Olivet Nazarene University vs Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU)

Olivet Nazarene University (ONU) and Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU) are two private Christian universities that offer a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs. Both institutions are highly regarded for their academic excellence and commitment to faith-based education. However, there are some key differences between the two schools that prospective students should consider when making their college decision. These differences include acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. To help you make an informed decision, we have compiled a comprehensive comparison table that highlights the key differences between ONU and PLNU.
Olivet Nazarene University logo

Olivet Nazarene University

Point Loma Nazarene University logo

Point Loma Nazarene University

Overview

Location Bourbonnais, Illinois San Diego, California
Campus setting Suburb: Small 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 78.0% 84.0%
Common app member No Yes
Religious affiliation Evangelical Evangelical

Admission

Acceptance rate 60.6% 83.7%
Application fees $25
Undergraduate: $55

Graduate: $50
SAT range 970 - 1200 1170 - 1350
ACT range 19 - 26 22 - 30
Students submitting SAT score 39.0% 15.0%
Students submitting ACT score 26.0% 10.0%
Total number of applicants 5,881 3,060
Total number of admissions given out 3,561 2,560
Admitted students who chose to enroll 661 662
Yield rate 18.6% 25.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $51,840 $62,642
Average net price $20,431 $34,851
Tuition $36,450 $38,800
Room & board $9,490 $11,300
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

100.0%
Average amount $28,396
100.0%
Average amount $18,365
Students receiving federal student loan 78.0%
Average amount $5,436
45.0%
Average amount $5,325
Students taking out private loans 11.0%
Average amount $12,187
6.0%
Average amount $22,040

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 2,643
Men 42.6% Women 57.4%
3,174
Men 34.3% Women 65.7%
Graduate students 819
Men 23.0% Women 77.0%
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 Suburb: Small City: Large
Dormitory capacity 2,479 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
  • Education
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Theology
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
Students to faculty ratio 15:1 15:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 63.8% 72.7%
Dropout rate 35.9% 3.8%
Transferred out N/A 22.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $88,786
  • Year 3: $102,622
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $94,037
  • Year 2: $91,004
  • Year 3: $102,214
Education, Other (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $72,457
  • Year 2: $78,971
  • Year 3: $85,075
Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,282
  • Year 2: $63,997
  • Year 3: $73,820
Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: $62,031
  • Year 2: $67,899
  • Year 3: $71,991
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,658
  • Year 2: $65,855
  • Year 3: $67,524
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $53,203
  • Year 2: $48,432
  • Year 3: $61,457
Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $55,994
  • Year 2: $55,286
  • Year 3: $58,413
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $52,504
  • Year 2: $52,316
  • Year 3: $54,224
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $53,595
  • Year 2: $55,964
  • Year 3: $49,738
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

