Ave Maria vs Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU)

Ave Maria University and Point Loma Nazarene University, both located in sunny California, offer distinct educational experiences for prospective students. Ave Maria, a private Catholic university, boasts a lower acceptance rate and a smaller student body, fostering a close-knit community. Point Loma, a private Christian university, offers a more diverse student body and a higher acceptance rate, providing a vibrant and inclusive campus environment. While both universities excel in liberal arts and sciences, Ave Maria is known for its strong programs in business and nursing, while Point Loma shines in biology and psychology. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about these universities' unique offerings, including graduation rates, popular majors, and student demographics, and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Ave Maria University	Point Loma Nazarene University
Overview
Location	Ave Maria, Florida	San Diego, California
Campus setting	Rural: Distant	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	76.0%	84.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Catholic	Evangelical

Admission
Acceptance rate	64.0%	83.7%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $55 Graduate: $50
SAT range	N/A	1170 - 1350
ACT range	N/A	22 - 30
Students submitting SAT score		15.0%
Students submitting ACT score		10.0%
Total number of applicants	3,705	3,060
Total number of admissions given out	2,373	2,560
Admitted students who chose to enroll	377	662
Yield rate	15.9%	25.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$41,977	$62,642
Average net price	$18,643	$34,851
Tuition	$23,521	$38,800
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,562 Meal plan: $5,528	$11,300
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $21,230	100.0% Average amount $18,365
Students receiving federal student loan	55.0% Average amount $5,696	45.0% Average amount $5,325
Students taking out private loans	9.0% Average amount $11,852	6.0% Average amount $22,040

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,259 Men 45.1% Women 54.9%	3,174 Men 34.3% Women 65.7%
Graduate students	43 Men 69.8% Women 30.2%	1,271 Men 29.2% Women 70.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	26.3%
International students	1.3%	1.1%
Campus local/setting	Rural: Distant	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,244	1,845
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	California Washington Colorado Arizona Hawaii

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Theology Social Sciences Education	Business Health Professions Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
Students to faculty ratio	18:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	60.9%	72.7%
Dropout rate	39.1%	3.8%
Transferred out	N/A	22.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,648 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $36,766 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $29,250 Year 3: $34,401 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,800 Year 2: $30,988 Year 3: $30,767 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,762 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Theological and Ministerial Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,775 Year 2: $28,598 Year 3: N/A Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $48,041 Year 3: N/A	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $105,619 Year 2: $118,210 Year 3: $128,990 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $85,406 Year 2: $85,206 Year 3: $89,492 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,310 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $80,351 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $66,821 Year 3: $76,001 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $63,749 Year 3: $74,448 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,649 Year 2: $61,681 Year 3: $59,139 Business/Corporate Communications (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,198 Year 2: $40,402 Year 3: $43,339 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,184 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $43,147 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,147 Year 2: $32,925 Year 3: $41,978 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,647 Year 2: $30,228 Year 3: $35,103

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