Enrollment: 5699
Average SAT: 590
Average ACT: 25
Most Popular Majors: Business Administration and Management, General,Communication Studies/Speech Communication and Rhetoric,Psychology, General,
Student Faculty Ratio: 13:1

Average Freshman Total Need-Based Gift Aid: $13,159.00

2010 Top Entrepreneurial Programs: Undergraduate

Students Say - Academics
You may be technically going to school in the midst of bustling Los Angeles, but attending Loyola Marymount University is more like having "a little family on the bluff." Offering a "well-rounded Jesuit education" on an "absolutely beautiful and modern campus" as well as "many activities and service opportunities." Students here are dedicated to becoming aware of "the pertinent social issues of today's world and how they relate to each student's chosen field(s) of study." LMU is often referred to as a "hidden gem," but those who go here wouldn't mind seeing a bit more publicity for their school. A small enrollment means small class sizes, and students report having no trouble getting into the courses they desire. Professor quality "varies." Basically, "the professors that teach because they love to teach are amazing. The professors that care more about their research than their students are disappointing." There aren't many gripes about availability, though, as most are "more than willing to assist with any questions or problems." As for the higher ups, there is "some resistance and hiding on the part of the administration when students try to stir things up." But overall those in charge primarily do a good job, remaining active with student life. Several administrators and deans "show their commitment to the students by serving as club moderators" in addition to their day jobs. Many students complain the cost of attending LMU "is a bit ridiculous," and wish financial aid and scholarships were more available to them, rather than the money being spent on ever-present construction.

Students Say - Campus Life
Students claim to "feel very comfortable living on campus and walking around late at night due to the security on campus." As with many things located in LA, "parking is an issue that needs to be improved." The small size of the student body creates a "bubble" effect, giving the school a "high school" flavor, but the city and neighboring schools provide plenty of options to any student that feels as though the LMU walls are closing. A lot of freshmen choose to go home on the weekends, but most upperclassmen hang around and go to the beach, Santa Monica, or shopping malls, all located within 15 minutes of the campus. "People do party and drink, but it is nothing compared to most other colleges," says one junior. Greek life is popular but not central to the party scene here, and most parties occur off campus. For students wishing to remain close to their dorms, the campus has an excellent sit-down restaurant that provides "almost anything that you can find at a classy off-campus restaurant," and the D-1 sports teams "are entertaining and encourage a great deal of campus spirit."

Students Say - Student Body
"There is quite a bit of money at LMU;" enough that "two students brought 49-inch plasma TVs to their freshman dorm this year." Perhaps they are friends with the "skinny, rich-beyond-belief blonde girls whose version of 'scrubbing it' is wearing their Juicy Couture sweatshirts with their Manolo Blahniks." But "not everyone is rich. The school isn't overly snobby, and there is a niche for everyone." The "most visible" LMU archetype is "the vaguely wholesome, Saved By the Bell: The College Years jocky frat/sorority type." But, there are also plenty of "serious student types who are always in the library and no one else ever really gets to know them," as well as "the artsy, theater/coffee-shop types who wear whatever expresses their feelings" as part of the "chill underground." Many in this last group "participate in the film department and the radio station and form their own close community." While "some students here are very LA, others are more focused politically and spiritually and are committed to social justice, service, and participation in student life." At LMU, it may be "easy to feel like you belong" but some say there still "needs to be a stronger sense of the differences in people, races, sexual orientations, and cultures."

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