Soka University of America and the city of Aliso Viejo share something worth celebrating this year: both turn 25 in 2026. Soka opened its doors in 2001 — the same month the city incorporated — and the two have grown together ever since.
When Soka welcomed its first class, it was the first new private liberal arts college built in California in 25 years. Those 125 students came from 17 states and 19 countries. Some turned down Bryn Mawr and Brown to be part of something new. Today, enrollment stands at approximately 500, with students representing more than 40 nations. On any given day, more than 30 languages are spoken on campus.
The university offers a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership and Societal Change. All undergraduates study abroad — included at no extra cost within the four-year degree. Class sizes average 12, and the student-faculty ratio is 7:1. Nearly two-thirds of alumni have gone on to graduate study at institutions including Columbia, Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge, and Johns Hopkins. Alumni are now working in more than 80 countries.
Soka is also a neighbor that likes to share its campus. The Soka Performing Arts Center has hosted the last two Aliso Viejo State of the City events. This summer, residents are invited to Shakespeare by the Sea: free, world-class outdoor theater on the Campus Green, co-sponsored with the City of Aliso Viejo, on Thursday, July 23, at 7 PM. The Summer at Soka concert series kicks off June 18 with Symphony on the Go and closes August 14 with Buyepongo, a cumbia fusion band.
Twenty-five years ago, we opened our doors with a conviction that an educational institution should serve not just its students, but the world beyond the campus gates,” SUA President Ed Feasel said. “Aliso Viejo has been our home where we foster global citizens from the very beginning. We are grateful to celebrate this milestone as neighbors.”