California Lutheran University vs. UCSB

Should I go to California Lutheran University or University of California Santa Barbara? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if California Lutheran University or UCSB 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 Santa Barbara comparison
California Lutheran University University of California Santa Barbara College 3 College 4
California Lutheran University University of California Santa Barbara
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Overview

California Lutheran University UCSB
Location Thousand Oaks, CA Santa Barbara, CA
Setting Midsize City Midsize Suburban
Enrollment 3,615 26,420
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #347 #109
Religious Affiliation Evangelical Lutheran Church - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website callutheran.edu ucsb.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

California Lutheran University UCSB
Tuition (In State) $47,500 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $47,500 $41,636
Room & Board $15,490 $16,883
Avg Net Price $30,416 $16,874
Avg Grant Aid $30,597 $20,389
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 53%

Admission

California Lutheran University UCSB
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,150 110,995
Admitted 4,490 28,688
Acceptance Rate 87.2% 25.8%
Enrolled % 13.4% 17.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.73 3.82
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Exceptional
Applicant Competition High
ACT Range 26/30 28/34
SAT Range 1150/1320 1230/1460
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, 2025 Nov 30, 2024

Academics

California Lutheran University UCSB
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (27%)
  • Communication (13%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)

Outcomes

California Lutheran University UCSB
Graduation Rate 64% 80%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $57,900 $59,000
Making Student Loan Payments 70% 73%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,000 $16,451
Median Loan Payment $237 $170

Diversity

California Lutheran University UCSB
% Men 43% 45%
% Women 57% 55%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 49% 35%
% Black 4% 2%
% Hispanic 27% 26%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 8%
% International 4% 7%
% Unknown Race 4% 3%

Students

California Lutheran University UCSB
% In-State 80% 78%
% Out-of-State 17% 10%

Campus

California Lutheran University UCSB
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 Santa Barbara is larger than than California Lutheran University based on total student enrollment (26,420 students vs. 3,615 students)

California Lutheran University vs. UCSB Cost Comparison

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

  • California Lutheran University is 310.8% more expensive to attend than UCSB for in-state tuition ($47,500.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 14.1% higher at California Lutheran University than University of California Santa Barbara ($47,500.00 vs. $41,636.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Santa Barbara than California Lutheran University ($16,874 vs. $30,416)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California Lutheran University are 9% lower than costs at University of California Santa Barbara ($15,490 vs. $16,883)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California Lutheran University than University of California Santa Barbara (99% vs. 53%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California Lutheran University students is 50.1% larger than aid received University of California Santa Barbara ($30,597 vs. $20,389)

California Lutheran University vs. UCSB Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Santa Barbara (1248) is 139 points higher than at California Lutheran University (1109)
  • Incoming UCSB students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at California Lutheran University (25)
  • Accepted freshman UCSB 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 (87.2%) than UCSB (25.8%)

California Lutheran University vs. UCSB Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, California Lutheran University or UCSB? 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 UCSB and California Lutheran University.

  • The graduation rate at UCSB is higher than California Lutheran University (80% vs. 64%)
  • Graduates from University of California Santa Barbara earn on average $1,100 more per year than California Lutheran University graduates after ten years. ($59,000 vs. $57,900)
  • University of California Santa Barbara students graduate with a $6,549 lower median federal student loan debt than California Lutheran University graduates. ($16,451 vs. $23,000)
  • UCSB graduates are paying $67 less per month on federal student loans than California Lutheran University graduates. ($170 vs. $237)
  • More UCSB graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California Lutheran University students, three years after graduation. (73% vs. 70%)

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