California Lutheran University vs Colby College

California Lutheran University and Colby College, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. California Lutheran University, nestled in the vibrant city of Thousand Oaks, California, boasts an acceptance rate of 75%, while Colby College, located in the picturesque town of Waterville, Maine, maintains a highly selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 13%. Both universities offer a diverse range of academic programs, with California Lutheran University excelling in popular majors like Business, Communication, and Psychology, and Colby College excelling in majors like Economics, Government, and Biology. California Lutheran University's student body is predominantly composed of undergraduates, while Colby College has a significant graduate student population. With graduation rates of 79% and 93% respectively, both universities prioritize student success and provide ample resources to support their students' academic journeys. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve deeper into the unique characteristics of each institution and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
California Lutheran University logo

California Lutheran University

Colby College logo

Colby College

Overview

Location Thousand Oaks, California Waterville, Maine
Campus setting City: Midsize Town: Remote
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester 4-1-4
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate
Students retention rate 83.0% 95.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Evangelical

Admission

Acceptance rate 81.9% 8.9%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $25

Graduate: $50
SAT range 1090 - 1290 1400 - 1530
ACT range 23 - 28 32 - 34
Students submitting SAT score 17.0% 40.0%
Students submitting ACT score 5.0% 28.0%
Total number of applicants 4,041 15,857
Total number of admissions given out 3,311 1,407
Admitted students who chose to enroll 492 667
Yield rate 14.9% 47.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Not 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 $68,825
Average net price $24,065 $17,912
Tuition $45,500 $58,640
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $8,130

Meal plan: $6,840
Room/dormitory: $8,150

Meal plan: $7,595
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

98.0%
Average amount $30,924
39.0%
Average amount $58,513
Students receiving federal student loan 53.0%
Average amount $5,462
8.0%
Average amount $5,140
Students taking out private loans 5.0%
Average amount $23,023
1.0%
Average amount $18,242

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 2,592
Men 46.8% Women 53.2%
2,262
Men 47.1% Women 52.9%
Graduate students 1,174
Men 38.3% Women 61.7%
N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Low
Out-of-state students 17.2% N/A
International students 6.1% 9.5%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity 1,517 2,242
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 N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Education
  • Communication and Journalism
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Social Sciences
  • Psychology
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Natural Resources and Conservation
Students to faculty ratio 14:1 10:1
Institutional accreditation Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 73.8% 86.6%
Dropout rate 4.9% 5.7%
Transferred out 20.8% 7.5%
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
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,540
  • Year 2: $57,995
  • Year 3: $83,980
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,972
  • Year 2: $47,118
  • Year 3: $55,529
International/Global Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $44,350
  • Year 2: $42,682
  • Year 3: $53,638
Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $33,993
  • Year 3: $42,883
Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,156
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $40,423
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $44,612
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $41,193
  • Year 3: N/A
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $30,771
  • Year 3: N/A
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $38,289
  • Year 3: N/A
Anthropology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $44,971
  • Year 3: N/A

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