University of the Pacific Reviews

"University of the Pacific is a small liberal arts college in Northern CA that felt like home to me. I found the small student population both comforting and extremely helpful as I got to my upper division courses because they were always small and intimate class sizes. It's not known for its athletic dominance so if you're looking for that type of college experience, I'd look at other options. I changed my course of study from engineering to economics in my second year and had one of the smoothest transitions I could've ever asked for. The staff was almost always extremely helpful in both my academic and personal pursuits and did whatever they could to help. The career resource center is unmatched and is one of the most amazing perks at this university."

"I really loved my experience at the University of the Pacific. They have small class sizes so you really get to know your professors. They know your name and take the extra time to connect and help you in their classes. The history department in praticular is fantastic, they are a great team of professors that are there to help and are passionate about history."

"University of the Pacific is a great school with an absolutely beautiful campus. The University is an amazing blend of historic, the oldest co-ed university west of the Mississippi, and new with an updated University Center and new dormitories. It is clearly a California Institution that has withstood the test of time and will continue to do so because of the commitments to change. As a student I was involved in Greek Life, worked on campus, and was very involved in student activities. The student experience is really what you make it. With the small class sizes I can positively say that every single one of my professors knew my name in class and was available to answer my questions outside of class. I have kept in touch with many of my classmates and even a few professors. I had the opportunity to take a semester off to go and intern with an international entertainment company. At the time it was not something that was done so there wasnt protocol for doing so but the dean was very supportive and when I returned I assisted the university in creating a partnership with the company and the following year 3 students took the same internship I had held. All the staff were quite supportive."

"The University of the Pacific offers an accelerated Pre-dental Advantage Program which streamlines your path towards dental school. Depending on how fast you choose to take the program, you can be in dental school after as little as two years of college! Being a smaller private school, you also get much smaller class sizes compared to public schools. A science lecture at any given UC school such as UCLA or UCR can easily have upwards of 300 students, whereas the biggest science class at UOP was around 60. The much smaller student to faculty ratio means that you will have a much greater opportunity to get to know your professors and to let your professors know you, an instrumental part in getting letters of recommendation and research opportunities. Finally, the University of the Pacific dental school is very kind towards applicants from their undergraduate campus. The minimum GPA and DAT score that a UOP undergraduate student needs to earn in order to guarantee an interview is significantly lower than that of the average accepted student's scores. And upon reaching the interview phase, UOP undergraduates have enjoyed upwards of a 90% acceptance rate year after year. If your heart is set on dentistry, University of the Pacific is the place to be."

"I had an excellent experience at the University of the Pacific. The department of Political Science, where I studied, had excellent professors who were good teachers and also contributed important research to the field. Overall, the degree has been useful although very few people outside of the region are aware of the university."

"Though the school has some opportunities, there is definitely not a lot of help nor development for the workforce, the curriculum is often theoretical and does not allow you to gain entry level skills, making it difficult to get started in your field of choice. Over all some professors care more about your education than other who just want to get back to their research, where there is not a lot of opportunities for students to get involved with either. Unless you are applying to one of the sciences, you are more thank likely to achieve an average education that might not out weight the debt you will accumulate in the four years."

"I am in my second semester of the physical therapy doctorate program at University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA and have a mostly positive impression of the program overall. In terms of the structure and length of UOP's DPT program, they offer a very unique degree program being one of the only accelerated DPT programs in the country. The program takes 25 months to complete with a short clinical experience during the first semester, a four week experience during the first summer, and 7 months of clinical experiences following completion of the didactic portion after 18 months. Though UOP is a private school and the tuition is higher than average, prospective students thinking about their debt situation should consider that they will have at least an additional year of lost income if they attend a traditional program that is usually 36+ months altogether. Apart from program structure and financials, the vast majority of the instructors here are top notch with decades of experience in many cases and a very engaging teaching style. I docked one star from the quality of instruction because not every class/instructor has been stellar in my opinion and I have found myself quite bored and wondering why we are required to take some classes. Overall though, you really get the sense that your professors care about your professional development and they will go above and beyond to help you succeed, especially if you are struggling. A lot of schools talk about developing a sense of family or community among students and faculty and while I think this is often an exaggeration, I can honestly say that I already consider most of my instructors to be good friends and can rely on them to offer meaningful advice about my future and career. I think anyone looking to earn a DPT in Northern California especially should consider UOP for the quality of their instructors and their network of clinical partners alone, but the accelerated schedule was a huge draw for me. I have talked to some clinics/employers that question how a DPT program could produce a therapist ready to treat in such a small time frame, but UOP also has a great reputation/ranking nationwide among PT schools so those worrying about how their degree will be viewed by future employers should really have nothing to worry about. If you manage to get an interview here I would really encourage you to go even if its very low on your list of schools. The second year students and faculty really won me over with a low pressure, casual interview and an honest presentation of what to expect if you go here."

