Non-Profit Private
Accredited · Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission
Los Angeles, California
40.3% Acceptance Rate
Loyola Marymount University — Admission Snapshot 2026
A complete at-a-glance picture of every metric that matters for your 2026 application
40.3%Acceptance Rate
3.92Avg GPA
1380Avg SAT
$75,867Annual Cost
$78,349Grad Salary
13%Pell Grant
Acceptance Rate
40.3%
Avg GPA
3.92
Avg SAT
1380
Selectivity
Selective
Institution Type
Non-Profit Private
Campus
Main Campus
Accredited By
Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission
SAT Middle 50%
1340–1410
Need-Based Aid
13% receive Pell
Loyola Marymount University Loyola Marymount University (LMU), founded in 1911, is a prestigious private Jesuit and Marymount research university in Los Angeles, California. Situated on a stunning 142-acre bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, LMU offers a values-based education emphasizing ethics, social justice, and the integration of faith and reason. The university comprises seven schools and colleges, including the highly ranked LMU Loyola Law School and the acclaimed School of Film and Television, whose alumni include numerous Hollywood professionals. LMU consistently ranks among the top regional universities in the West by U.S. News & World Report.
The campus features exceptional facilities such as the William H. Hannon Library, the state-of-the-art Life Sciences Building, and the newly constructed Playa Vista Campus for creative industries. With a 10:1 student-faculty ratio, LMU provides intimate learning experiences despite its location in a major metropolitan area. The university's mission emphasizes educating the whole person through programs like the Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts and the renowned LMU Study Abroad program. Athletics also play a significant role, with the Lions competing in NCAA Division I. LMU's commitment to service learning and its prime Los Angeles location create unparalleled opportunities for internships and career development.
Loyola Marymount University Acceptance Rate
Loyola Marymount University is a well-known institution. It has a selective admission process. The acceptance rate of Loyola Marymount University is 40.3%. This means that 40 out of every 100 applicants get admitted.
Admissions Guidelines
- Selective Enrollment: Applicants need a solid GPA and proof of academic growth.
- Holistic Balance: Strong recommendations and community involvement are highly valued.
Selectivity at a Glance
Selective
Selectivity scale: Selective — 40.3% acceptance rate
Most Selective (0%)Open Enrollment (100%)
If your GPA is slightly below the institutional average, you can remain competitive by scoring well on standardized tests and showcasing leadership in co-curricular activities.
Recommended Academic Profile
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.92 – 4.00
Target Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.72 – 3.91
Competitive Reach
Focus on Score Compensation
Below 3.47
Secondary Reach
Requires Contextual Support
Data verified via IPEDS, College Scorecard (Nov 2025) and the Common Data Set (CDS). Expert Review led by Sohaib Khan and Dr. Waseem.
Loyola Marymount University GPA Requirement
The average GPA of the admitted students at Loyola Marymount University is 3.92. This indicates extreme selectivity in admissions.
To have strong chances, you must aim for straight A's in all courses.
Note: This is an unweighted GPA on a 4.0 scale. Students with AP or IB courses will typically have a weighted GPA of 4.12-4.32 for this same academic profile.If your GPA is between 3.62 and 3.92, then you need a high SAT or ACT score to compensate.
Loyola Marymount University GPA & Admission Outlook
Assessment: Extreme selectivity; requires elite academic standing.
Recommended Strategy: High Course Rigor (AP/IB/Honors) to validate the grade.
Admissions at Loyola Marymount University utilize a Holistic Review process. With an average admitted GPA of 3.92, the following table illustrates how your specific academic profile aligns with institutional expectations.
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.92 – 4.00
Academic Target
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.72 – 3.91
Competitive Match
Focus on SAT/ACT Compensation
3.52 – 3.71
Secondary Reach
Personal Statement & Impact
Below 3.51
Institutional Reach
Requires Significant Contextual Factors
Expert Insight: 2026 Evaluation Metrics
- Acceptance rate: approximately 45% (Early Action rate: approximately 55%; Early Decision acceptance rate runs higher than both); application deadlines: ED I and EA both November 1, ED II January 8, Regular Decision January 15; no application fee waiver is mentioned publicly - LMU charges a standard application fee.
- One optional supplemental essay: "Share with us why you are interested in LMU and/or why you chose your specific area of study or major." (500 words maximum) - all admissions advisors universally recommend completing it despite the optional label; test-optional through at least 2026, LMU superscores both ACT and SAT; mid-50% SAT 1260?1430, ACT 28?32.
