California Lutheran University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Thousand Oaks, California. It enrolls 2,296 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Below you'll find verified data on admissions, cost, student outcomes, programs offered, and what graduates typically earn, all pulled from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and IPEDS.
AccreditorWestern Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
US College Data scores each college on four pillars (outcomes, value, affordability, and selectivity) on a 0–100 scale, ranked within its peer group (4-Year Selective). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Good
64/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes68
Value32
Affordability30
Selectivity61
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
With an acceptance rate of 75.7%, California Lutheran University is broadly accessible to qualified applicants.
Acceptance Rate
75.7%
Easy
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1150 – 1330
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
24 – 31
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether California Lutheran University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Becoming less selective ↑
17.5 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending California Lutheran University isn't the sticker price. It's the net price,which is what most students actually pay after grants and scholarships. According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, the average net price is $30,109 per year. That's in line with the typical net price for private nonprofit colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$30,109
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
31%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
50%
Borrowing to attend
Full Cost Breakdown
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$52,560
Room & Board (on-campus)
$16,810
Room & Board (off-campus)
$22,086
Books & Supplies
$934
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$4,512
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$6,996
Total Cost of Attendance
$68,426
Application fee: $25 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$22,161
$30,001 – $48,000
$23,668
$48,001 – $75,000
$24,318
$75,001 – $110,000
$29,303
Over $110,000
$38,364
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$5,47510%percentile
$8,75025%percentile
$21,669Medianpercentile
$27,00075%percentile
$34,00090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $20,000
↓ $1,669
No Pell $15,500
↓ $6,169
Dependent students $17,750
↓ $3,919
Independent students $21,900
↑ $231
Female students $19,500
↓ $2,169
Male students $17,754
↓ $3,915
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $10,438, less than completers ($21,669), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
65% of full-time students who enrolled at California Lutheran University graduate within six years, and 80% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
65%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
80%
Returning for their second year
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, students who entered California Lutheran University earn a median of $68,712 ten years after first enrolling. That's above the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$68,712
Earning > $25K
83%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$56,300
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$65,100
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$54,900
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$60,800
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$61,600
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $8,800, about 14% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
16.4 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 88% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
California Lutheran University is home to 2,296 students, a mid-sized community. Some distinctive traits: 35% are first-generation college students.
Total Enrolled
2,296
Part-Time
2%
First-Generation
35%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
Hispanic 41.0%941
White 35.9%825
Other 7.1%162
Asian 5.5%127
Black 4.5%103
International 3.6%83
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at California Lutheran University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Midsize CityThousand Oaks, California
Housing
Mostly residential1,517 beds on campus
Adult Learners
7%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
Designation
Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)
Designation
Religiously affiliated
What You Can Study
California Lutheran University offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
62 distinct programs across
23 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
The student-to-faculty ratio at California Lutheran University is 13:1, close to the national average.
Student : Faculty
13:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$293M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$94,167
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
182 instructional faculty across 5 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
68
37%
$112,456
Associate Professors
45
25%
$93,687
Assistant Professors
30
16%
$79,951
Instructors
1
1%
$75,000
Lecturers
38
21%
$73,736
Pros & Cons of California Lutheran University
A quick at-a-glance summary of how California Lutheran University tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
PROS
Accessible admissions for most applicants
Reasonable class sizes
Above-average graduation rate
Above-average post-graduation earnings
CONS
Above-average net price
High published cost of attendance before aid
Best for:
Based on the data, California Lutheran University is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; students prioritizing post-graduation earnings.
Frequently Asked Questions about California Lutheran University
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about California Lutheran University.
Is California Lutheran University hard to get into?
California Lutheran University has open or near-open admissions. Most qualified applicants are accepted. Acceptance rate: 75.7%.
What is the acceptance rate at California Lutheran University?
California Lutheran University has an acceptance rate of 75.7%, according to College Scorecard 2023-24 admissions data.
What SAT score do you need for California Lutheran University?
The middle 50% of admitted students at California Lutheran University scored between 1150 and 1330 on the SAT (Reading + Math combined). Scores at the higher end of that range improve admissions odds materially. Per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
What ACT score do you need for California Lutheran University?
The middle 50% of admitted students at California Lutheran University scored between 24 and 31 on the ACT composite. Scores in the upper half of that range strengthen an application. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does California Lutheran University cost?
The average net price after aid at California Lutheran University is $30,109 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is California Lutheran University worth it?
Moderate return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $68,712 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $30,109 per year. That's roughly 2.3x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is California Lutheran University known for?
California Lutheran University is best known for its programs in Business Administration, Psychology, Business Administration. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do California Lutheran University graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering California Lutheran University are $68,712, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is California Lutheran University accredited?
Yes. California Lutheran University is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission.
How many students attend California Lutheran University?
California Lutheran University enrolls 2,296 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at California Lutheran University?
California Lutheran University graduates 65% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is California Lutheran University a public or private college?
California Lutheran University is a Private Nonprofit institution.
Where is California Lutheran University located?
California Lutheran University is located in Thousand Oaks, California.
What programs does California Lutheran University offer?
California Lutheran University offers 62 distinct programs. The most popular include Business Administration, Psychology, Business Administration.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at California Lutheran University?
The student-to-faculty ratio at California Lutheran University is 13:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
Related Colleges in California
Other colleges in California share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
How to Build Your College List Pillar
The full process of narrowing from 3,839 US colleges to a shortlist of ~10. Cost, location, size, selectivity, and fit factors that actually predict whether you'll thrive.
What actually makes a college work for first-generation students, the support and aid signals that predict success, and how to find the schools that deliver them using federal data.
How to find the colleges that deliver the strongest return on a STEM degree by weighing earnings outcomes against net cost, rather than chasing the most selective name.
Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
American Colleges by the Numbers
One federal dataset, 3,839 colleges. The median school costs $16,371 a year, admits 78% of applicants, and enrolls 1,259 students. The shape of US higher ed.
Higher education data
Net price
College enrollment
Acceptance rate
College ownership
Do Selective Schools Actually Graduate More Students?
Across 1,645 four-year colleges, graduation rates climb steadily with selectivity, from 54% at open-admission schools to 93% at the most exclusive. The gap is real.
Graduation rate
Acceptance rate
Selectivity
Completion
College outcomes
For-Profit Colleges Charge the Most and Pay the Least
For-profit colleges post the highest median net price of any sector and the lowest graduate earnings. They cost more than private nonprofits and pay less than publics.
For-profit colleges
Net price
Earnings
College ROI
College ownership
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.
