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. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorWestern Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Good
64/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes68
Value32
Affordability30
Selectivity61
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
California Lutheran University admits 75.7% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.
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
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $30,109 a year on average, it sits in line with what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. Plan for the gap between that and what you can pay without borrowing. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
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 students who start here finish within six years, and 80% come back after first year. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
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
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $68,712 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
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
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 2,296 students, a mid-sized community. Worth knowing: 35% are the first in their family to go to college.
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.
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.
There are 13 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.
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
No college is right for everyone. Here is where California Lutheran University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
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
The questions families ask most about California Lutheran University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is California Lutheran University hard to get into?
Not especially. California Lutheran University admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 75.7%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at California Lutheran University?
75.7% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for California Lutheran University?
Aim for 1330 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1150 and 1330 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for California Lutheran University?
Aim for 31 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 24 and 31 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does California Lutheran University cost?
Budget around $30,109 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is California Lutheran University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $68,712 a year against a net price of $30,109, about 2.3 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is California Lutheran University known for?
Mostly Business Administration, Psychology, Business Administration. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do California Lutheran University graduates earn?
About $68,712 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
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?
2,296 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at California Lutheran University?
65% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is California Lutheran University a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is California Lutheran University located?
California Lutheran University is located in Thousand Oaks, California.
What programs does California Lutheran University offer?
62 different programs, most commonly Business Administration, Psychology, Business Administration. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at California Lutheran University?
13 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
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.
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