About Vanguard University Founded in 1920, Vanguard University is a private, Christian, comprehensive university of liberal arts, sciences, and professional studies that encompasses more than 2,200 students from every region in the country, over 33,000 alumni worldwide, 100 full-time faculty, over 30 undergraduate programs and seven graduate degree programs. Orange County, California's first four-year college, Vanguard University is rooted in a strong academic tradition and commitment to student success. Vanguard is recognized by the U.S. News & World Report 2026 ranking as a first-tier regional university in the West, a Top Performer on Social Mobility, a Best College for Veterans, a Best Value School, and a Best Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Program. The mission of Vanguard University is to pursue knowledge, cultivate character, deepen faith and equip each student for a Spirit-empowered life of Christ-centered leadership and service. The vision that guides the Vanguard community is rooted in the University's heritage as an institution of the Pentecostal tradition which was birthed out of the Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles, California, at the turn of the twentieth century.