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Pacific Lutheran University

Pacific Lutheran University is a private campus in suburban Tacoma, WA. The school reports a Evangelical Lutheran Church affiliation in its federal filings.

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What could it cost?

Start with net price after grants, then read the published costs. Each chart names its academic year and the students it covers.

Net price by family income

key chart

Average annual cost after grants for each family-income band. These group averages are not personal price quotes.

IPEDS Income brackets, 2022–23

family-income band

$13,847

family income
under $30k

$13,035

$30–48k

$18,653

$48–75k

$24,898

$75–110k

$29,289

over $110k

These figures don't always rise with income — aid formulas can make a higher bracket cheaper.

Average net price

$19,5892023–24Skip to data table

Average annual attendance cost after grants for the reported student group. Your own aid offer and costs may differ.

Average net price at Pacific Lutheran University fell from $22,191 (2008) to $19,589 (2023).

Average net price — data
Year	Net price
2008	$22,191
2009	$22,116
2010	$21,769
2011	$23,497
2012	$23,486
2013	$24,014
2014	$24,797
2015	$24,136
2016	$24,034
2017	$23,821
2018	$23,058
2019	$23,024
2020	$21,023
2021	$22,699
2022	$21,370
2023	$19,589

IPEDS 16 federal reports, 2008–2023

Total cost of attendance

$62,4592024–25Skip to data table

Estimated annual attendance budget before grants, including tuition, fees, housing, food and books. Not every expense is billed by the school.

Total cost at Pacific Lutheran University rose from $38,351 (2009) to $62,459 (2024).

Total cost of attendance — data
Year	Cost
2009	$38,351
2010	$39,528
2011	$40,879
2012	$42,585
2013	$45,299
2014	$46,717
2015	$49,488
2016	$50,737
2017	$51,433
2018	$53,352
2019	$55,217
2020	$56,830
2021	$57,587
2022	$60,866
2023	$62,921
2024	$62,459

IPEDS Academic-year cost 2009–2024

Tuition & fees

Skip to data table

Published tuition and fees before grants. Housing, food, books and other attendance costs are separate.

Tuition & fees — data
Year	Tuition & fees
2000	$16,800
2001	$17,728
2002	$18,500
2003	$19,610
2004	$20,790
2005	$22,040
2006	$23,450
2007	$25,088
2008	$26,800
2013	$34,740
2014	$36,530
2015	$37,950
2016	$39,450
2017	$40,722
2018	$42,436
2019	$43,674
2020	$46,850
2021	$48,226
2022	$50,928
2023	$50,964

IPEDS Published price 2000–01 to 2023–24 (not adjusted for inflation)

Cost, size & completion summary

Cost, size & completion

Pacific Lutheran University reports published tuition of $52,254 in this record. Pacific Lutheran University's $52,254 tuition excludes other attendance costs; aid can reduce the bill. Scorecard snapshot: 2026-06-10; historical charts show their own years.

Pacific Lutheran University reports 2,401 undergraduate students. Enrollment is a headcount, not a measure of teaching access.

68.6% of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants completed at Pacific Lutheran University within six years (2026-06-10 release). This measure excludes other student groups.

Do students finish — and what comes after?

Graduation, debt and earnings cover different groups. Read each chart's entering class or fiscal period; they are not one group's journey.

Six-year graduation rate

key chart

68.6%entered Fall 2018Skip to data table

The share of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants who completed at this institution within six years. Other students are not included.

The six-year graduation rate at Pacific Lutheran University has held near 68.6% from Fall 1991 to Fall 2018 entering cohorts.

A six-year rate can only describe a class that entered six or more years ago — by definition the last point on the line is that old.

Six-year graduation rate — data
Year	Graduated within 6 yrs
1991 cohort	65.4%
1992 cohort	64.8%
1993 cohort	64.1%
1994 cohort	65.7%
1995 cohort	61.3%
1996 cohort	65.3%
1997 cohort	68.5%
1998 cohort	64%
1999 cohort	66%
2000 cohort	67.9%
2001 cohort	65.9%
2002 cohort	69.9%
2003 cohort	68.1%
2004 cohort	66.3%
2005 cohort	66.4%
2006 cohort	69.8%
2007 cohort	70.5%
2008 cohort	68%
2009 cohort	68%
2010 cohort	70.9%
2011 cohort	70.5%
2012 cohort	67.1%
2013 cohort	69.2%
2014 cohort	71.3%
2015 cohort	69.4%
2016 cohort	71.8%
2017 cohort	71%
2018 cohort	68.6%

IPEDS Entering cohorts 1991–2018

Median debt at exit (completers vs non-completers)

Historical student groups

key chart

Skip to data table

Median federal student loan debt when students left school, shown separately for those who completed and those who did not.

