University of San Francisco vs California Lutheran University

Nestled in the heart of San Francisco and Thousand Oaks, California, University of San Francisco (USF) and California Lutheran University (CLU) stand as two distinct beacons of higher education. USF, a private Jesuit university, boasts a vibrant urban campus and a diverse student body, while CLU, a private Lutheran university, offers a serene suburban setting and a strong emphasis on liberal arts. With acceptance rates of 69% and 75%, respectively, both universities welcome a substantial number of applicants each year. While USF's student body is more diverse, with 44% of undergraduates identifying as students of color, CLU's student body is predominantly White (69%). Explore the comparison table below to delve into further details about these universities, including popular majors, graduation rates, and additional factors that may influence your decision.
California Lutheran University logo

California Lutheran University

University of San Francisco logo

University of San Francisco

Overview

Location Thousand Oaks, California San Francisco, 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% 86.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Evangelical Catholic

Admission

Acceptance rate 81.9% 70.9%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $25

Graduate: $50
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $55
SAT range 1090 - 1290 1190 - 1390
ACT range 23 - 28 26 - 31
Students submitting SAT score 17.0% 17.0%
Students submitting ACT score 5.0% 11.0%
Total number of applicants 4,041 22,372
Total number of admissions given out 3,311 15,867
Admitted students who chose to enroll 492 1,452
Yield rate 14.9% 9.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $69,251 $75,232
Average net price $24,065 $39,825
Tuition $45,500 $52,920
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $8,130

Meal plan: $6,840
Room/dormitory: $11,030

Meal plan: $5,110
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

98.0%
Average amount $30,924
92.0%
Average amount $31,112
Students receiving federal student loan 53.0%
Average amount $5,462
47.0%
Average amount $5,182
Students taking out private loans 5.0%
Average amount $23,023
6.0%
Average amount $23,306

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 2,592
Men 46.8% Women 53.2%
5,969
Men 35.6% Women 64.4%
Graduate students 1,174
Men 38.3% Women 61.7%
4,065
Men 34.0% Women 66.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 17.2% 35.6%
International students 6.1% 12.9%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize City: Large
Dormitory capacity 1,517 2,800
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 Oregon Texas Hawaii

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Education
  • Communication and Journalism
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Health Professions
  • Psychology
  • Education
  • Business
  • Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio 14:1 13:1
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% 75.6%
Dropout rate 4.9% 7.8%
Transferred out 20.8% 16.4%
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
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $154,879
  • Year 2: $175,674
  • Year 3: $161,396
Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $103,844
  • Year 2: $91,744
  • Year 3: $130,019
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $117,274
  • Year 2: $122,038
  • Year 3: $127,016
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $91,668
  • Year 2: $100,292
  • Year 3: $112,643
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $101,719
  • Year 2: $96,866
  • Year 3: $106,157
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $97,959
  • Year 3: $105,769
Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $71,015
  • Year 3: $103,513
Public Administration (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $76,025
  • Year 2: $79,284
  • Year 3: $95,947
Law (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $57,019
  • Year 2: $67,101
  • Year 3: $85,917
Economics (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,064
  • Year 2: $67,660
  • Year 3: $78,626

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