More selective than 35% of California colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $60,488. College Scorecard.
Higher than 74% of California colleges we cover and 87% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 49% of California colleges we cover and 79% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
PLNU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 3,065 applicants, Point Loma Nazarene University admitted 2,506 and 657 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1175–1365 on the SAT or 25–32 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
PLNU 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
State aid: California residents who meet income, asset and GPA standards may receive a Cal Grant (California Student Aid Commission); apply with the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application. Not included in the prices above. California Student Aid Commission
PLNU majors, earnings & careers
Point Loma Nazarene University offers 59 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 14
- Business & Finance · 10
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 7
- Health & Medicine · 6
- Science & Math · 6
- Communications & Media · 4
- Engineering · 4
- Arts & Design · 3
- Technology & Computing · 3
- Education · 2
Highest-earning majors at PLNU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $114,919 | $27,000 |
| Business Administration | $74,495 | $18,750 |
| Biology | $65,365 | $25,096 |
| Business / Corporate Communications | $60,187 | $22,079 |
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | $59,654 | $26,362 |
| Criminal Justice | $59,183 | $14,000 |
| Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design | $57,740 | — |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $56,198 | $25,000 |
Quick list of all 59 majors
- Accounting—
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$59,654
- Bible Studies—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$65,365
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Business / Corporate Communications$60,187
- Business Administration$74,495
- Chemistry—
- Communications$47,092
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Computer Engineering—
- Computer Engineering Technologies / Technicians—
- Computer Science—
- Criminal Justice$59,183
- Data Science—
- Dietetics—
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$56,198
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Engineering—
- Engineering Physics—
- English—
- Entrepreneurship—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Finance—
- Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$57,740
- Health Sciences—
- History—
- Human Development and Family Studies$46,119
- International / Global Studies—
- Journalism—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Management Information Systems—
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Marketing—
- Mathematics—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Nursing$114,919
- Pastoral Counseling / Ministry—
- Philosophy—
- Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other—
- Physics—
- Political Science—
- Psychology$46,437
- Public Administration—
- Public Relations and Advertising—
- Religious Music and Worship—
- Religious Studies—
- Social Work—
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations—
- Theology / Ministry—
- 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 →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
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
Living in San Diego
Overall prices in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $2,823. Housing costs 79% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 11 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: wildfire (very high); river flooding (very high); heat wave (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, San Diego County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
San Diego County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare PLNU with similar schools
Similar private colleges in California 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Point Loma Nazarene University | 84% | $38,729 | 77% | $63,998 | This school |
| Dominican University of California | 84% | $35,333 | 78% | $84,713 | |
| University of Redlands | 83% | $30,031 | 67% | $72,690 | |
| Saint Mary's College of California | 87% | $30,378 | 70% | $78,812 | |
| The Master's University and Seminary | 84% | $32,647 | 68% | $57,106 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Point Loma Nazarene University would cost you $3,396 more per year than Dominican University of California, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Point Loma Nazarene University, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$5,911).
- Dominican University of California gives aided families $14,659 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, California resident | PLNU | Dominican University of California | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $46,250 | $52,161 | −$5,911 |
| Books & supplies | $938 | $1,152 | −$214 |
| Housing & meals | $12,850 | $15,986 | −$3,136 |
| Personal & travel | $3,530 | $3,122 | +$408 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,080 | −$670 | −$2,410 |
| Sticker price | $60,488 | $71,751 | −$11,263 |
| Average grants | −$21,759 | −$36,418 | +$14,659 |
| You pay | $38,729 | $35,333 | +$3,396 |
“+” means PLNU 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 PLNU
What is the PLNU acceptance rate?
Point Loma Nazarene University accepts 84% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 2,506 of 3,065 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1175–1365 on the SAT or 25–32 on the ACT.
How much does Point Loma Nazarene University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $60,488 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $38,729 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $30,999 and families earning $110k+ pay $41,680.
How much do PLNU graduates earn?
Former Point Loma Nazarene University students earn a median $63,998 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the PLNU graduation rate?
77% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 86% return for their second year.
Is PLNU the right fit for your family?
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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: “Point Loma Nazarene University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/point-loma-nazarene-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).