More selective than 71% of Washington colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $62,459. College Scorecard.
Higher than 88% of Washington colleges we cover and 76% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 82% of Washington colleges we cover and 82% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
PLU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 4,139 applicants, Pacific Lutheran University admitted 3,333 and 624 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1040–1260 on the SAT or 22–28 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
PLU tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What PLU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Pacific Lutheran University took 4.3 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Washington. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $13,609 | $58,519 | 2.2 years |
| $30–48k | $12,948 | $55,676 | 2.1 years |
| $48–75k | $15,756 | $67,751 | 2.5 years |
| $75–110k | $22,535 | $96,901 | 3.6 years |
| $110k+ | $26,915 | $115,735 | 4.3 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (51% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($66,990) minus $40,219 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in WA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $26,771 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
PLU majors, earnings & careers
Pacific Lutheran University offers 40 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 12
- Science & Math · 7
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 6
- Arts & Design · 3
- Business & Finance · 3
- Education · 3
- Health & Medicine · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
- Engineering · 1
Highest-earning majors at PLU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences | $128,703 | $23,534 |
| Nursing | $91,528 | $29,000 |
| Mathematics | $78,056 | $20,427 |
| Business Administration | $75,576 | $20,959 |
| Political Science | $69,366 | $20,250 |
| Social Work | $67,458 | $26,000 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $66,848 | $19,500 |
| Chemistry | $59,993 | $23,000 |
Quick list of all 40 majors
- Accounting—
- Anthropology—
- Applied Mathematics—
- Area Studies—
- Biology$53,077
- Business Administration$75,576
- Chemistry$59,993
- Classics—
- Communications$57,317
- Computer and Information Sciences$128,703
- Computer Engineering—
- Computer Science—
- Criminology—
- Economics—
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$66,848
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- English—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Geology / Earth Science$58,472
- German—
- History$43,685
- International / Global Studies—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$52,113
- Mathematics$78,056
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$55,178
- Music—
- Nursing$91,528
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$69,366
- Psychology$55,118
- Religious Studies—
- Social Work$67,458
- Sociology$59,853
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Studio Art$43,650
- Theatre$44,459
- Writing—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Seattle
Overall prices in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $2,064. Housing costs 51% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 43 inches of rain a year, 6 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: river flooding (relatively high); heat wave (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Pierce County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Pierce County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare PLU with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Washington by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Lutheran University | 78% | $19,589 | 69% | $66,990 | This school |
| University of Puget Sound | 72% | $38,394 | 68% | $69,594 | |
| Seattle Pacific University | 83% | $24,488 | 62% | $64,506 | |
| Seattle University | 77% | $34,662 | 76% | $75,272 | |
| Whitworth University | 90% | $26,534 | 71% | $58,561 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Pacific Lutheran University would cost you $18,805 less per year than University of Puget Sound, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Pacific Lutheran University, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$10,644).
- Pacific Lutheran University gives aided families $2,886 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Washington resident | PLU | University of Puget Sound | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $52,254 | $62,898 | −$10,644 |
| Books & supplies | $762 | $1,000 | −$238 |
| Housing & meals | $12,446 | $15,040 | −$2,594 |
| Personal & travel | $2,665 | $2,624 | +$41 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$5,668 | −$3,184 | −$2,484 |
| Sticker price | $62,459 | $78,378 | −$15,919 |
| Average grants | −$42,870 | −$39,984 | −$2,886 |
| You pay | $19,589 | $38,394 | −$18,805 |
“+” means PLU costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about PLU
What is the PLU acceptance rate?
Pacific Lutheran University accepts 78% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 3,333 of 4,139 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1040–1260 on the SAT or 22–28 on the ACT.
How much does Pacific Lutheran University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $62,459 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $19,589 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $13,609 and families earning $110k+ pay $26,915.
How much do PLU graduates earn?
Former Pacific Lutheran University students earn a median $66,990 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the PLU graduation rate?
69% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 82% return for their second year.
How long does a PLU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Pacific Lutheran University costs about $67,751 after grants ($15,756 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $66,990 ten years after starting, $26,771 more than high school graduates in Washington ($40,219), so the cost is repaid in 2.5 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Pacific Lutheran University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/pacific-lutheran-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).