Nestled at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains in Redlands, CA, is a school that is really worth a look. University of Redlands is a small school, with just over 3,000 undergraduates, that not only offers a wide range of academic programs, but it also has one of the prettiest campuses I have visited in a while.

The expansive main quad has the beautiful chapel located at one end, with the mountains behind it, the main administration building on the other, and is lined on both sides by dormitories. When one enters the visitor center, one can frequently be greeted by the Bulldog mascot, Adelaide, who just happens to be the first female mascot since the mascot’s inception in 1918!

From the moment you set foot on this campus, you feel a warm welcome by all.

The academic offerings are quite broad, from Arts, Theater and Music, to Business and Engineering. One of the more unique programs is their Engineering Combined Degree. In partnership with Columbia University or Washington University of St. Louis, a strong student can earn bachelor’s degrees from both Redlands and Columbia in five years or a bachelor’s degree and Masters from University of Washington of St. Louis. For specifics about this program, I encourage any of you folks out there who are exploring engineering majors to check out their website.

Beyond that, there are over 50 different academic programs to consider, including programs in business in their School of Business and Society.

The Redlands Bulldogs field 20 different NCAA division III teams — ten for men, including football, which is rare in a college of its size, and 11 for women, including lacrosse!

For those of you who would like to continue your athletic career into college, a D-III school is a much less competitive environment than D-I. And although a D-III school is not able to offer athletic scholarships, Redlands does offer fairly generous financial aid packages (more on that in a minute).

There are also plenty of intramural and club sports from which to choose.

Redlands is a fully residential college, with all undergraduate students being required to live on campus. There is a section of campus devoted to freshmen, with their own quad. There are also local fraternities and sororities that offer limited on campus housing.

Given the frequently high cost of living in any California city, this is a nice way to not have to worry about where you will be living for four years!

Now to the financial part of the equation: there is good news here for students with good grades. Starting tuition at Redlands is just over $55,000… BUT, and this is huge, students with a GPA of 3.5 or higher will only pay a maximum of $22,000 (other talent and merit scholarships can be applied to make that number even lower), and they will guarantee that you will graduate in four years or less. This program is called “The Redlands Promise.”

Redlands also offers a unique scholarship to Native Students, including Native Hawaiians, for an unspecified dollar amount through the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians Excellence in Leadership Scholarship. Check out their website for specifics on how to apply and qualify for these scholarships.

It is possible to get a private school education at a public-school price at Redlands.

Redlands is located just about 65 miles east of downtown Los Angeles and 45 miles west of Palm Springs. The nearest regional airport is Ontario, about 29 miles away.

Give Redlands a look if you are headed to the Mainland for Spring Break and college visits.

I have one addition to my College Spotlight on UC Merced: I neglected to mention that UC Merced is a WUE participant.

Maryanne Hogan is an Independent College Counselor. For more information, or to make an appointment, see her website: Thecollegeauntie.com.