CompletedLeft without degree

Each point combines two years. Neighboring points share one year, so changes should be read with that overlap in mind.

These two-year windows closed before today's students borrowed — they describe past cohorts, not the current price of a degree.

Median debt at exit — data
Year	Completed	Left without degree
Left school in fiscal years 1997 and 1998 (FY1997/98)	$16,500	$11,000
Left school in fiscal years 1998 and 1999 (FY1998/99)	$17,115	$11,625
Left school in fiscal years 1999 and 2000 (FY1999/00)	$16,500	$10,992
Left school in fiscal years 2000 and 2001 (FY2000/01)	$16,500	$9,000
Left school in fiscal years 2001 and 2002 (FY2001/02)	$16,886	$11,750
Left school in fiscal years 2002 and 2003 (FY2002/03)	—	$14,000
Left school in fiscal years 2003 and 2004 (FY2003/04)	$17,125	$11,625
Left school in fiscal years 2004 and 2005 (FY2004/05)	$17,125	$10,500
Left school in fiscal years 2005 and 2006 (FY2005/06)	$16,875	$8,750
Left school in fiscal years 2006 and 2007 (FY2006/07)	$17,125	$6,375
Left school in fiscal years 2007 and 2008 (FY2007/08)	$17,125	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2008 and 2009 (FY2008/09)	$17,125	$6,500
Left school in fiscal years 2009 and 2010 (FY2009/10)	$19,125	$7,728
Left school in fiscal years 2010 and 2011 (FY2010/11)	$22,000	$8,125
Left school in fiscal years 2011 and 2012 (FY2011/12)	$24,000	$6,500
Left school in fiscal years 2012 and 2013 (FY2012/13)	$25,056	$6,650
Left school in fiscal years 2013 and 2014 (FY2013/14)	$27,000	$8,750
Left school in fiscal years 2014 and 2015 (FY2014/15)	$26,600	$8,675
Left school in fiscal years 2015 and 2016 (FY2015/16)	$25,800	$8,250
Left school in fiscal years 2016 and 2017 (FY2016/17)	$25,847	$7,500
Left school in fiscal years 2017 and 2018 (FY2017/18)	$24,250	$6,500
Left school in fiscal years 2018 and 2019 (FY2018/19)	$23,000	$7,749
Left school in fiscal years 2019 and 2020 (FY2019/20)	$23,000	$6,500
Left school in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (FY2020/21)	$22,578	$5,500

NSLDS GRAD_DEBT_MDN / WDRAW_DEBT_MDN, merged FY periods · via College Scorecard

Earnings after entry

Historical student groups

Median annual earnings after entering college, for federally aided students who were working and not enrolled when measured.

Entered: academic years 2013–14 or 2014–15

$52,212

6 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2011–12 or 2012–13

$60,142

8 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2009–10 or 2010–11

$66,990

10 years after entry

Each figure covers a different group of students who entered college in the stated years. Earnings were measured in the same two years; these are not one group followed over time.

Measured in 2020–21, adjusted for inflation to 2022 dollars. Each figure pools two entering academic years.

Treasury Pooled entering cohorts · Scorecard 2020–21 historical file

What does the admissions record show?

Rates and score ranges describe a past admissions cycle. Submitted scores are not cutoffs or a prediction of admission.

Admissions snapshot & test policies

Pacific Lutheran University admitted 3,895 of 4,992 applicants in Fall 2024. The 78% rate describes that application pool.

78%

acceptance rate · Fall 2024 admissions cycle

rate trend $50,964 tuition · 2023–24 2,401 undergraduates · Fall 2024

Test-optional (considered) · Fall 2024

400SAT range (section 25th/75th sums): 1040–12601600

Not sure where you stand? Estimate your GPA →

Admissions

Pacific Lutheran University reported scores as considered but not required for the Fall 2024 admissions cycle. For Pacific Lutheran University’s enrolled SAT submitters, Reading and Writing was 540–660 and Math was 500–600 (25th–75th percentiles). The section-percentile sums 1040–1260 are not composite-score percentiles. These are not admission cutoffs.

Check current requirements with admissions.

Score	25th	50th	75th
SAT Reading & Writing	540	610	660
SAT Math	500	550	600
ACT Composite	22	25	28

25th / 75th: a quarter of enrolled submitters scored below the first number, a quarter above the second. These are not cutoffs.

Only students who submitted scores are counted — at test-optional schools, many enrolled students aren't in this table.

Percentiles are among enrolled students who submitted scores (Fall 2024 admissions cycle).

In the Fall 2024 cycle, Pacific Lutheran University received 4,992 applications and admitted 3,895 (78%), with 550 enrolling.

