Soka University of America is rated within the top 12% of four-year colleges nationally and earns a CollegeSimply grade of 9 out of 10. Learn how ratings are calculated
Reviews
If you are a student, former student, faculty member or parent, please help guide other prospective students by sharing your personal experiences at this college. What is it really like to go to Soka University of America?
I was looking for a small school and stumbled across SUA since it was somewhat close to me. No one else from my high school had heard of it, so I was apprehensive, especially since information on it was limited. I took a tour in the summer and the campus was really pretty and it's pretty cool that you only have to have one roommate as a freshman and a private bathroom shared between the two of you (as opposed to a floor bathroom and shower). For me, personal space is really important. The classes here are also interesting, specific, and interconnected, so similar concepts arise within different courses. I am studying Japanese, which means I'll go to Japan my 3rd year (I am current a sophomore of class 2022), so I am pretty excited. Hahaha. I really feel like I got lucky with this school and I'm paying about as much as my friends are for a public 4-year school. Lots of opportunities here. I don't regret it at all.
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After meeting with a SUA alumnus educator in Japan, I started studying English. Since I was from a poor rural family, I never thought it would be possible to go abroad. However, after studying hard, I was able to get a full-tuition scholarship from SUA and now I'm studying at an extremely beautiful campus in California with great friends from over 45 countries around the world.
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If you want to study liberal arts and are ok with Soka's small size (and the implications), I would highly recommend looking into it. Some of its biggest advantages include the generous financial aid, the study abroad semester that is included in the tuition, and the school's proximity to Orange County's beautiful shoreline.
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I am getting into my sophomore year and I really love the life that SUA provides. The faculty and staff are very supportive of all our projects. The students here are very approachable and friendly
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Although we do not get to go to cities and bars etc... there is always something that keeps you busy on campus, such as clubs and student groups. I think they worth doing it if you want to grow as a human. Definitely, you will not be able to find any other places like Soka...
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Small class size made me think who I am and what I can do to improve this society as a person. Most professors are really friendly, and they are always willing to help students. Mandatory study abroad program is one of the most popular characteristic of Soka, and as an International student, going to the US and studying abroad to another country broaden my future options and gave an opportunity to grow as a person.
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People here are very nice and friendly! The professors are passionated about what they teach and always welcome to answer you questions. About 40% of Soka students are international students, coming from more than 45 different countries. So there is a great diversity! Soka offers a variety of financial aids including full tuition scholarship for those whose annual family income is $60,000 or less and the aids is offered for both domestic and international students!
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People here are very nice and friendly! The professors are passionated about what they teach and always welcome to answer you questions. About 40% of Soka students are international students, coming from more than 45 different countries. So there is a great diversity! Soka offers a variety of financial aids including full tuition scholarship for those whose annual family income is $60,000 or less and the aids is offered for both domestic and international students!
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This is a wonderful place to live in. You can always ask questions to your professor. There are many international students in here. Most classes are based on discussion style, so you can find how other students think and the differences between you and others.
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I am a second-year student at SUA. If you are looking for a small liberal arts college where you can study closely with the faculty, Soka is the right choice for you. The average class size is around 12 students and you get to know your professor and fellow students in the class. The class style is discussion-based, and professors always encourage students to come to their office for further questions and discussion. In my first-year, I worked as a research assistant for my professor and I learned so much about research methodology and data collection from my professor.
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In terms of interpersonal relationships (including dating), it's sometimes too small for college students, but overall it is a wonderful place to study.
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Perfect if you are looking for a small liberal arts school, great interactions with other students and with professors. If you are willing to really set yourself to study this school has all the resources you could ever need.
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I'm currently a first-year international student from Nepal enrolled at Soka University of America. Soka is a great liberal art college with students from over 40 nations of the world. It has a small student body, which facilitates interaction with professors within and outside the classroom. The interdisciplinary education and diverse community of Soka provide students with an ability to view things from a broader perspective. What I particularly like about Soka is its unique program called Learning Cluster that takes place during the month of January. A Learning Cluster is a research seminar where students work in teams with faculty facilitators to investigate a specific question. It helps in bridging theory and practice, and evoke an educated outcome. Apart from its great education, Soka is aesthetically gifted with a beautiful campus and natural beauty of the surrounding canyon. It's a great place to visit and take a walk!
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I'm a first year student in SUA. Happy to be here. SUA has only about 400 students and require them to live in dormitories.That leads students to understand each other deeply and finally become SUA family. Whenever I'm so tired, my friends notice my situation and encourage me. I'm so lucky to have a wonderful family here. SUA has become another home for me.
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I really enjoy studying at this school. SUA is a young, liberal arts university, and our student body is pretty small. Around 450 students go to this school, and they all are required to live on campus except those who have certain reasons. We live in/with nature, and you can enjoy various kinds of trees and flowers on campus. We also have a garden where some students are growing vegetable. The residence halls are beautiful, and I live very comfortably feeling protected. The residence halls have a laundry room, pantry, printer room, and so on. I also really like the class style Soka offers. In average one class consists of 1 professor and 12-13 students. Although there are concentrations instead of majors, students are not restricted to take classes from only one concentrations they choose. I feel like students here are educated to be well-rounded global citizens.
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I like the small class size here, which encourages student engagement in the classroom. We have many classes in which we have discussions or small group activities, which make them more interesting. In many of the classes I took before, I couldn't just sit back and listen, but I actually had to do the readings and participate. Those classes were tough but rewarding. If you choose the right professor, you can get a lot out of each course. I also appreciate the diverse student body. I've learned so much just from talking with different people at the cafeteria. You have many chances to talk with people from different backgrounds and become friends. There've been times when I struggled with cultural differences, but all those struggles helped me grow as a person. The small campus can be both good and bad, depending on the kind of relationships you have with people, but overall I like how we can cultivate deep and intimate relationships.
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Overall I am grateful to have the opportunity to come to soka. I am a first generation immigrant and child of working class parents who lived paycheck to paycheck. I often wondered if I would be able to afford college, but when I got accepted to soka I was offered a financial aid package offered to all students with a family income lower than $70k, which paid for my entire tuition fees. Soka is so generous and the resources available on this campus are among the best in the country. We have such easy access to all of our professors, as our class size exceed no more than 15 students. However, the culture of activism is so weak. Most people, though self-proclaimed "global citizens" only care about the world in the abstract, but ignore the day-to-day social (racial, gendered, sexual, class, etc) issues that exist even on our campus. It was very frustrating as an activist and feminist to find strong support. I think its getting better though.
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I just finished my third year at Soka University of America. These past three years that I spent here were amazing, and I am thankful that Soka offered me so many opportunities to grow into a global citizen. One of the remarkable aspects of this university is its generous financial aid. If your annual family income is less than 60,000 dollars, you are eligible for a full tuition scholarship. Almost all the students receive some type of financial aid at Soka. When I was admitted to this university and knew how much I would get for scholarships, my family was surprised by how generous the financial aid package was. I appreciate all the donors who made it possible for me to attend this university.
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