California Lutheran University vs. UCSD

Should I go to California Lutheran University or University of California San Diego? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if California Lutheran University or UCSD is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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California Lutheran University vs. University of California San Diego comparison
California Lutheran University University of California San Diego College 3 College 4
California Lutheran University University of California San Diego
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Overview

California Lutheran University UCSD
Location Thousand Oaks, CA La Jolla, CA
Setting Midsize City Large City
Enrollment 3,413 42,376
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #359 #88
Religious Affiliation Evangelical Lutheran Church - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website callutheran.edu ucsd.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

California Lutheran University UCSD
Tuition (In State) $49,880 $11,834
Tuition (Out of State) $49,880 $42,611
Room & Board $17,734 $17,198
Avg Net Price $27,080 $13,293
Avg Grant Aid $36,687 $24,176
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 64%

Admission

California Lutheran University UCSD
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,290 130,771
Admitted 4,702 32,062
Acceptance Rate 88.9% 24.5%
Enrolled % 12.2% 21.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.73 3.82
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Exceptional
Applicant Competition High
ACT Range 23/29 28/34
SAT Range 1134/1320 1270/1480
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Jan 1, 2026 Nov 30, 2025

Academics

California Lutheran University UCSD
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (27%)
  • Communication (13%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Biology (23%)
  • Social Sciences (21%)
  • Engineering (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • General Studies (7%)

Outcomes

California Lutheran University UCSD
Graduation Rate 64% 85%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $57,900 $67,900
Making Student Loan Payments 70% 82%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,000 $18,500
Median Loan Payment $237 $191

Diversity

California Lutheran University UCSD
% Men 10% 11%
% Women 20% 9%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 49% 21%
% Black 4% 1%
% Hispanic 27% 16%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 5%
% International 4% 17%
% Unknown Race 4% 2%

Students

California Lutheran University UCSD
% In-State 80% 79%
% Out-of-State 16% 10%

Campus

California Lutheran University UCSD
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of California San Diego is larger than than California Lutheran University based on total student enrollment (42,376 students vs. 3,413 students)

California Lutheran University vs. UCSD Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, California Lutheran University or UCSD?

  • California Lutheran University is 321.5% more expensive to attend than UCSD for in-state tuition ($49,880.00 vs. $11,834.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 17.1% higher at California Lutheran University than University of California San Diego ($49,880.00 vs. $42,611.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California San Diego than California Lutheran University ($13,293 vs. $27,080)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California San Diego are 3.1% lower than costs at California Lutheran University ($17,198 vs. $17,734)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California Lutheran University than University of California San Diego (100% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California Lutheran University students is 51.7% larger than aid received University of California San Diego ($36,687 vs. $24,176)

California Lutheran University vs. UCSD Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, California Lutheran University or UCSD? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between UCSD or California Lutheran University .

  • The average SAT score at University of California San Diego (1344) is 235 points higher than at California Lutheran University (1109)
  • Incoming UCSD students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at California Lutheran University (25)
  • Accepted freshman UCSD students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (3.82) than students at California Lutheran University (3.73)
  • California Lutheran University has a higher acceptance rate (88.9%) than UCSD (24.5%)

California Lutheran University vs. UCSD Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, California Lutheran University or UCSD? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between UCSD and California Lutheran University.

  • The graduation rate at UCSD is higher than California Lutheran University (85% vs. 64%)
  • Graduates from University of California San Diego earn on average $10,000 more per year than California Lutheran University graduates after ten years. ($67,900 vs. $57,900)
  • University of California San Diego students graduate with a $4,500 lower median federal student loan debt than California Lutheran University graduates. ($18,500 vs. $23,000)
  • UCSD graduates are paying $46 less per month on federal student loans than California Lutheran University graduates. ($191 vs. $237)
  • More UCSD graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California Lutheran University students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 70%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/