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The real 4-year cost of California Lutheran University in California
Over the 15 years from 2008 to 2023, published tuition and required fees at California Lutheran University went from $27,850 to $50,670, an average of 3.5% a year.
2008–2027: history and projection
| Year | Published | Projected estimate | Estimate range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | $27,850 | – | – |
| 2009 | $29,230 | – | – |
| 2010 | $31,000 | – | – |
| 2011 | $32,860 | – | – |
| 2012 | $34,360 | – | – |
| 2013 | $35,720 | – | – |
| 2014 | $37,140 | – | – |
| 2015 | $38,430 | – | – |
| 2016 | $39,793 | – | – |
| 2017 | $41,363 | – | – |
| 2018 | $42,692 | – | – |
| 2019 | $44,382 | – | – |
| 2020 | $45,982 | – | – |
| 2021 | $45,982 | – | – |
| 2022 | $48,012 | – | – |
| 2023 | $50,670 | $50,670 | – |
| 2024 | – | $52,450 | $51,743–$53,156 |
| 2025 | – | $54,292 | $52,839–$55,764 |
| 2026 | – | $56,198 | $53,958–$58,500 |
| 2027 | – | $58,172 | $55,101–$61,370 |
If you pay full sticker
Projected tuition + fees, entering fall 2026.
| Year 1 | $56,198 |
| Year 2 | $58,172 |
| Year 3 | $60,215 |
| Year 4 | $62,330 |
| 4-year total | $236,915 |
Two aid scenarios
4-year out-of-pocket total.
- $10,000/yr flat scholarship
- $196,915
- Flat aid doesn't grow, so it covers less each year.
- 50%-of-tuition scholarship
- $120,304
- Percentage aid keeps pace with tuition.
On-campus housing & meals
Room & board (housing plus the standard meal plan), on top of tuition.
- Latest (2023)
- $17,734/ yr
- rising 4.1% / yr
- Projected 4-year add-on
- $84,914
Books & supplies typically add ~$1,200 a year (national median, not included).
Housing here is rising faster than tuition.
Run your own numbers
Enter your actual scholarship offer to see your real 4-year total.
See my 4-year cost at California Lutheran University4-year schools with similar prices in California
Closest to California Lutheran University by published tuition and fees. Similar sticker prices can still compound very differently.
- Dominican University of California$50,666
- Samuel Merritt University$50,934
- Menlo College$51,070
- Whittier College$49,864
- Art Center College of Design$51,640
- Westmont College$51,790
- University of La Verne$49,450
- Otis College of Art and Design$52,460
Use this data
Published figures for California Lutheran University from federal IPEDS data through 2023, free to download or embed with attribution. The embed stays current as the data updates.