Centralia College vs Pacific Lutheran University

Centralia College and Pacific Lutheran University, two esteemed institutions of higher learning in Washington State, offer distinct educational experiences tailored to diverse student aspirations. Centralia College, a community college known for its open admissions policy, boasts a welcoming environment for students seeking a solid foundation in various academic disciplines. Pacific Lutheran University, a private liberal arts university, prides itself on its rigorous academic programs, vibrant campus life, and commitment to fostering intellectual growth and leadership skills. While both institutions provide quality education, their acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates vary significantly, making it essential for prospective students to delve into the comparison table to identify the institution that best aligns with their academic goals and personal preferences.

	Centralia College	Pacific Lutheran University
Overview
Location	Centralia, Washington	Tacoma, Washington
Campus setting	Town: Distant	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Quarter	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate		79.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation		Evangelical

Admission
Acceptance rate	Open Admission	88.4%
Application fees		$55
SAT range	N/A	1150 - 1376
ACT range	N/A	22 - 28
Students submitting SAT score		11.0%
Students submitting ACT score		6.0%
Total number of applicants		3,220
Total number of admissions given out		2,846
Admitted students who chose to enroll		510
Yield rate		17.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	Not required	N/A
High school GPA	N/A	Required
Recommendation letters	N/A	Required
High school transcript	N/A	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	N/A	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $20,760 Out of state: $21,229	$63,563
Average net price	$9,572	$23,568
Tuition	In state: $4,343 Out of state: $4,812	$46,816
Room & board		Room/dormitory: $5,330 Meal plan: $6,481
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	62.0% Average amount $7,061	99.0% Average amount $34,413
Students receiving federal student loan	0.0% Average amount $0	45.0% Average amount $5,091
Students taking out private loans	2.0% Average amount $7,653	6.0% Average amount $15,835

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,153 Men 38.2% Women 61.8%	2,373 Men 36.2% Women 63.8%
Graduate students	N/A	333 Men 27.6% Women 72.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	6.1%	N/A
International students	0.4%	1.3%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	67	1,369
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Washington Utah Oregon Nevada Arizona	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Liberal Arts Health Professions Business Education Construction Trades	Health Professions Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	11:1
Institutional accreditation	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Outcome
Graduation rate	43.9%	69.4%
Dropout rate	39.8%	30.5%
Transferred out	11.3%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $72,404 Year 2: $65,821 Year 3: $67,689 Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $29,540 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $22,056 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Criminal Justice and Corrections (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $32,925 Year 3: N/A Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,070 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $75,084 Year 2: $92,632 Year 3: $86,573 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,051 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $79,254 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $69,659 Year 2: $68,875 Year 3: $71,075 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $61,461 Year 2: $54,053 Year 3: $64,188 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,494 Year 2: $45,082 Year 3: $52,405 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,050 Year 2: $46,556 Year 3: $51,610 Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $36,848 Year 3: $49,858 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,589 Year 2: $34,420 Year 3: $47,617 Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,575 Year 2: $35,420 Year 3: $46,377 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $36,674 Year 3: $45,113

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.

Centralia College

College of the Siskiyous