Every day, Cal Lutheran students chase bold ideas, discover new passions, and prepare to make a difference in the world. That impact begins with you.
Join us in lifting our students, igniting their potential, and building a Cal Lutheran where dreams take flight every day.
Facts at a Glance
Founded in 1959, California Lutheran University is a private liberal arts institution based in Thousand Oaks, California.
Designated a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education, Cal Lutheran attracts students to its undergraduate and graduate programs from across the nation and around the world with diverse backgrounds, cultures and faiths.
Total Students
Alumni
Countries Represented
Student Clubs
Avg. Class Size
Employed or in grad school within 9 months
Did you know?
Cal Lutheran is ranked as a Top 10 Best Value School among Regional Universities in the West.
U.S. News & World Report, 2025
Our Mission
The mission of the university is to educate leaders for a global society who are strong
in character and judgment, confident in identity and vocation, and committed to service
and justice.
Our Values
Grateful
We honor with deep gratitude the gifts of this university and the land on which it stands.
Inclusive
We celebrate diversity and actively foster a welcoming environment for everyone.
Curious
We pursue knowledge thoughtfully, recognizing the importance of how we ask questions and share what we learn.
Grateful
We honor with deep gratitude the gifts of this university and the land on which it stands.
Inclusive
We celebrate diversity and actively foster a welcoming environment for everyone.
Curious
We pursue knowledge thoughtfully, recognizing the importance of how we ask questions and share what we learn.
What We Believe
Informed by Lutheran higher education’s deep roots, we recognize the dignity of every person and their unique gifts as essential to the common good. We cultivate an environment where learning is both rooted in tradition and open to change, fostering curiosity, humility and the courage to address societal challenges.
Education at Cal Lutheran is a communal endeavor—one that calls us to give and receive in ways that build an inclusive and equitable society. We acknowledge the limits of our knowledge, yet remain steadfast in our pursuit of wisdom, justice, and the flourishing of all.
Our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, justice and belonging is an extension of our faith-driven call to love and serve our neighbors.
In doing so, we prepare students not just for their careers, but for meaningful lives of advocacy, leadership, and purpose in an ever-changing world.
About Cal Lutheran
California Lutheran University has seen remarkable growth since its founding in 1959. The university keeps pace with the changing needs of students while remaining true to its mission: to educate leaders for a global society who are strong in character and judgment, confident in identity and vocation, and committed to service and justice. Our Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) designation demonstrates the university’s commitment to living out its mission within the changing context of student demographics.
The 225-acre main campus in Thousand Oaks is home to a dynamic liberal arts and sciences university with over 3,100 undergraduate and graduate students who represent a diversity of faiths and cultures. Cal Lutheran has other locations in Westlake Village, Oxnard and Santa Maria, as well as Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley.
Cal Lutheran offers undergraduate, graduate and professional programs through the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Management, Graduate School of Education, Graduate School of Psychology, School for Professional and Continuing Studies and Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary. Forty-four majors and 46 minors are offered in the traditional undergraduate program.
