California Lutheran University

Thousand Oaks, California · Private nonprofit · 4-year · City

At a glance

Average net price: $30,109What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
Acceptance rate: 76%
Graduation rate: 72%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
Undergraduates: 2,296
In-state tuition: $52,560Published price before aid.
Out-of-state tuition: $52,560
SAT midpoint: 1,190
Median earnings, 10 yrs: $68,712Median earnings of former students ten years after they first enrolled.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Data year: 2022-23 academic year. Updated September 2026. Figures are averages across all students and will differ from what any individual pays.

How it compares to similar colleges

Each rating covers one measure against private nonprofit 4-year colleges nationally. Five stars means the top fifth on that measure. There is no overall score, because which of these matters is your call.

Affordability

$30,109

1/5

Better than 20% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1092 compared).

Completion

72%

4/5

Better than 79% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1063 compared).

Earnings

$68,712

5/5

Better than 80% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1087 compared).

Debt at graduation

$21,669

4/5

Better than 73% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1020 compared).

What these ratings are based on

Affordability: Based on average net price: what students receiving federal aid actually paid, after grants and scholarships. Your own cost depends on your family's finances.
Completion: Based on the share of first-time, full-time students who graduate within 150% of normal time. It excludes transfer and part-time students, which understates colleges serving many of them.
Earnings: Based on median earnings ten years after students first enrolled. It reflects the subjects a college teaches and the region it sits in as much as its teaching.
Debt at graduation: Based on median federal loan debt among students who completed. Private and parent loans are not included, so real totals are often higher.
Why there is no rating for selectivity: A lower acceptance rate is selectivity, not quality. Awarding stars for it would be us inventing a value judgement and hiding it behind a number.

What it actually costs

Published cost

$68,426

The sticker price: tuition, fees, housing, food and books for one academic year, before any aid.

Average net price

$30,109

What students receiving federal aid actually paid on average, after grants and scholarships. This is the more useful number, though your own figure depends on your family’s finances.

What would this cost me?

Use this college’s official net price calculator

Outcomes

Graduation, retention, debt and earnings for California Lutheran University
Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time	72%
Retention rateFirst-year students who return	79%
Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed	$21,669
Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled	$68,712

What graduates of each major earn

Median earnings one year after finishing, for people who took that subject here. This is the figure a college-wide median hides: the spread between subjects at one college is usually far wider than the spread between colleges.

Bachelor’s programs at California Lutheran University by graduate earnings
Major	Earnings, 1 yr	Degrees awarded
Accounting and Related Services	$72,696	28
Computer Science	$68,398	26
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods	$57,276	16
Business Administration, Management and Operations	$55,234	147
Criminal Justice and Corrections	$43,122	Not reported
Communication and Media Studies	$37,249	43
Political Science and Government	$36,061	31
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities	$34,989	24
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other	$34,432	Not reported
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness	$33,818	62
Biology, General	$32,894	46
Criminology	$31,963	52
Psychology, General	$30,918	100
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other	$23,879	2
Music	$20,650	24
Fine and Studio Arts	Not reported	30
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	Not reported	27
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication	Not reported	24
Sociology	Not reported	16
Natural Resources Conservation and Research	Not reported	16
English Language and Literature, General	Not reported	11
Film/Video and Photographic Arts	Not reported	11
History	Not reported	10
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology	Not reported	10
Information Science/Studies	Not reported	10
Physics	Not reported	8
Mathematics	Not reported	7
Chemistry	Not reported	6
Philosophy	Not reported	6
International Relations and National Security Studies	Not reported	4
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General	Not reported	4
Economics	Not reported	3
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft	Not reported	3
Religion/Religious Studies	Not reported	3
Hospitality Administration/Management	Not reported	2
Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	Not reported	2
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies	Not reported	1
Biomedical/Medical Engineering	Not reported	1
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology	Not reported	Not reported
Agricultural Engineering	Not reported	Not reported
Pharmacology and Toxicology	Not reported	Not reported
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences	Not reported	Not reported

All 42 bachelor’s programs this college reported.

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