California Lutheran University
California Lutheran University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
California Lutheran University Featured Rankings
About California Lutheran University
According to Wikipedia, California Lutheran University is a private university in Thousand Oaks, California. It was founded in 1959 and is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, but is nonsectarian. It opened in 1960 as California Lutheran College and was California's first four-year liberal arts college and the first four-year private college in Ventura County. It changed its name to California Lutheran University on January 1, 1986.
California Lutheran University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,290 | 76% | 79% | 69% | 1240 | 27 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does California Lutheran University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $54,480 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $22,204 |
| 30K - 48K | $19,836 |
| 48K - 75K | $20,665 |
| 75K - 110K | $24,034 |
| 110K+ | $34,186 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do California Lutheran University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former California Lutheran University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $77,620 a year, and 94% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
California Lutheran University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 3,925 | 2,560 | 1,365 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is California Lutheran University?
California Lutheran University is located at 60 W Olsen Rd, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360-2787.
How Safe is California Lutheran University?
Like every college that receives federal student aid, California Lutheran University publishes an annual security report with its campus crime statistics and safety policies. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, California Lutheran University has a violent crime rate of 0.06% and a property crime rate of 0.09%. Thousand Oaks has a violent crime rate of 0.10% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 1.02%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is California Lutheran University Known For?
California Lutheran University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Sociology
- Criminal Justice
- Biology
- Earth Sciences
- History
- Philosophy
- Psychology
- Business
- Religious Studies
- Literature
- Political Science
- Communications
- Medical
- Economics
- Mathematics
- Computer Science
- Education
- Social Work
- Physics
- Chemistry
California Lutheran University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much California Lutheran University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
California Lutheran University ranks #524 in the U.S. and #1810 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesCalifornia Lutheran University ranks #563 in the U.S. and #1047 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesCalifornia Lutheran University ranks #699 in the U.S. and #3048 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesCalifornia Lutheran University ranks #710 in the U.S. and #2735 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesCalifornia Lutheran University ranks #736 in the U.S. and #2215 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesCalifornia Lutheran University ranks #786 in the U.S. and #2629 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesCalifornia Lutheran University ranks #844 in the U.S. and #2205 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesCalifornia Lutheran University ranks #907 in the U.S. and #3451 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesCalifornia Lutheran University ranks #1014 in the U.S. and #4785 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesCalifornia Lutheran University ranks #1019 in the U.S. and #3056 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesCalifornia Lutheran University ranks #1064 in the U.S. and #4597 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesCalifornia Lutheran University ranks #1100 in the U.S. and #4167 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesCalifornia Lutheran University ranks #1133 in the U.S. and #3889 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesCalifornia Lutheran University ranks #1169 in the U.S. and #6035 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesCalifornia Lutheran University ranks #1286 in the U.S. and #4949 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesCalifornia Lutheran University ranks #1309 in the U.S. and #5559 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesCalifornia Lutheran University ranks #1569 in the U.S. and #6178 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesCalifornia Lutheran University ranks #1809 in the U.S. and #4800 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesCalifornia Lutheran University ranks #1843 in the U.S. and #6628 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesCalifornia Lutheran University ranks #2338 in the U.S. and #7947 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesWho Are California Lutheran University's Most Influential Alumni?
California Lutheran University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Criminal Justice, Sociology, and Psychology. Here are some of California Lutheran University's most famous alumni:
