# Pacific Lutheran University (PLU)

Private nonprofit college in Tacoma, WA. IPEDS ID 236230.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/pacific-lutheran-university · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/pacific-lutheran-university.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 78% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $19,589 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 69%; beats 88% of WA colleges and 76% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $66,990; beats 82% of WA colleges and 82% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $17,074

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $13,609 |
| 30-48k | $12,948 |
| 48-75k | $15,756 |
| 75-110k | $22,535 |
| 110k+ | $26,915 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.3 years on average (51% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $66,990 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $40,219 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in WA (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| 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 |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $62,459
- Tuition and fees: $52,254
- Housing and meals: $12,446; books: $762

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 540–660; SAT math: 500–600; ACT: 22–28 (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 4,139 applicants, 3,333 admitted, 624 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 78%, ACT 22–28 (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 81%, ACT 21–27 (IPEDS Admissions)

## Majors (40 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences | $78,055 | $128,703 | $23,534 |
| Nursing | $81,761 | $91,528 | $29,000 |
| Mathematics | not reported | $78,056 | $20,427 |
| Business Administration | $52,919 | $75,576 | $20,959 |
| Political Science | $41,518 | $69,366 | $20,250 |
| Social Work | not reported | $67,458 | $26,000 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $57,624 | $66,848 | $19,500 |
| Chemistry | $44,555 | $59,993 | $23,000 |
| Sociology | $35,317 | $59,853 | $21,000 |
| Geology / Earth Science | not reported | $58,472 | not reported |
| Communications | $33,970 | $57,317 | $25,499 |
| Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $30,142 | $55,178 | $20,500 |
| Psychology | $30,757 | $55,118 | $22,500 |
| Biology | $36,766 | $53,077 | $22,626 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $33,449 | $52,113 | $25,536 |
| Theatre | $25,754 | $44,459 | $24,125 |
| History | not reported | $43,685 | not reported |
| Studio Art | $23,766 | $43,650 | $25,000 |
| Environmental Science / Conservation | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Area Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Ethnic / Gender Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Computer Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Education | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $57,683 | not reported | $29,740 |
| Computer Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| German | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | $24,773 | not reported | not reported |
| Classics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| English | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Writing | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Applied Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| International / Global Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Philosophy | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Religious Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Anthropology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Criminology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Economics | $43,806 | not reported | not reported |
| Music | $17,711 | not reported | $26,815 |
| Accounting | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Business Administration → Management analyst: median wage $126,340 (Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA), $109,170 (WA), $101,860 (U.S.)
- Nursing → Registered nurse: median wage $128,260 (Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA), $124,200 (WA), $97,550 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).