California Lutheran University vs Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU)

California Lutheran University and Point Loma Nazarene University, both located in Southern California, offer distinct educational experiences for prospective students. California Lutheran University, a private institution in Thousand Oaks, boasts a higher acceptance rate (75%) compared to Point Loma Nazarene University's 67%. While Point Loma Nazarene University, a private Christian university in San Diego, has a slightly larger student body, California Lutheran University offers a more diverse student population. Both universities excel in certain academic areas; California Lutheran University is known for its strong liberal arts and sciences programs, while Point Loma Nazarene University is recognized for its nursing and business programs. To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table highlighting key differences between these two institutions, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the table to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	California Lutheran University	Point Loma Nazarene University
Overview
Location	Thousand Oaks, California	San Diego, 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%	84.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Evangelical	Evangelical

Admission
Acceptance rate	81.9%	83.7%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $50	Undergraduate: $55 Graduate: $50
SAT range	1090 - 1290	1170 - 1350
ACT range	23 - 28	22 - 30
Students submitting SAT score	17.0%	15.0%
Students submitting ACT score	5.0%	10.0%
Total number of applicants	4,041	3,060
Total number of admissions given out	3,311	2,560
Admitted students who chose to enroll	492	662
Yield rate	14.9%	25.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$69,251	$62,642
Average net price	$24,065	$34,851
Tuition	$45,500	$38,800
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,130 Meal plan: $6,840	$11,300
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	98.0% Average amount $30,924	100.0% Average amount $18,365
Students receiving federal student loan	53.0% Average amount $5,462	45.0% Average amount $5,325
Students taking out private loans	5.0% Average amount $23,023	6.0% Average amount $22,040

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,592 Men 46.8% Women 53.2%	3,174 Men 34.3% Women 65.7%
Graduate students	1,174 Men 38.3% Women 61.7%	1,271 Men 29.2% Women 70.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	17.2%	26.3%
International students	6.1%	1.1%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,517	1,845
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	California Washington Hawaii Colorado Texas	California Washington Colorado Arizona Hawaii

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Education Communication and Journalism Computer and Information Science Kinesiology & Leisure Studies	Business Health Professions Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
Students to faculty ratio	14:1	15:1
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%	72.7%
Dropout rate	4.9%	3.8%
Transferred out	20.8%	22.9%
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	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $105,619 Year 2: $118,210 Year 3: $128,990 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $85,406 Year 2: $85,206 Year 3: $89,492 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,310 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $80,351 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $66,821 Year 3: $76,001 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $63,749 Year 3: $74,448 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,649 Year 2: $61,681 Year 3: $59,139 Business/Corporate Communications (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,198 Year 2: $40,402 Year 3: $43,339 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,184 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $43,147 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,147 Year 2: $32,925 Year 3: $41,978 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,647 Year 2: $30,228 Year 3: $35,103

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California Lutheran University vs Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU)

California Lutheran University

Point Loma Nazarene University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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