THOUSAND OAKS, CA. - California Lutheran University is ranked 18th on the 2011 U.S. News & World Report list of top schools in the West offering bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

CLU has placed among the top 20 Western Regional Universities for the past 16 years. For the first time, CLU made the list of “A-Plus Schools for B Students,” a designation that places the university among schools where “non-superstars” have a shot at being accepted and a chance to thrive.

The latest rankings were posted today on the U.S. News & World Report Web site at http://www.usnews.com and will be featured in the September edition of U.S. News & World Report magazine and the “2011 America’s Best Colleges” guidebook.

In the U.S. News report, CLU maintained a spot in the top tier of institutions in 15 Western states based on high scores in the categories measured. CLU’s overall score increased over its assessment last year. CLU’s selectivity continues to increase with improvements in freshman SAT scores as well as a decrease in the university’s acceptance rate. The “A-Plus” ranking lauds CLU’s average high school GPA of 3.6 and the fact that 69 percent of CLU freshmen are in the top 25 percent of their high school graduating class.

“These results show that we continue to build on our academic success,” said CLU President Chris Kimball. “Our emphasis on providing a high quality educational experience has enhanced our reputation among students and the higher education community.”

In Forbes.com’s America’s Best Colleges 2010 report released Aug. 11, CLU ranked 191st among all private and public undergraduate institutions in the United States, an improvement over its 2009 ranking of 210 and its 2008 ranking of 251. The Forbes report was compiled in conjunction with the Center for College Affordability and Productivity as an alternative to the U.S. News rankings. It uses different criteria and ranks institutions based on the quality of education they provide and students’ experience and achievements. It doesn’t break the rankings into subcategories. The report is available at http://www.forbes.com.

CLU is a selective liberal arts and sciences university located in Thousand Oaks, with centers in Oxnard and Woodland Hills. With an enrollment of about 3,500 students, CLU offers 36 undergraduate majors and several graduate programs within the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Business and School of Education. Doctoral degrees in educational leadership, higher education leadership and clinical psychology are also offered. Members of the CLU student body come from across the nation and around the world and represent a diversity of faiths and cultures. For more information, please visit http://www.callutheran.edu.