California Lutheran University vs Occidental College

California Lutheran University and Occidental College, both esteemed institutions in Southern California, offer distinct educational experiences. Cal Lutheran, nestled in Thousand Oaks, boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for aspiring students. Occidental, situated in Los Angeles, attracts a more diverse student body, with a higher percentage of international students. While Cal Lutheran excels in nursing and business programs, Occidental shines in the social sciences and humanities. Both universities boast impressive graduation rates, ensuring that students are well-prepared for their future endeavors. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these institutions' unique strengths and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	California Lutheran University	Occidental College
Overview
Location	Thousand Oaks, California	Los Angeles, California
Campus setting	City: Midsize	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	83.0%	92.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Evangelical

Admission
Acceptance rate	81.9%	38.2%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $50	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $60
SAT range	1090 - 1290	1340 - 1490
ACT range	23 - 28	30 - 33
Students submitting SAT score	17.0%	29.0%
Students submitting ACT score	5.0%	22.0%
Total number of applicants	4,041	6,495
Total number of admissions given out	3,311	2,484
Admitted students who chose to enroll	492	535
Yield rate	14.9%	21.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$69,251	$77,878
Average net price	$24,065	$43,047
Tuition	$45,500	$57,830
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,130 Meal plan: $6,840	Room/dormitory: $9,512 Meal plan: $8,090
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	98.0% Average amount $30,924	100.0% Average amount $29,715
Students receiving federal student loan	53.0% Average amount $5,462	31.0% Average amount $4,603
Students taking out private loans	5.0% Average amount $23,023	17.0% Average amount $6,554

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,592 Men 46.8% Women 53.2%	1,964 Men 42.1% Women 57.9%
Graduate students	1,174 Men 38.3% Women 61.7%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	17.2%	62.5%
International students	6.1%	6.3%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,517	1,650
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	California Washington Hawaii Colorado Texas	California Washington New York Illinois Mississippi

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Education Communication and Journalism Computer and Information Science Kinesiology & Leisure Studies	Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences Physical Science Multidisciplinary Studies Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	14:1	9:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	73.8%	82.9%
Dropout rate	4.9%	4.1%
Transferred out	20.8%	12.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $95,459 Year 2: $108,092 Year 3: $110,763 Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $71,377 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $88,791 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $76,491 Year 2: $75,011 Year 3: $76,443 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,247 Year 2: $57,995 Year 3: $73,469 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,706 Year 2: $55,512 Year 3: $62,953 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $51,621 Year 2: $56,641 Year 3: $59,516 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $43,707 Year 2: $48,823 Year 3: $56,640 Public Administration (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $58,014 Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $55,305 Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,687 Year 2: $46,478 Year 3: $52,964 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,541 Year 2: $36,275 Year 3: $52,663	Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,544 Year 2: $55,078 Year 3: $63,231 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,360 Year 2: $37,779 Year 3: $49,843 International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,329 Year 2: $36,132 Year 3: $45,083 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,948 Year 2: $37,208 Year 3: $43,488 Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: N/A Year 3: $33,877 Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,967 Year 3: $31,152 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,035 Year 2: $26,933 Year 3: $31,095 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,916 Year 2: $30,047 Year 3: $30,729 Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $39,369 Year 3: N/A Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $15,793 Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: N/A

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.

California Lutheran University

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott