Welcome to Cal Lutheran.
Founded in 1959 and formally recognized as a Hispanic-Serving Institution since 2016, California Lutheran University is home to 2,513 undergraduate and 1,102 graduate students. Our students come from 59 countries and represent a wide spectrum of faith and spirituality.
Our dedicated, accomplished faculty works with small classes of students who are open-minded — about ideas, about people, and about faith — and are seeking to grow as individuals.
Both in and out of the classroom, everyone at Cal Lutheran is committed to helping each student pursue their passions to discover their purpose, and by following that purpose, transform their community — and the world.
Schools & Colleges
Degrees & Programs
Through our traditional undergraduate degrees, we offer 40 majors and 43 minors at the bachelor's level.
Our flexible Bachelor's Degree for Professionals is designed to meet the needs of returning adult students.
Our specialized graduate schools offer graduate degrees, credentials, and certificates in a range of professional fields.
Get to Know Cal Lutheran
We provide a liberal arts education that centers on serving all students.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Diversity is essential to academic rigor, decision-making, social enrichment, and spiritual growth — and these multiple perspectives are key to the fulfillment of our mission.
Hispanic-Serving Initiatives
Hispanic-Serving Initiatives (HSI) empower Cal Lutheran students by encouraging practices that are fundamental to global leadership and integral to our university mission.
The Arts
The visual and performing arts have been a vital part of Cal Lutheran since our university was founded in 1959. Learn about our upcoming arts events with information on how to attend.
Facts at a Glance
The mission of the university is to educate leaders for a global society who are strong in character and judgment, confident in their identity and vocation, and committed to service and justice.
The Lutheran Experience
Simply put, everyone is welcome here. Our students come from more than 59 countries and 30 different denominations and faith backgrounds. No one is an outsider — this is a place for everyone.
Office of the President
Lori E. Varlotta, PhD, became California Lutheran University’s eighth president on September 1, 2020. She is the first female president since Cal Lutheran was founded in 1959.
Looking for the latest updates? Check out News and Events.
Want to join our team? Apply for Careers at Cal Lutheran.
Cal Lutheran's main 225-acre Thousand Oaks campus (located between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara) is complemented by satellite centers in Oxnard, Santa Maria and Westlake Village.
Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, located in Berkeley, California, is one of eight seminaries of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and a founding member of the Graduate Theological Union.
Land
Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that California Lutheran University resides on the traditional territory of the Chumash, Fernandeño Tataviam, and Muwekma Ohlone people, who trace their ancestry through the San Fernando Valley, Malibu, Paso Robles, and San Francisco area.
We remember their connection to this region and give thanks for the opportunity to live, work, learn and pray on their traditional homeland. In their footsteps we carry forward their tradition of coming together to grow as a community. We offer our respect to their Elders and to all Chumash, Fernandeño Tataviam, and Muwekma Ohlone people past and present.