Concordia University -- Irvine

CUI & you

At Concordia University Irvine, we understand that you are many things: you may be a scholar & a seeker, an athlete & a musician, an artist & a scientist, a leader & a learner. We are a place that values those—and many other—&s. 

We believe that & is an important intersection, a place for you to identify your passions & begin to understand where they meet the world’s needs. As a Lutheran Christian university, we call that a vocation or calling, & we know that you have more than one. 

Here you will have the freedom & the guidance to pursue all of the &s to which you were called. We’ll show you how to be an expert & a generalist. We’ll teach you to know deeply & understand broadly. We will give you the space, mentorship & experiences necessary to explore what interests you & why, & help you identify the places where you want to dig deeper.

How do we do it?

Enduring Questions & Ideas

At Concordia University Irvine, we’re interested in asking questions that generate ideas—discussions, debates, launching-off points—helping you form habits of intellectual engagement that will not just prepare you for the rest of college, but for the rest of your life. 

That’s why the liberal arts exist, and that’s why we call our signature curriculum Enduring Questions & Ideas (Q&I for short). And that’s why our students rank in the top 10% of students in the country on almost every major indicator in the National Survey of Student Engagement, all linked closely to what employers cite as desirable career skills. 

Our academic programs
But it’s not just Q&I at CUI. It’s also our more than 90 competitive academic programs that help prepare you for the rest of your life, including our distinctive Around-the-World Semester^®, in which our students spend a semester abroad in 10 countries.

Grace Alone, Faith Alone
Our Grace Alone, Faith Alone student experience means you’ll have the freedom, support, and opportunity to explore your faith and worship alongside committed Christian faculty and staff members. But you won’t be required to do so. 

Our location
CUI’s campus is located six miles from the Pacific Ocean in the city of Irvine, California, consistently ranked as one of the safest and most desirable cities in which to live in America. Located between two nature reserves and sitting high on a hilltop with views for miles, CUI’s 75-acre campus has first-rate athletic fields, high-tech classrooms, and spacious residence halls set among rolling lawns.