Quad

Head-to-head

Manhattan
California Lutheran

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Manhattan grads earn $17.6K more ten years out than California Lutheran's ($86,316 vs. $68,712)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  2. 2

    California Lutheran has 10 pts more first-gen students than Manhattan (35% vs. 25%)

    First-generation students
  3. 3

    Manhattan has 5 pts more Pell recipients than California Lutheran (36% vs. 31%)

    Pell Grant recipients
  4. 4

    California Lutheran's yield is 3 pts higher than Manhattan's

    Yield rate
  5. 5

    Manhattan's SAT midpoint is 29 points higher than California Lutheran's

    SAT midpoint
  6. 6

    Manhattan is a bit larger (2,744 vs. 2,296)

    Undergrads

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Who's hardest to get into

California Lutheran admits 76%, Manhattan 79%; California Lutheran's yield is higher, at 11%.

Acceptance rate
Manhattan79%
California Lutheran76%
Quad's selectivity
  • ManhattanAccessible
  • California LutheranAccessible
SAT middle 50%Axis 1000–1600
Manhattan
1180–1358
California Lutheran
1150–1330
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • ManhattanGPA and school record required48%
  • California LutheranGPA very important50%

Who's on each campus

Manhattan is a bit larger than California Lutheran (2,744 vs. 2,296 undergrads) and has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Manhattan2.7K
California Lutheran2.3K
Pell Grant share
Manhattan36%
California Lutheran31%

Majors and faculty

Civil Engineering leads at Manhattan, and Psychology at California Lutheran; California Lutheran has 13 students per faculty member to Manhattan's 15.

Students per faculty member
Manhattan15 to 1
California Lutheran13 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • ManhattanCivil Engineering, General11%
  • California LutheranPsychology, General13%

What each costs

Manhattan and California Lutheran cost about the same a year on average; California Lutheran's grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Manhattan$38.5K
California Lutheran$37.7K
Aid generosity
Manhattan47%
California Lutheran49%

What each pays off

Manhattan's former students earn more, a median $86.3K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 70% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
Manhattan$86.3K
California Lutheran$68.7K
Graduation rate
Manhattan75%
California Lutheran76%

How each has changed

Applications grew at Manhattan but held steady at California Lutheran; both got less selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • ManhattanGrowing+21%
  • California LutheranSteady−7%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;Manhattan University Common Data Set 2018–19, Fall 2018;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018;California Lutheran University Common Data Set 2017–18, Fall 2017About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why