Top Ten List
Amazing Professors
From your freshman year forward, you will be in the classroom with only professors - never teaching assistants. These professors choose to teach at CLU because of its emphasis on personalized learning and their desire to be involved in the lives of their students. They also serve as academic advisors in helping students plan a four-year journey through the curriculum.
A Tightly Knit Community of Students
CLU students come from all areas of California, from 25 other states and 30 foreign countries. While most students enter CLU with strong academic records and solid SAT scores, the typical CLU student is one who has balanced academic work with involvement outside the classroom. CLU students come here to be active participants in their own education, not merely spectators.
Thousand Oaks and Ventura County
It's hard to imagine a place more perfect than Thousand Oaks. The city of Thousand Oaks is home to approximately 127,000 people. According to annual FBI ratings, Thousand Oaks is one of the safest cities in America with populations over 100,000 (our neighbor city, Simi Valley, is also at the top of the list). Perfectly situated in Ventura County about 12 miles from the Pacific Ocean, Thousand Oaks is roughly halfway between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles. Air quality is consistently the best in the region because of our proximity to the coast and the marine breezes. We get 330 days of sunshine each year, and a median year-round temperature of 70 degrees. Regardless of what you choose to do, you won't find a more temperate climate or a more ideal campus location.
Undergirded by Faith
The community at CLU is designed to encourage students of all faiths to explore issues related to spirituality as they gain independence and begin to make important life decisions that impact their vocational choices and their development as contributing members of society. We strive not only to provide opportunities for direct involvement but also to assist our students, faculty and staff in developing their spiritual growth as part of their educational experience. It is important and intentional that all of these opportunities are made available for voluntary participation, since it is our philosophy that students need to be making independent choices.
Academic Achievement Leading to a Highly Marketable Degree
CLU's academic curriculum, with its emphasis on integrated studies, trains students to think critically and understand how ideas are connected. Students are encouraged to blend their studies with professional experience through internships, giving them savvy and expertise as they move into their chosen fields. Students take only four years to graduate. Recruiters for dozens of businesses and organizations visit campus each spring, hoping to employ talented new Cal Lutheran graduates. Many CLU grads choose to pursue graduate studies; others are hired into career jobs right away. The overall placement rate for our grads is 98% within three months of graduation. Whatever your aspirations, CLU's Career Services Office can help you springboard into post-undergraduate life.
Outstanding Residence Halls
Our 12 outstanding residence halls were designed with students in mind. Because 85% of one's time is spent outside the classroom, it's important that when a student goes "home" to their residence hall they FEEL at home. All but one of our halls have rooms configured as suites: two bedrooms, a large living room, a private bathroom, tons of closet space. Each suite also includes a phone line with voice mail for each student, access to our campus computing network, heating and air conditioning, and cable TV. In short, our halls are a great place to live and make your home while you are away from home.
36 Undergraduate Majors and 31 Minors
You'll have a huge array of options within the academic program. You can choose from a spectrum of scholastic studies that range from ancient Greek to the high-tech major of Multimedia. CLU's largest major is Business Administration followed closely by Education, Psychology, Communication and Biology. Whatever your interests, there is a program suited to your goals. See Academic Majors for details
Balance and Diversity
About 22% of our students come from traditionally underrepresented ethnic populations, and around 8% of our students come from overseas. CLU is very religiously diverse as well - students representing more than 30 different Christian denominations and faith backgrounds attend CLU. About 26% of our students are Lutheran; about 21% come from the Catholic background. A great emphasis is placed on the student's ability to make choices - in matters of both faith and reason - to achieve balance at CLU.
Opportunities for Involvement
From our campus clubs and organizations to intramural athletics, it's almost impossible not to get involved! Students can involve themselves to whatever degree they choose. At CLU, it is possible to do it all - play intercollegiate soccer, act in plays, sing in choir, run for student government, study in Washington, D.C., or abroad, work in professional internships and, oh-by-the-way, attend to your studies - all while still graduating in four years.
High Value at a Reasonable Cost
If you are comparing CLU to other selective private institutions, you'll see a significant difference when it comes to cost. More than 80% of all CLU undergraduates receive financial aid. Merit scholarships, grants, work/study and student loans can be awarded after a student files the FAFSA form. CLU financial aid is described in further detail under Related Topics.
