LMU-LA vs California Lutheran University

Loyola Marymount University and California Lutheran University, both esteemed institutions in Southern California, offer distinct educational experiences. LMU, a Jesuit Catholic university, boasts a 53% acceptance rate, while CLU, a private Lutheran university, has a slightly higher acceptance rate of 60%. LMU's student body is more diverse, with 48% identifying as non-white compared to CLU's 38%. Both universities offer a range of popular majors, including business, psychology, and biology, but LMU has a stronger emphasis on the arts and humanities. LMU also has a higher graduation rate, with 82% of students completing their degrees within six years compared to CLU's 76%. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more key differences and make an informed decision about which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
California Lutheran University logo

California Lutheran University

Loyola Marymount University logo

Loyola Marymount University

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% 90.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Evangelical Catholic

Admission

Acceptance rate 81.9% 45.8%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $25

Graduate: $50
Undergraduate: $60

Graduate: $50
SAT range 1090 - 1290 1250 - 1420
ACT range 23 - 28 28 - 32
Students submitting SAT score 17.0% 18.0%
Students submitting ACT score 5.0% 14.0%
Total number of applicants 4,041 19,045
Total number of admissions given out 3,311 8,727
Admitted students who chose to enroll 492 1,610
Yield rate 14.9% 18.4%
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 $76,665
Average net price $24,065 $40,180
Tuition $45,500 $52,310
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $8,130

Meal plan: $6,840
$16,474
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 $19,651
Students receiving federal student loan 53.0%
Average amount $5,462
33.0%
Average amount $5,128
Students taking out private loans 5.0%
Average amount $23,023
13.0%
Average amount $7,027

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 2,592
Men 46.8% Women 53.2%
7,127
Men 46.5% Women 53.5%
Graduate students 1,174
Men 38.3% Women 61.7%
3,057
Men 37.6% Women 62.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 17.2% 37.2%
International students 6.1% 9.7%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize City: Large
Dormitory capacity 1,517 3,685
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 Illinois Colorado Texas

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Education
  • Communication and Journalism
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Business
  • Education
  • Legal Profession
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Engineering
Students to faculty ratio 14:1 11:1
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% 78.8%
Dropout rate 4.9% 20.8%
Transferred out 20.8% N/A
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
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $107,439
  • Year 2: $95,739
  • Year 3: $104,060
Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $108,666
  • Year 2: $93,646
  • Year 3: $99,019
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,187
  • Year 2: $64,493
  • Year 3: $89,875
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $77,487
  • Year 3: $83,365
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,189
  • Year 2: $67,240
  • Year 3: $80,053
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,511
  • Year 2: $60,358
  • Year 3: $74,483
Educational Administration and Supervision (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $76,460
  • Year 3: $73,656
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,425
  • Year 2: $57,318
  • Year 3: $68,960
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,449
  • Year 2: $58,360
  • Year 3: $68,244
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $54,862
  • Year 2: $55,693
  • Year 3: $62,746

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