Acceptance rate

78%Fall 2024Skip to data table

The share of applicants offered a spot — lower means more selective; read it alongside the score ranges below.

Acceptance rate — data
Year	Acceptance rate
Fall 2001	80.5%
Fall 2002	80.7%
Fall 2003	79.8%
Fall 2004	76.1%
Fall 2005	76.4%
Fall 2006	74.4%
Fall 2007	76.3%
Fall 2008	74.9%
Fall 2009	78.3%
Fall 2010	77.5%
Fall 2011	76.6%
Fall 2012	73.6%
Fall 2013	76.8%
Fall 2014	75%
Fall 2015	75.5%
Fall 2016	76.8%
Fall 2017	75.4%
Fall 2018	79.8%
Fall 2019	86%
Fall 2020	86.3%
Fall 2021	88.4%
Fall 2022	88.9%
Fall 2023	80.5%
Fall 2024	78%

IPEDS Fall cycles 2001–2024

SAT range (section sums, 25th–75th)

1040–1260Fall 2024 · submittersSkip to data table

Sums of the reading/writing and math percentiles among enrolled submitters — not percentiles of total SAT scores or admission cutoffs.

SAT range (section sums) — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2001	990	1220
Fall 2002	1000	1220
Fall 2003	1000	1240
Fall 2004	1000	1230
Fall 2005	1000	1240
Fall 2006	970	1220
Fall 2007	990	1230
Fall 2008	990	1250
Fall 2009	980	1220
Fall 2010	1000	1250
Fall 2011	970	1220
Fall 2012	970	1220
Fall 2013	980	1220
Fall 2014	980	1210
Fall 2015	980	1230
Fall 2016	980	1230
Fall 2017	1040	1270
Fall 2018	1070	1270
Fall 2019	1080	1290
Fall 2021	1150	1376
Fall 2022	1253	1423
Fall 2023	988	1258
Fall 2024	1040	1260

IPEDS Fall 2001–2024, submitters only

ACT middle 50%

22–28Fall 2024 · submittersSkip to data table

The middle half of enrolled ACT submitters, using published composite-score percentiles — not admission cutoffs.

ACT middle 50% — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2001	21	27
Fall 2002	20	26
Fall 2003	22	29
Fall 2004	21	27
Fall 2005	21	27
Fall 2006	21	28
Fall 2007	22	28
Fall 2008	22	28
Fall 2009	23	28
Fall 2010	22	28
Fall 2011	21	27
Fall 2012	21	27
Fall 2013	22	28
Fall 2014	22	29
Fall 2015	22	28
Fall 2016	22	28
Fall 2017	21	27
Fall 2018	20	28
Fall 2019	24	29
Fall 2021	22	28
Fall 2022	27	30
Fall 2023	21	27
Fall 2024	22	28

IPEDS Fall 2001–2024, submitters only

What is the campus like?

Enrollment counts a campus population; retention follows first-years returning. Their dates and populations are shown separately.

Undergraduate enrollment

2,401Fall 2024Skip to data table

Reported undergraduate enrollment. This count does not measure class size or teaching access.

Undergraduate enrollment at Pacific Lutheran University fell from 3,086 (Fall 2002) to 2,401 (Fall 2024).

Undergraduate enrollment — data
Year	Undergraduates
Fall 2002	3,086
Fall 2003	3,139
Fall 2004	3,298
Fall 2005	3,346
Fall 2006	3,308
Fall 2007	3,271
Fall 2008	3,249
Fall 2009	3,243
Fall 2010	3,196
Fall 2011	3,133
Fall 2012	3,111
Fall 2013	3,062
Fall 2014	2,874
Fall 2015	2,809
Fall 2016	2,743
Fall 2017	2,672
Fall 2018	2,739
Fall 2019	2,650
Fall 2020	2,509
Fall 2021	2,331
Fall 2022	2,253
Fall 2023	2,350
Fall 2024	2,401

IPEDS Fall headcounts 2002–2024

First-year retention (full-time)

82%Fall 2023 cohortSkip to data table

The share of the reported first-time student group who returned the following year. This rate does not explain why others left.

First-year retention at Pacific Lutheran University has held near 82% from Fall 2002 to Fall 2023.

