Cal Lutheran Begins 2024-25 Academic Year with New Students, Programs and Interim President

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Cal Lutheran Begins 2024-25 Academic Year with New Students, Programs and Interim President 

(THOUSAND OAKS, CALIF. — Aug. 22, 2024) California Lutheran University will welcome nearly 700 incoming first-time and transfer students on Aug. 26 for the 2024-2025 school year. These students are among the over 2,300 undergraduate and 1,020 graduate students at the 65-year-old university. This diverse student body demonstrates the school’s commitment to creating educational pathways for people of all backgrounds.

“It’s an exciting time to be at Cal Lutheran as we begin this academic year,” said Cal Lutheran Interim President John A. Nunes, Ph.D., who joined the university June 1. “I am animated by two things: the Cal Lutheran student body and our mission. Ours is a multiethnic student body, a significant percentage of whom are the first in their families to attend college. We are providing all our students with the tools they need for a rewarding career and a life of meaning.”

Of the first-time undergraduate students, 54% are students of color and 38% are the first in their families to attend college. A Hispanic-Serving Institution, Cal Lutheran’s incoming class has 251 Hispanic undergraduates, or 37%. The university has actively grown its Hispanic student population by reducing barriers that disproportionately affect traditionally underrepresented students.

Four percent of the incoming undergraduate class are international students. The Cal Lutheran student body hails from 40 states and 59 countries, representing a diversity of faiths and cultures. Nunes himself was an international student. Born in Montego Bay, Jamaica, and raised in Canada, he moved to the United States to attend Concordia University in Ann Arbor, Mich. 

Cal Lutheran also serves its students and the community by launching sought-after academic programs. A new data science bachelor’s degree begins this fall, along with museum studies added as a major within the history degree program. The popular communications degree program is expanding with additional majors.

Cal Lutheran is increasing its catalog of fully online courses in the bachelor’s degree programs and some graduate programs, making it more convenient for working students to pursue their education. A fully online sports management master’s degree also begins this fall.

A new program for transfer students is a two-year path to credentialing. It is within the liberal studies in education program and offers a bachelor’s degree. The credential program can be completed in one year so students can graduate with a bachelor’s degree and a multiple- or single-subject credential simultaneously at the end of their second year. It’s designed for students transferring to Cal Lutheran with an Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) in education or child development from a community college.

To learn more about course offerings or pursuing a degree at Cal Lutheran, visit CalLutheran.edu.

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About California Lutheran University: Founded in 1959 and formally recognized as a Hispanic-Serving Institution since 2016, California Lutheran University is home to over 2,300 undergraduate and 1,020 graduate students. Our students come from 59 countries and represent a wide spectrum of faiths and spirituality. Our dedicated, accomplished faculty teach in small classes, guiding our students as they grow into open-minded leaders who are strong in character and judgment, confident in identity and vocation, and committed to service and justice. Everyone at Cal Lutheran is committed to helping students pursue their passions, discover their purpose and transform their communities. Learn more at CalLutheran.edu.

Media Contacts

Tom Hoener
Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management

California Lutheran University

thoener@callutheran.edu

Sarene Wallace

PR Consultant

805-816-5616

sarenewallace@callutheran.edu

MEDIA NOTE: A photo of students in Kingsmen Park on the California Lutheran University campus is attached. Credit: Brittany App