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.
Olivet Nazarene University Olivet Nazarene University vs Point Loma Nazarene University Point Loma Nazarene University
Olivet Nazarene University Olivet Nazarene University vs Nazarene Bible College Nazarene Bible College
Olivet Nazarene University Olivet Nazarene University vs Northwest Nazarene University Northwest Nazarene University
Olivet Nazarene University Olivet Nazarene University vs Blessing Rieman College of Nursing and Health Sciences Blessing Rieman College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Olivet Nazarene University Olivet Nazarene University vs Greenville University Greenville University
Olivet Nazarene University Olivet Nazarene University vs Judson University Judson University
Olivet Nazarene University Olivet Nazarene University vs Lewis University Lewis University
Olivet Nazarene University Olivet Nazarene University vs National Louis University National Louis University
Olivet Nazarene University Olivet Nazarene University vs Trinity Christian College Trinity Christian College
Olivet Nazarene University Olivet Nazarene University vs Bethel University Bethel University
Olivet Nazarene University Olivet Nazarene University vs Goshen College Goshen College
Olivet Nazarene University Olivet Nazarene University vs Trine University Trine University
Olivet Nazarene University Olivet Nazarene University vs Asbury University Asbury University
Olivet Nazarene University Olivet Nazarene University vs Albion College Albion College
Olivet Nazarene University Olivet Nazarene University vs Alma College Alma College
Olivet Nazarene University Olivet Nazarene University vs Andrews University Andrews University
Olivet Nazarene University Olivet Nazarene University vs Hope College Hope College
Olivet Nazarene University Olivet Nazarene University vs Olivet College Olivet College
Olivet Nazarene University Olivet Nazarene University vs Bethel University Bethel University
Olivet Nazarene University Olivet Nazarene University vs North Central University North Central University
Olivet Nazarene University Olivet Nazarene University vs Fontbonne University Fontbonne University
Olivet Nazarene University Olivet Nazarene University vs Roberts Wesleyan College Roberts Wesleyan College
Olivet Nazarene University Olivet Nazarene University vs Ashland University Ashland University
Olivet Nazarene University Olivet Nazarene University vs Oklahoma Wesleyan University Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Olivet Nazarene University Olivet Nazarene University vs Gannon University Gannon University
Olivet Nazarene University Olivet Nazarene University vs Geneva College Geneva College
Olivet Nazarene University Olivet Nazarene University vs Waynesburg University Waynesburg University
Olivet Nazarene University Olivet Nazarene University vs Southern Wesleyan University Southern Wesleyan University
Olivet Nazarene University Olivet Nazarene University vs LeTourneau University LeTourneau University
Olivet Nazarene University Olivet Nazarene University vs Concordia University-Wisconsin Concordia University-Wisconsin
Olivet Nazarene University Olivet Nazarene University vs Edgewood College Edgewood College
Olivet Nazarene University Olivet Nazarene University vs Linfield University-School of Nursing Linfield University-School of Nursing
Olivet Nazarene University Olivet Nazarene University vs The King's College The King's College
Olivet Nazarene University Olivet Nazarene University vs Chamberlain University-Illinois Chamberlain University-Illinois
Point Loma Nazarene University PLNU vs Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott
Point Loma Nazarene University PLNU vs Azusa Pacific University Azusa Pacific University
Point Loma Nazarene University PLNU vs Biola University Biola University
Point Loma Nazarene University PLNU vs California Baptist University California Baptist University
Point Loma Nazarene University PLNU vs Chapman University Chapman University
Point Loma Nazarene University PLNU vs Concordia University-Irvine Concordia University-Irvine
Point Loma Nazarene University PLNU vs Fresno Pacific University Fresno Pacific University
Point Loma Nazarene University PLNU vs Life Pacific University Life Pacific University
Point Loma Nazarene University PLNU vs University of La Verne University of La Verne
Point Loma Nazarene University PLNU vs La Sierra University La Sierra University
Point Loma Nazarene University PLNU vs The Master's University and Seminary The Master's University and Seminary
Point Loma Nazarene University PLNU vs Loyola Marymount University Loyola Marymount University
Point Loma Nazarene University PLNU vs Mount Saint Mary's University Mount Saint Mary's University
Point Loma Nazarene University PLNU vs Occidental College Occidental College
Point Loma Nazarene University PLNU vs Hope International University Hope International University
Point Loma Nazarene University PLNU vs Pacific Union College Pacific Union College
Point Loma Nazarene University PLNU vs Pepperdine University Pepperdine University
Point Loma Nazarene University PLNU vs University of Redlands University of Redlands
Point Loma Nazarene University PLNU vs Simpson University Simpson University
Point Loma Nazarene University PLNU vs Saint Mary's College of California Saint Mary's College of California
Point Loma Nazarene University PLNU vs The University of Tampa The University of Tampa
Point Loma Nazarene University PLNU vs Oklahoma Christian University Oklahoma Christian University
Point Loma Nazarene University PLNU vs Peirce College Peirce College
Point Loma Nazarene University PLNU vs Waynesburg University Waynesburg University
Point Loma Nazarene University PLNU vs Trevecca Nazarene University Trevecca Nazarene University
Point Loma Nazarene University PLNU vs Shenandoah University Shenandoah University
Point Loma Nazarene University PLNU vs The King's College The King's College
Point Loma Nazarene University PLNU vs The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Los Angeles The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Los Angeles
Point Loma Nazarene University PLNU vs The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at San Diego The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at San Diego