California Lutheran University vs St. Bona

California Lutheran University and St. Bonaventure University, both private institutions with rich histories, offer distinct educational experiences. California Lutheran University, located in Thousand Oaks, California, boasts a higher acceptance rate (75%) compared to St. Bonaventure University's 67% in Allegany, New York. While St. Bonaventure University has a slightly larger student body, California Lutheran University offers a more diverse student population. Both universities excel in different areas of study; California Lutheran University is known for its strong liberal arts and sciences programs, while St. Bonaventure University is recognized for its business and healthcare programs. With comparable graduation rates, both universities provide students with the necessary tools and support to succeed in their academic pursuits. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover which university better aligns with your academic goals and personal preferences.

	California Lutheran University	St Bonaventure University
Overview
Location	Thousand Oaks, California	Saint Bonaventure, New York
Campus setting	City: Midsize	Town: Remote
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%	73.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation	Evangelical	Catholic

Admission
Acceptance rate	81.9%	78.1%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $50
SAT range	1090 - 1290	1070 - 1270
ACT range	23 - 28	21 - 27
Students submitting SAT score	17.0%	41.0%
Students submitting ACT score	5.0%	9.0%
Total number of applicants	4,041	3,330
Total number of admissions given out	3,311	2,601
Admitted students who chose to enroll	492	485
Yield rate	14.9%	18.6%
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	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$69,251	$54,165
Average net price	$24,065	$25,533
Tuition	$45,500	$36,520
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,130 Meal plan: $6,840	Room/dormitory: $7,716 Meal plan: $6,760
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	98.0% Average amount $30,924	99.0% Average amount $27,107
Students receiving federal student loan	53.0% Average amount $5,462	93.0% Average amount $5,696
Students taking out private loans	5.0% Average amount $23,023	17.0% Average amount $14,690

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,592 Men 46.8% Women 53.2%	1,796 Men 54.6% Women 45.4%
Graduate students	1,174 Men 38.3% Women 61.7%	798 Men 36.8% Women 63.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	17.2%	21.9%
International students	6.1%	3.4%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	1,517	1,623
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	New York Pennsylvania Ohio New Jersey Connecticut

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Education Communication and Journalism Computer and Information Science Kinesiology & Leisure Studies	Business Education Communication and Journalism Computer and Information Science Health Professions
Students to faculty ratio	14:1	11:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	73.8%	71.0%
Dropout rate	4.9%	2.0%
Transferred out	20.8%	26.9%
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	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $51,985 Year 2: $54,401 Year 3: $64,283 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $52,077 Year 2: $52,941 Year 3: $60,525 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $49,962 Year 3: $55,063 Journalism (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $52,027 Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $51,159 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $39,009 Year 3: $50,294 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,084 Year 2: $42,363 Year 3: $48,208 Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $45,243 Year 2: $46,673 Year 3: $47,770 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,356 Year 2: $38,829 Year 3: $47,537 Radio, Television, and Digital Communication (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,817 Year 2: $35,274 Year 3: $43,595 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $38,690 Year 2: $39,074 Year 3: $42,463

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