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Thousand Oaks, CA · Private · 2,296 undergraduates · urban

California Lutheran University

Less selective

Its location gives students access to the Los Angeles employment market while retaining a quieter residential campus in the Conejo Valley.

Campus image / Publicly hosted campus image

Institutional profile

Well established Solid in career outcomes, and solid in mobility.
Academic Steady Affordability Steady Career Solid Mobility Solid Experience Steady
Academic standing Steady
Affordability Steady
Career outcomes Solid
Mobility Solid
Student experience Steady
Admission
88.9% admitted

5,290 applicants in the reported year

Price by income
Varies across five income ranges

Compare recent average annual costs by household income

Completion
76.3%

$68,712 median earnings 10 years after enrollment

What sets California Lutheran University apart

Academic design

Undergraduates can combine broad-based study with research, internships, entrepreneurship, and professional preparation across several schools and colleges.

Campus pattern

The Thousand Oaks campus is suburban and residential, positioned between Los Angeles and the outdoor landscapes of Ventura County.

Defining feature

Its location gives students access to the Los Angeles employment market while retaining a quieter residential campus in the Conejo Valley.

Can I get in?

88.9% admitted

Start with academic preparation, then show why this particular academic and campus environment fits you.

Recent applicant pool

5,290

About 89 in every 100 applicants were admitted.

Admission rate 88.9%
Entering class

Academic range

SAT middle 50%1134–1320
10201440
ACT middle 50%23–29
1933

Of admitted students, 13% submitted an SAT, and 2% submitted an ACT. Almost nobody admitted here sent a score, which leaves the SAT and ACT ranges standing on a handful of files.

Entered with a 4.0 GPA14.1%

In the season card

Where your GPA sits in the entering class

The full entering-class GPA distribution for California Lutheran University, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.

See where I land

In the season card

What California Lutheran University weighs when it reads a file

See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.

  • Course rigor  
  • GPA  
  • Test scores  
  • Essay  
  • Recommendations  
  • Extracurriculars  
  • Demonstrated interest  
See what counts here

What moves the application

The evidence that separates a strong file

01

Show preparation for this curriculum

Undergraduates can combine broad-based study with research, internships, entrepreneurship, and professional preparation across several schools and colleges.

02

Make the fit specific

Its location gives students access to the Los Angeles employment market while retaining a quieter residential campus in the Conejo Valley.

03

Account for the tradeoff

Keep academic direction and school-specific choices coherent across the application.

How to apply

Rounds, route, and required materials

Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and make the school-specific case concrete.

Early ActionNov 15
Regular DecisionJan 15
Fee and waiver$25 application fee

Fee waiver: accepted

Can I afford it?

Compare annual cost by household income.

Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.

Published annual cost$79,295
Average annual cost after aid$30,000
Affordability profileSteady

In the season card

Average annual cost by household income at California Lutheran University

Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.

  • $0–30k 
  • $30–48k 
  • $48–75k 
  • $75–110k 
  • $110k+ 
Open the price by income

Is it worth it?

Completion, debt, and earnings

Its location gives students access to the Los Angeles employment market while retaining a quieter residential campus in the Conejo Valley.

Complete within 8 years76.3%

Degree completion across the reported entering cohort

Return after year one79.7%

First-year students who return for year two

Median federal debtWhat students owe on the way out

And what that comes to against what they earn.

Median earnings$68,712

Reported 10 years after enrollment

Academic portfolio

Largest bachelor’s fields

How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.

Business Administration, Management and Operations

Recent graduates147
Median earnings$76,916

Admits separately

Psychology, General

Recent graduates100
Median earnings$59,153

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness

Recent graduates62
Median earnings$59,820

Criminology

Recent graduates52
Median earnings

Biology, General

Recent graduates46
Median earnings$64,939

What is campus life like?

California Lutheran University beyond the classroom

The Thousand Oaks campus is suburban and residential, positioned between Los Angeles and the outdoor landscapes of Ventura County.

Academics

A defining academic feature

Undergraduates can combine broad-based study with research, internships, entrepreneurship, and professional preparation across several schools and colleges.

Campus setting

What shapes an ordinary week

The Thousand Oaks campus is suburban and residential, positioned between Los Angeles and the outdoor landscapes of Ventura County.

Distinctive edge

What changes the experience

Its location gives students access to the Los Angeles employment market while retaining a quieter residential campus in the Conejo Valley.

2,296 undergraduatesPacificurban setting72.5% of first-year students live on campus