeles is choosing a single field of study, and the return figures for the institution are the return figures for that field. The Chicago School at Los Angeles is a focused institution: Psychology accounts for 100.0% of bachelor's degrees awarded, and the university has 1 nationally ranked program with published earnings data. That program is Psychology, which awarded 31 degrees in the most recent year. Four years after completion, its graduates earn a median of $53,952, which is 1.06x the national median for the field. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the program #29 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions and #7 in California. A student considering The Chicago School at Los Angeles is choosing a single field with a strong earnings profile relative to its peers. The Chicago School at Los Angeles awards bachelor's degrees in a single program family: Psychology accounts for 100.0% of degrees awarded. The university has 1 program with an Azimuth national rank and 1 with published four-year earnings data. The largest program is Psychology, at 31 degrees awarded a year. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Psychology #7 in California within its field. Graduates earn a median of $53,952 four years after completion, a benchmark ratio of 1.06x against the national median for the field. The program mix is concentrated in a single field, and the one ranked program earns above the national benchmark for its field. A student drawn to this field will find a program that sits among the top ten of its kind in California. The earnings picture is straightforward: the sole program's median lands above the national median, and the state rank confirms a strong local position. Four-year earnings · the largest reported field **Psychology, General 31 degrees awarded** $53,952 Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings. [Read the full majors brief](/school/the-chicago-school-at-los-angeles/majors/) 05 / The Chicago School at Los Angeles briefing ## [What colleges are similar to The Chicago School at Los Angeles?](/school/the-chicago-school-at-los-angeles/similar/)[\[15\]](#hub-data-note-peers) Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. [How matching works](/school/the-chicago-school-at-los-angeles/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with The Chicago School at Los Angeles. Similar profileWarner Pacific UniversityMatched across several measures+ Comparison with The Chicago School at Los Angeles | Measure | The Chicago School at Los Angeles | Warner Pacific University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $82,068 | $65,093\-$16,975 vs The Chicago School at Los Angeles | | Average annual net price | Not reported | $25,629 | | Admission rate | 46.3% | 71.1% | Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable. [Read the full similar schools brief](/school/the-chicago-school-at-los-angeles/similar/) ## Data scope & methodology Structured payloads generated September 27, 2026 · Governed hub narrative September 30, 2026 · Governed spoke corpus September 30, 2026 Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection. Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them. Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects. Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. [Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations](/methodology/) · [About College Azimuth](/about/) Read the analysis behind [value-added earnings](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) and the [change to four-year graduate earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com. ## Data notes & source fields Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the [U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/files/InstitutionDataDocumentation.pdf); notes with a different source link it below. 1. **Admission rate.** Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability. Source fields: `ADM_RATE` 2. **Six-year completion.** First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree. Source fields: `C150_4` 3. **Four-year institutional earnings.** Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion. Source fields: `MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` 4. **Median federal student debt.** Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students. Source fields: `GRAD_DEBT_MDN` 5. **National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks.** Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ. Source fields: `Azimuth rankings` [College Azimuth · Ranking methodology](/methodology/) 6. **Annual net price by family income.** Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers. Source fields: `NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV` 7. **Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration.** Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance is 150% of the federal poverty guideline for one person, for the year the API serves. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. The parent table is the 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS as a share of household income above 200% of the guideline for a household of three: under 6% Safe, 6–10% Caution, over 10% High pressure. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations. Source fields: `PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations` [College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) 8. **Downside and upside earnings; yellow band.** The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median. Source fields: `Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios` [College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) 9. **Value added and its components.** Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. Source fields: `Azimuth statistical model` [College Azimuth · Value-added methodology](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) 10. **SAT score range and reported midpoint.** Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range. Source fields: `SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG` 11. **First-year retention.** Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions. Source fields: `RET_FT4` 12. **Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots.** Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity. Source fields: `EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE` [College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/assets/FieldOfStudyDataDocumentation.pdf) 13. **Pell recipients.** Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year. Source fields: `PCTPELL` 14. **Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group.** This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns. Source fields: `1 − PFTFTUG1_EF` 15. **Peer earnings and signed differences.** Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure. Source fields: `Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` [College Azimuth · Comparison methodology](/methodology/) [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)