- LMU is a Catholic, Jesuit, and Marymount university in Los Angeles - one of three founding traditions, with the Jesuit emphasis on "educating the whole person" and service explicitly embedded in admissions criteria; demonstrated interest is tracked through campus visits and events, which is unusual among Jesuit universities of LMU's selectivity range.
- The School of Film and Television is ranked top five for undergraduate film programs nationally (Hollywood Reporter); animation, dance, music, and theatre arts require mandatory portfolio or audition submission; production and studio arts have optional portfolio submission - these are evaluated separately from general LMU admission; 88% of LMU undergraduates receive grants or scholarships, with an average need-based grant of $38,804 for first-year students.
- The Rigor Metric: At Loyola Marymount University, a slightly lower GPA (e.g., 3.8) in a transcript featuring multiple AP or IB courses is often prioritized over a 4.0 in a standard curriculum.
- The Upward Trend: If your early high school grades were lower, an upward trajectory in 11th and 12th grade demonstrates Academic Resilience.
Data Source: Verified via IPEDS and latest Common Data Set (CDS). Reviewed by our academic board led by Sohaib Khan and Dr. Waseem.
Check Your Admission Chances at Loyola Marymount University
Admission Chance Predictor
Real-Time Sensitive Analysis — based on Loyola Marymount University's verified institutional data
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Adjust the sliders to see how every decimal point affects your outcome.
Your SAT Score 1200
Your Unweighted GPA 3.00
✅ Verified Data: Institutional records for 2026.
Calculated via College Portal's Human-Intelligence (HI) Methodology & Editorial Standards. Verified by Sohaib Ahmad Khan.
Loyola Marymount University Test Requirements
In this competitive environment, standardized scores are no longer elective; they serve as a critical standardized benchmark to validate high school GPA and course rigor. Applicants should aim for scores within or above the middle 50% range of the 2026 admitted class to remain viable in the Holistic Review process. At institutions that remain test-optional, submitting a high-percentile score is still the primary strategy for securing merit-based scholarships and distinguishing one's profile in a high-volume applicant pool.
Can I Get Into Loyola Marymount University Without SAT or ACT?
Loyola Marymount University does not require admission test scores (SAT/ACT) during the application process and does not recommend that students provide these scores. But it is better to submit the test score if you have performed well in the test. It gives an extra opportunity to showcase your skills and competencies and hence will improve your chances of admission. It is advisable to appear multiple times in the test unless you score well above the average SAT / ACT score of the admitted students. Normally, students may appear in the test 2 to 3 times to improve their scores. But if your score is not up to the mark and is less than the national or state average, then it is better not to submit the score as it will impact negatively.
Loyola Marymount University Average SAT Score: 1380
The average SAT score of the admitted students at Loyola Marymount University is 1380 on the 1600 SAT scale.
SAT Competitiveness
SAT 1380 — Competitive
This score makes it Competitive for SAT scores. You need to do well to score 1380 on the SAT.
Key Insight: Aim for the 75th percentile (1410 SAT) to stand out. If your scores are below average, consider retaking the test. Loyola Marymount University allows Score Choice for the SAT and Superscoring for the ACT, giving you flexibility to submit your best scores.
If your score is below 1340, retaking the SAT is strongly recommended to improve your chances at Loyola Marymount University. Retaking the test multiple times is completely normal — most competitive applicants take the SAT two or three times to achieve their best score. There is no official limit on attempts.
SAT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Math | - | - | - |
| SAT Reading | - | - | - |
| SAT Composite | 1380 | 1340 | 1410 |
It means that if you have scored less than 1340 then you are below most of the admitted students at Loyola Marymount University and your chances of admission are very few. But if you have scored 1410 or more, your chances of admission are higher. 25th percentile means that only 25% of the admitted students have fewer scores than this score. 75th percentile marks the score of the upper 25% of the students.
View list of all colleges with average SAT score of 1400
Can I get into Loyola Marymount University with a 1400 SAT?
With a 1400 SAT Score, your chances of admission at Loyola Marymount University are good but the admission staff at Loyola Marymount University tests your all-around personality and your academics. Your GPA, Class performance, SAT/ACT/Test scores, and AP or IB Courses can help your application stand out. Co-curricular and extra-curricular activities and interpersonal communication skills are very important. Additionally, if you cannot perform well in one area, you have a chance to showcase your strengths and abilities in other areas, improving other areas will help you secure admission. You need to show better performance in all areas. An equally high GPA, taking IB or AP Courses and your role in leadership activities will increase your chances of admission. However, if you equally compete well in all other areas, your chances of admission are high.
Your 2026 Admissions Roadmap for Loyola Marymount University
Selective Strategy: Competitive Positioning
At Loyola Marymount University, admissions officers seek reliable, high-achieving students. The goal is to be a top-tier applicant to trigger both admission and high-value merit aid.