"University of the Pacific's Pre-Pharmacy Advantage Program definitely has its perks. There's 3 programs, 2+3, 3+3, and 4+3. The first number corresponds to the number of undergraduate years of study and the last 3 years are for pharmacy school. I'm in the 3+3 program which has a nice balance of difficult but not too vigorous course schedules and I obtain my pharmacy doctorate degree one year quicker than my counterpart at a different university. The science courses are tough, but doable. The professors are stern but fair. Overall my experience was great and I couldn't be happier that I will be attending pharmacy school next fall."

"Pacific School of Dentistry is the only 3 year Dental curriculum in the nation. I am very happy that I chose Pacific because we pride ourselves on clinical skills. The dental clinical work that we are taught is extremely exact and detail oriented. Our pre clinical work includes us working on mannequins in the simulation lab. The simulation lab has prepared me extremely well to work on real patients in the clinic. After 1 year of didactics and simulation lab, 2nd year students diagnose and treat students in the clinic. Treating and diagnosing patients has been extremely rewarding. I enjoy spending time on my patients and improving their oral health. The faculty and staff at Pacific really inspire my learning; they offer tremendous support and expand my horizons. Pacific has pushed me to grow into a better person and will certainly mold me into a competent and caring oral health care clinician."

"University of the Pacific is the institution that has reinforced my desire for striving for my goal of becoming a physical therapist. UOP has offered me so many networking opportunities, allowing me to participate in many extracurricular activities, allowing many leadership roles, and offered to build my assets; including, cooperation, dedication, teamwork, public speaking. etc. University of the Pacific has shaped me through the exposing me to a number of individuals I've encountered, from the many club members to the encouraging professors. With everyone's help, I was able to complete my undergraduate degree with gratitude and was offered a seat at their Doctorate of Physical Therapy Program."

"The Health, Exercise, Sports Sciences program at UOP is a great way to get started in a career in athletic training, athletic administration, sports management, or exercise physiology. Students choose if they want to pursue a thesis or take comprehensive exams after their first semester in the graduate program. The professors are all awesome and generally available to help. Class sizes are usually 12 or less, so you get a lot of discussion and hands-on experience in each course."

"University of the Pacific was a wonderful college to go to. I enjoyed the faculty and academic support they provided. Professors doors were always open. Student body was great. Lots of clubs and activities to participate in."

"University of the Pacific was a beautiful campus. It isn't too small and it isn't too big so students are able to see each other and get to know each other better. There are plenty of things to do around campus and to become involved with. I loved living in the dorms."

"I feel that my education was a good one. I learned to think and write well. It did help my job prospects in general, though I do not know that I would generally recommend 16s specifically to anyone."

"It's a small close knit school. The school tries to balance education and social activities. The school has clinics students can join for more practical experience. Overall decent school, but it is a private school, so very expensive."

"The Art department of Pacific is fantastic. The professors, students, studios, and general atmosphere are all great. Overall this school is a pretty friendly and welcoming place. The classes are also smaller, so there is a lot more involvement, and you won't just be a face in the crowd."

"Beautiful campus. The teachers (at least in the chemistry department) are here to teach, not just complete research. They will always make time to be available to their students and help them out. I loved it so much, I am here for grad school!"

"Pacific is a great school. They have a beautiful campus, excellent academics and great student body/campus life activities"

"LOVED Pacific and everything it had to offer. The small class sizes and one on one attention you receive from faculty is amazing and worth it!"

"Pros: Very student oriented. Gives independence to student researchers. Professors are very responsive and helps students achieve their goals. Respected professors in their fields. Cons: Outdated facilities. Small school. Small selection of classes."