More selective than 32% of Oregon colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $72,374. College Scorecard.
Higher than 56% of Oregon colleges we cover and 73% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 55% of Oregon colleges we cover and 71% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
PU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 2,817 applicants, Pacific University admitted 2,585 and 400 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 900–1240 on the SAT or 18–29 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
PU 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 PU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Pacific University took 4.2 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 Oregon. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $23,318 | $97,702 | 4.1 years |
| $30–48k | $23,607 | $98,913 | 4.1 years |
| $48–75k | $29,844 | $125,046 | 5.2 years |
| $75–110k | $34,369 | $144,006 | 6.0 years |
| $110k+ | $40,911 | $171,417 | 7.1 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (53% 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 ($60,583) minus $36,549 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in OR (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $24,034 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.
PU majors, earnings & careers
Pacific University offers 56 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 10
- Science & Math · 10
- Health & Medicine · 8
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 8
- Arts & Design · 7
- Communications & Media · 4
- Education · 4
- Business & Finance · 3
- Technology & Computing · 2
Highest-earning majors at PU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $105,018 | — |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | $78,641 | $28,375 |
| Health Administration | $76,880 | $24,434 |
| Criminology | $64,029 | — |
| Psychology | $62,484 | $27,000 |
| Business Administration | $61,696 | $26,000 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $56,053 | $26,848 |
| Public Health | $55,116 | $26,277 |
Quick list of all 56 majors
- Accounting—
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Anthropology—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$53,092
- Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology—
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Business Administration$61,696
- Chemistry—
- Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other—
- Communications—
- Computer Science$105,018
- Criminology$64,029
- Dance—
- Data Science—
- Dental Support Services and Allied Professions$78,641
- East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean)—
- Economics—
- Education$53,333
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$53,674
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Education, Other—
- English—
- Environmental Science / Conservation$47,202
- Film and Photography—
- German—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- Health Administration$76,880
- History—
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- International Relations—
- Journalism—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$56,053
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Literature—
- Mathematics—
- Music—
- Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions—
- Philosophy—
- Physical Sciences—
- Physics—
- Physiology—
- Political Science—
- Pre-Med / Pre-Health—
- Psychology$62,484
- Public Health$55,116
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
- Social Work—
- Sociology—
- Sociology and Anthropology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Studio Art—
- Sustainability Studies—
- Theatre—
- Visual and Performing Arts—
- 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
Biology → Biological technician
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Portland
Overall prices in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,878. Housing costs 25% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 47 inches of rain a year, 3 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: river flooding (relatively high); heat wave (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Washington County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Washington County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare PU with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Oregon 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 University | 90% | $35,273 | 67% | $60,583 | This school |
| Linfield University | 85% | $26,536 | 70% | $78,638 | |
| Corban University | 94% | $28,035 | 61% | $48,917 | |
| George Fox University | 94% | $31,679 | 72% | $59,761 | |
| Willamette University | 77% | $25,121 | 71% | $56,911 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Pacific University would cost you $8,737 more per year than Linfield University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Pacific University, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$5,524).
- Linfield University gives aided families $2,298 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Oregon resident | PU | LC | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $56,374 | $50,850 | +$5,524 |
| Books & supplies | $1,050 | $200 | +$850 |
| Housing & meals | $15,058 | $14,060 | +$998 |
| Personal & travel | $1,800 | $3,200 | −$1,400 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,908 | −$2,375 | +$467 |
| Sticker price | $72,374 | $65,935 | +$6,439 |
| Average grants | −$37,101 | −$39,399 | +$2,298 |
| You pay | $35,273 | $26,536 | +$8,737 |
“+” means PU 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 PU
What is the PU acceptance rate?
Pacific University accepts 90% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 2,585 of 2,817 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 900–1240 on the SAT or 18–29 on the ACT.
How much does Pacific University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $72,374 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $35,273 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $23,318 and families earning $110k+ pay $40,911.
How much do PU graduates earn?
Former Pacific University students earn a median $60,583 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the PU graduation rate?
67% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 79% return for their second year.
How long does a PU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Pacific University costs about $125,046 after grants ($29,844 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $60,583 ten years after starting, $24,034 more than high school graduates in Oregon ($36,549), so the cost is repaid in 5.2 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 University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/pacific-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).