Write the Optional Supplemental Essay - It Is Functionally Required
LMU has one supplemental prompt: "Share with us why you are interested in LMU and/or why you chose your specific area of study or major." (500 words maximum.) It is technically labeled optional - but in a process that evaluates the "whole person" and explicitly cites "thoughtful essay responses" as a primary review criterion, skipping this prompt is a material concession. A student who submits only the Common App personal statement and no LMU supplement has given admissions no information about fit, about their intended major's connection to their experiences, or about why LMU specifically. Every competitive applicant writes this essay. The students who skip it are primarily using LMU as a safety school - and the file reads that way. Treat this as required.
Split the 500-Word Essay Roughly Equally Between "Why Major" and "Why LMU"
The prompt offers two distinct angles - major interest and LMU specifically - and the strongest essays address both in roughly equal measure. A response that spends 450 words on personal passion and closes with "and LMU's strong programs make it ideal" is a Why Major essay, not a Why LMU essay. Conversely, a response that lists LMU-specific programs and resources without connecting them to the student's formed experiences and goals is a catalog of research, not a personal narrative. The version that reads as genuine names one or two LMU-specific elements - a specific professor's research, a center like the Center for Service and Action or Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts interdisciplinary offerings, an industry connection available through the Los Angeles location - and then bridges them to something specific in the student's history. At 500 words, there is room for both halves if the student opens immediately on content, not preamble.
Understand That ED, EDII, and EA All Exist - and That EA Yields a Higher Acceptance Rate
LMU offers three early pathways: Early Decision I (binding, November 1, notification early December), Early Decision II (binding, January 8, notification early February), and Early Action (non-binding, November 1, notification mid-December). Counterintuitively, the EA acceptance rate of approximately 55% is higher than the overall rate of 45%, while ED acceptance rates are typically higher than both. For a student who is genuinely committed to LMU, ED I is the highest-percentage pathway. For a student who wants LMU as a strong preference but needs to compare financial packages, EA provides the advantage of an early decision while preserving the right to compare aid offers before committing by May 1. ED II (January 8) is an often-overlooked option for students who have done Regular Decision research cycles and concluded LMU is their first choice - it carries binding commitment but earlier notification than April Regular Decision.
Film and Television Applicants Face an Audition- and Portfolio-Review Process That Is Separate From General Admission
LMU's School of Film and Television is ranked among the top five undergraduate film schools in the country by The Hollywood Reporter and sits in a Los Angeles location that is structurally embedded in the industry. For applicants to film production, screenwriting, animation, or related SFTV programs: admission to LMU generally and admission to SFTV specifically are two different evaluations. Animation, dance, music, and theatre applicants must submit a portfolio or audition as part of the review; production and studio arts applicants have the option to submit a portfolio. Students who apply to SFTV without a portfolio and without researching the department's specific submission requirements are assuming that general LMU admission is equivalent to SFTV admission - it is not, and competitive SFTV programs are substantially more selective than the overall institutional rate.
Expert Insight:
LMU's Early Action acceptance rate (approximately 55%) runs higher than the Regular Decision rate, which strikes many students as backward relative to institutions where applying early signals commitment and yields lower acceptance rates. The explanation is likely self-selection: EA applicants at LMU are often genuinely interested, well-prepared students who apply early with intention, while the Regular Decision pool includes students using LMU as a backup after being deferred or denied elsewhere in the fall. A student who applies Regular Decision with a strong file is not disadvantaged by the process - but a student who treats LMU as a fallback and files in January with a perfunctory application and no supplemental essay is applying at LMU's most crowded decision window with its thinnest file. The combination of missing essay, late timeline, and lower genuine engagement creates a weak file at exactly the point in the cycle when the pool is most competitive.
Loyola Marymount University Profile
Full Name
Loyola Marymount University
City
Los Angeles
State
California
ZIP Code
90045-2659
Type
Non-Profit Private
Campus
Main Campus
Official Website
Accredited By
Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission (WASCSR)
Is a Loyola Marymount University Degree Worth It?
Getting into Loyola Marymount University can be a great opportunity for many students. It is a prestigious institution known for its strong programs. However, whether it is worth it depends on your personal and academic goals, as well as your financial situation. Loyola Marymount University offers a rigorous academic environment and access to cutting-edge research, but it may not be the best fit for everyone. It's important to consider factors such as cost, location, and specific academic programs when making this decision.
Please note that the average household income of the admitted students at Loyola Marymount University is $78,600 and the graduate unemployment rate is 3.75%.
