Pacific Lutheran University vs Calvin University

Pacific Lutheran University and Calvin University, both esteemed private institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Pacific Lutheran University, nestled in the vibrant city of Tacoma, Washington, boasts a diverse student body and a strong focus on community engagement. Calvin University, located in the charming town of Grand Rapids, Michigan, is known for its rigorous academic programs and its commitment to Christian faith and values. With acceptance rates of 75% and 82% respectively, both universities offer a competitive admissions process. While Pacific Lutheran University's popular majors include Business, Health Professions, and Education, Calvin University excels in Engineering, Business, and Social Sciences. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details about these universities, including student body demographics, graduation rates, and more, to determine which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Calvin University	Pacific Lutheran University
Overview
Location	Grand Rapids, Michigan	Tacoma, Washington
Campus setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	4-1-4	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	86.0%	79.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Protestant	Evangelical

Admission
Acceptance rate	75.1%	88.4%
Application fees	$35	$55
SAT range	1120 - 1340	1150 - 1376
ACT range	24 - 30	22 - 28
Students submitting SAT score	61.0%	11.0%
Students submitting ACT score	24.0%	6.0%
Total number of applicants	3,986	3,220
Total number of admissions given out	2,992	2,846
Admitted students who chose to enroll	736	510
Yield rate	24.6%	17.9%
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	$52,840	$63,563
Average net price	$27,120	$23,568
Tuition	$37,990	$46,816
Room & board	$10,800	Room/dormitory: $5,330 Meal plan: $6,481
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	95.0% Average amount $24,410	99.0% Average amount $34,413
Students receiving federal student loan	43.0% