National University

Legal name: Northcentral University

Overview

Mission

To provide accessible, affordable, and high-quality education that prepares students for successful careers and lifelong learning.

What it reported doing in 2022

Provide education and training to professionals looking to achieve academically, professionally and become valuable contributors to their communities and within their professions.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 96% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 63% for direct work, 14% for grants, and 22% for affiliated organizations.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
900171867
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2022
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2022, Form 990-T 2022
Headquarters
San Diego, CA, USA
Phone
8586428100
Rating
76
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 70
  • Transparency & Controls: 76
  • Accountability: 96
  • Sustainability: 15
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 79.3%; rating input score 79
  • Program expense ratio: 77.4%; rating input score 77
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: 1 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 12
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Fail
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Fail
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Fail
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 94.4%; rating input score 94; 48th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -2.5%; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: Limited
  • Officer compensation ratio: 2.8%; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 24.9% per year; rating input score 100; 94th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 22.4% per year; rating input score 100; 94th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 15.4% per year; rating input score 100; 86th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 3 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 3 operating locations identified
  • Where the money goes: 79.3% of revenue deployed · 77.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 17 of 18 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $40.4M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $344K · 30 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 3 contractors listed · $82.9M reported
  • Consistency: 37 of 37 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, executive pay, and related organizations
  • Filing history: 12 annual filings from 2010 to 2022
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 8 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 7 filed related-organization links
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Leadership & pay

30 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • DAVID HARPOOL (FORMER PRESIDENT/SENIOR ADVISOR): $343,673 total reported compensation
  • JAMES BILLINGS (INTERIM PRESIDENT): $188,831 total reported compensation
  • LISA HUTTON (DEAN, SCHOOL OF LAW): $168,959 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2022.