Pacific Lutheran University
Tacoma, Washington · Also known as PLU · Website
$66,990
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$66,990
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Pacific Lutheran University is a private nonprofit 4-year college in Tacoma, Washington with 2,401 undergraduates and 351 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $19,589 a year (tuition and fees $52,254). It admits 78% of applicants and 69% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $66,990 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $22,578 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$19,589
US median $17,138
Tuition and fees
$52,254
US median $11,837
Admission rate
78%
US median 78%
Completion rate
69%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$22,578
About $239 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$66,990
Rank 459 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $19,589
- Tuition and fees
- $52,254
- Cost of attendance
- $62,459
- Students with a need-based grant
- 35%
- Students with federal loans
- 44%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $13,609
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $12,948
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $15,756
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $22,535
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $26,915
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $37,950 in 2015-16 to $52,254 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 78%
- Average SAT
- 1,168
- SAT reading, middle
- 632
- SAT math, middle
- 632
- ACT, middle
- 25
- Undergraduates
- 2,401
- Graduate students
- 351
- Part-time students
- 2.0%
- Women
- 64%
- Students per teacher
- 12
- Completion rate
- 69%
- Retention rate
- 82%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 61
- Endowment
- $131.8M
- Other
- Religious affiliation
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 459 of 5,094 US colleges and 16 of 87 in Washington (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | WA median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $19,589 | $14,091 | $22,320 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $52,254 | $8,256 | $31,170 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 78% | 83% | 74% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 69% | 50% | 57% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 82% | 80% | 77% | 75% |
| Median debt | $22,578 | $13,653 | $24,287 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $52,212 | $42,696 | $44,392 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $66,990 | $47,869 | $52,928 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US private nonprofit 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 75% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 80% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
61 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 132 | $27,000 | $81,761 | $91,528 | $88,910 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsMaster's | Master's | 76 | $34,896 | $74,828 | $77,198 | $59,916 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 70 | $20,750 | $52,919 | $75,576 | $68,257 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 43 | $22,500 | $36,766 | $53,077 | $57,214 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 41 | $25,000 | $33,449 | $52,113 | $54,562 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 41 | $21,969 | $30,757 | $55,118 | $50,706 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's | Master's | 25 | $39,150 | $58,626 | $100,684 | $103,485 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingMaster's | Master's | 24 | $82,634 | $89,189 | $101,335 | $120,193 |
| Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 23 | $22,604 | $33,970 | $57,317 | $56,359 |
| Computer ScienceBachelor's | Bachelor's | 18 | - | - | Withheld | - |
| Social WorkBachelor's | Bachelor's | 18 | $21,774 | Withheld | $67,458 | $51,790 |
| SociologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 18 | $20,825 | $35,317 | $59,853 | $52,657 |
| MusicBachelor's | Bachelor's | 18 | $26,525 | $17,711 | Withheld | $42,892 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied ProfessionsMaster's | Master's | 17 | $72,057 | $53,259 | $58,052 | $59,571 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingProfessional | Professional | 17 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| International/Globalization StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 16 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and StagecraftBachelor's | Bachelor's | 16 | $24,125 | $25,754 | $44,459 | $39,775 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 15 | $19,500 | $57,624 | $66,848 | $47,382 |
| CriminologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 15 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's | Bachelor's | 15 | $20,500 | $41,518 | $69,366 | $63,293 |
| HistoryBachelor's | Bachelor's | 15 | Withheld | Withheld | $43,685 | $50,680 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and ResearchBachelor's | Bachelor's | 14 | - | - | Withheld | - |
| ChemistryBachelor's | Bachelor's | 14 | $22,933 | $44,555 | $59,993 | $65,120 |
| EconomicsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 14 | Withheld | $43,806 | Withheld | $82,686 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and LinguisticsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 13 | Withheld | $24,773 | Withheld | $55,000 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: Washington on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Washington
- Homes: Homes for sale in Washington
Questions and answers
How much does Pacific Lutheran University cost?
$19,589 a year is the average net price at Pacific Lutheran University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $52,254, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $62,459. Families earning under $30,000 pay $13,609 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Pacific Lutheran University?
78% of applicants are admitted to Pacific Lutheran University. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,168 and the middle ACT score is 25. The median admission rate of colleges in Washington is 83%.
How much do Pacific Lutheran University graduates earn?
$66,990 a year is the median pay of former Pacific Lutheran University students who work, 10 years after they started ($52,212 after 6 years). That ranks 459 of 5,094 US colleges and 16 of 87 in Washington. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral) at $104,932.
How much student debt do Pacific Lutheran University graduates have?
$22,578 is the median federal student loan debt of Pacific Lutheran University graduates, about $239 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 44% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Pacific Lutheran University?
69% of first-time, full-time students at Pacific Lutheran University finish within 6 years. 82% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of private nonprofit 4-year colleges is 57%.
What are the most popular majors at Pacific Lutheran University?
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (132 bachelor's graduates), Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (76 master's graduates), Business Administration, Management and Operations (70 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 61 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.