First-year retention — data
Year	Retention
Fall 2002 cohort	83%
Fall 2003 cohort	82%
Fall 2004 cohort	80%
Fall 2005 cohort	82%
Fall 2006 cohort	84%
Fall 2007 cohort	85%
Fall 2008 cohort	80%
Fall 2009 cohort	82%
Fall 2010 cohort	82%
Fall 2011 cohort	83%
Fall 2012 cohort	82%
Fall 2013 cohort	82%
Fall 2014 cohort	83%
Fall 2015 cohort	79%
Fall 2016 cohort	83%
Fall 2017 cohort	83%
Fall 2018 cohort	81%
Fall 2019 cohort	80%
Fall 2020 cohort	79%
Fall 2021 cohort	78%
Fall 2022 cohort	79%
Fall 2023 cohort	82%

IPEDS Full-time cohorts 2002–2023

More about Pacific Lutheran University

Faculty pay at Pacific Lutheran University averages $102,972 a year, annualized from reported monthly pay. Carnegie classes Pacific Lutheran University as a primarily residential campus of 2,401 undergraduates — and 81.9% of the reported first-time, full-time student group returned for a second year.

Pacific Lutheran University's SAT section-percentile sums are 1040–1260 — their midpoint is below the WA four-year benchmark. These are not total-score percentiles. Put your own practice estimate on Pacific Lutheran University's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.

Why some charts are marked “key chart”

key chart

Start with three useful questions: what costs were reported for families in your income band, how many first-time full-time students finished, and what federal debt borrowers held when leaving.

How Pacific Lutheran University compares

State and national medians cover active bachelor-primary institutions, mixing public and private schools. Tuition uses in-state rates at public schools. These are broad reference points, not a ranking of similar schools or your likely bill.

Scorecard dates identify the release snapshot, not a shared measurement year. Earnings describe federally aided students who were working and not enrolled ten years after entry; cohorts and populations differ from the admissions and tuition figures.

Acceptance rate

Fall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS

Pacific Lutheran University78%

Washington median83.2%

National median76.8%

Tuition

Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid

Pacific Lutheran University$52,254

Washington median$19,614

National median$19,591

Median earnings (10 yr)

Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot

Pacific Lutheran University's snapshot: calendar years and dollar basis unverified.

Pacific Lutheran University$66,990

Washington median$62,092

National median$53,781

View comparison data & dates

Pacific Lutheran University, Washington and national reference values
Metric & basis	Pacific Lutheran University	Washington median	National median
Acceptance rateFall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS	78%	83.2%	76.8%
TuitionScorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid	$52,254	$19,614	$19,591
Median earnings (10 yr)Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot	$66,990	$62,092	$53,781

Published earnings by bachelor's field of study

For Pacific Lutheran University, these are federal subject groups (CIP), not departments. Median is the middle annual income.

Pacific Lutheran University federal-aid recipients · graduated 2017–18 or 2018–19 · income measured 2022 or 2023 · inflation-adjusted to 2024 dollars. Definitions and limits.

View 18 fields & earnings

Bachelor's field of study (CIP category)	Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion
Computer and Information Sciences, General	$128,703
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing	$91,528
Mathematics	$78,056
Business Administration, Management and Operations	$75,576
Political Science and Government	$69,366
Social Work	$67,458
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods	$66,848
Chemistry	$59,993
Sociology	$59,853
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences	$58,472
Communication and Media Studies	$57,317
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other	$55,178
Psychology, General	$55,118
Biology, General	$53,077
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness	$52,113
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft	$44,459
History	$43,685
Fine and Studio Arts	$43,650

These 18 fields listed for Pacific Lutheran University measure earnings after completion. The $66,990 institution-level snapshot above measures earnings after entry; it is not the same cohort or a total for these fields. 22 additional Pacific Lutheran University fields have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.

Frequently asked questions

What test-score data does Pacific Lutheran University report?

Pacific Lutheran University's enrolled submitters had SAT section-percentile sums of 1040–1260 in Fall 2024. These are not total-score percentiles or a GPA requirement.

What is Pacific Lutheran University's acceptance rate?

78% in the Fall 2024 cycle — 3,895 admitted from 4,992 applicants.

How much does Pacific Lutheran University cost?

At Pacific Lutheran University, tuition is $52,254. Tuition is not the total cost of attendance; aid can reduce your bill.

What earnings data does Pacific Lutheran University report?

Median earnings ten years after entry: $66,990. Major figures measure four years after completion. Source and date limits.

Similar colleges in Washington

Northwest University — 83.2% admitted
University of Puget Sound — 72.2% admitted
Seattle Pacific University — 83.4% admitted
Seattle University — 76.9% admitted

Run your own numbers

Data: IPEDS ADM2024 (Fall 2024 admissions, provisional) · IPEDS HD2024/IC2024 directory · College Scorecard 2026-06-10 release (institution and field-of-study files; earnings from Treasury records). Retrieved 2026-09-01. Chart dates follow this institution's available observations; the release date is not an academic year or an earnings year. Some records end earlier than others. Field-of-study cohort dates are shown with the table. Read the date and population definitions.