How much does a degree from Loyola Marymount University Cost?
The average annual cost of the degree at Loyola Marymount University is $75,867. As most of the students receive Pell Grants and Federal Grants the average annual net price a student has to pay at Loyola Marymount University is much less than this.
13% of the students are receiving Pell Grant and 30.4 percent are receiving Federal Grants. So it is a better choice to go to Loyola Marymount University and apply for PELL or federal loan grants.
At Loyola Marymount University, you will have no problem receiving any scholarship from the federal government. Fill in the FAFSA application form at the earliest and enlist Loyola Marymount University as your choice in the form.
How much does a Loyola Marymount University Graduate earn?
The average annual salary of the graduate after 4–6 years of graduation is $78,349. An average Loyola Marymount University graduate makes this much after 10 years of enrollment (4–6 years after graduation).
The average annual income of a graduate in the United States is $40,595.
Compare Similar Colleges
Less Competitive Schools
These schools have lower average SAT or ACT scores than Loyola Marymount University. If your SAT or ACT score is slightly lower, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hendrix College | Conway, AR | 1336 | 29 |
| Chapman University | Orange, CA | 1353 | 30 |
| Pepperdine University | Malibu, CA | 1367 | 29 |
| Westmont College | Santa Barbara, CA | 1367 | 32 |
| University of Colorado Boulder | Boulder, CO | 1353 | 31 |
| University of Denver | Denver, CO | 1344 | 31 |
| United States Air Force Academy | USAF Academy, CO | 1362 | 30 |
| University of Connecticut | Storrs, CT | 1338 | 31 |
| Wheaton College | Wheaton, IL | 1363 | 30 |
| Centre College | Danville, KY | 1345 | 29 |
Equally Competitive Schools
These schools have the same range of average SAT or ACT scores as Loyola Marymount University. If your SAT or ACT score is competitive, you'll be competitive for these schools also.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Terre Haute, IN | 1389 | 32 |
| St. John's College | Annapolis, MD | 1381 | 31 |
| St Olaf College | Northfield, MN | 1373 | 30 |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick | New Brunswick, NJ | 1383 | 31 |
| Bard College | Annandale-On-Hudson, NY | 1387 | 31 |
More Competitive Schools
These schools have higher average SAT or ACT scores than Loyola Marymount University. If you improve your SAT or ACT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Clara University | Santa Clara, CA | 1417 | 32 |
| Colorado College | Colorado Springs, CO | 1445 | 33 |
| Connecticut College | New London, CT | 1412 | 32 |
| George Washington University | Washington, DC | 1433 | 33 |
| University of Miami | Coral Gables, FL | 1416 | 32 |
Degree Programs at Loyola Marymount University
Bachelor Degree Programs
Full list of all degree programs offered by Loyola Marymount University →
Frequently Asked Questions About Loyola Marymount University Admissions
Graduates of this university typically earn a moderate salary, $78,349 annually, with some fluctuation based on the field.
The tuition fee at this university is quite high, approximately $75,867 or more per year, so it is important to consider additional funding options.
13.0% of students receive a Pell Grant here, which is below the national average of around 35%. This institution serves a higher proportion of higher-income students. Merit-based scholarships may still be available regardless of financial need — check the official financial aid page of the institute for details.
The acceptance rate of Loyola Marymount University is 40.3% which is relatively high, above 20%, making it somewhat easier to gain admission compared to other top-tier universities.
The average GPA of admitted students is 3.92. This reflects the competitive academic profile expected from applicants.
While there is no single cutoff that guarantees a rejection, admission staff uses your GPA to determine if you are a best fit. If you have at least a 3.62, you are in the standard pool. If you are below a 3.62, we need to focus on your personal essay and letters of recommendation to explain the context behind your grades.
If your GPA is 3.52 or less, it may make admission difficult. However, your chances may improve if you have strong test scores, extracurricular activities, and essays. But this does not mean that you must not apply, or you do not have any chances. With additional AP courses, you can increase your chances even with this GPA.
While the average GPA of admitted students is 3.92, applicants with lower GPAs can still be considered if they have strong test scores, extracurriculars, and compelling personal essays that demonstrate resilience and potential.
Admission to Loyola Marymount University is based on SAT, and a strong SAT score is essential. Aim for scores above 1380 for the best chances, although the overall application strength also matters. Your SAT must be in the range of 1340–1410.
Yes, many students successfully transfer each year. Be prepared with your academic transcripts, recommendation letters, and a solid personal statement to make your application competitive.
To improve your chances, focus on excelling academically, building a strong extracurricular profile, and submitting standout essays. High SAT/ACT scores are also crucial for competitive admissions.