Regional university
#2 Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in WashingtonPacific Lutheran University
Tacoma, WA · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $19,589 a year
Median debt at graduation: $22,578 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best colleges for criminal justice in America#151 of 1,046
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in America#109 of 681
- Best colleges for social work in America#117 of 605
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in America#188 of 950
- Best value colleges in America#135 of 674
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in America#140 of 690
Show 6 more
- Best colleges for nursing in America#230 of 1,068
- Best colleges for accounting in America#245 of 1,132
- Best colleges for business in America#360 of 1,563
- Best colleges for education in America#312 of 1,318
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#441 of 1,829
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in America#306 of 1,238
In Washington
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in Washington#2 of 13
- Best value colleges in Washington#3 of 13
- Best value colleges in the West in Washington#3 of 13
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in Washington#3 of 13
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in Washington#3 of 13
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in Washington#3 of 13
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.69%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.82%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,168 · ACT 25
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.12 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$12,280
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $62,459 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 2,393 |
|---|---|
| Men and women Undergraduates, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) | Men 36% · Women 64% |
| First-generation students Share of students who are first-generation, by the College Scorecard’s definition | 30% |
| First-year students from another state Of first-time students whose home is a U.S. state, fall 2023 (IPEDS) | 13% |
| Total students | 2,737 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $19,589 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $62,459 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $22,578 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 69% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard) | 69% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard) | 68% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years Borrowers who repaid at least $1 of principal within 3 years (College Scorecard) | 75% |
| First-year retention | 82% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $66,990 |
| Admission rate | 78% |
| Application fee Undergraduate application fee, 2023–24 (IPEDS) | No application fee |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 35% |
| Average SAT | 1168 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 540–660 |
| SAT math | 500–600 |
| ACT composite | 22–28 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Very good · Top 24% (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Computing and information science | |
| Nursing | |
| Mathematics | |
| Business administration | |
| Political science | |
| Social work | |
| Teacher education | |
| Chemistry | |
| Sociology | |
| Geology and earth science | |
| Communication studies | |
| Interdisciplinary studies | |
| Psychology | |
| Biology | |
| Kinesiology and exercise science | |
| Theatre | |
| History | |
| Fine arts |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Accounting, Anthropology, Applied mathematics, Area studies, Classics, Computer engineering, Computer science, Criminology, Economics, Education (general), English, Ethnic and gender studies, German, Global studies, Music, Natural resources and conservation, Philosophy, Physics, Religious studies, Romance languages, Secondary education, Writing and rhetoric.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Health professions | |
| Business | |
| Visual and performing arts | |
| Social sciences | |
| Biology |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | Suburb |
| Part-time undergraduates | 2% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 9% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $13,008 |
| Sports | NCAA Division III · Northwest Conference |
| ROTC | Army |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 12 to 1 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 70%Of instructional faculty, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) |
| Endowment per student | $45,000Endowment at the end of fiscal year 2023, per full-time-equivalent student (IPEDS) |
| Dorm space | For about 58% of studentsCampus beds divided by undergraduate enrollment. Not how many students live on campus (IPEDS) |
| Nearest airport with scheduled flights | Tacoma Narrows Airport (TIW)About 11 miles away in a straight line (OurAirports) |
| Town population | 222,7582020–2024 five-year estimate (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | SeattleAbout 33 miles away in a straight line (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Average temperature in January | 43°F1991–2020 normal, from TACOMA #1, WA US, about 7 miles away (NOAA) |
| Average temperature in July | 67°F1991–2020 normal, from TACOMA #1, WA US, about 7 miles away (NOAA) |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.54 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.72 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 2.50 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 3.58 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Pacific Lutheran University’s Compass Score?
- Very good (grade B+). It ranks in the top 27% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Pacific Lutheran University cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $19,589 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Pacific Lutheran University?
- Pacific Lutheran University admitted 78% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Pacific Lutheran University’s graduates do?
- 69% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $66,990; the median federal debt at graduation is $22,578.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 236230
- Carnegie classification: Master's university (medium programs)
- Accreditation: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
- Religious affiliation (IPEDS): Evangelical Lutheran Church
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Colleges like this one
The same kind of school first, then the closest in selectivity, size and cost.
Compare side by side: Pacific Lutheran vs York College of Pennsylvania · Pacific Lutheran vs Waldorf · Pacific Lutheran vs Saint Francis · Pacific Lutheran vs John Brown
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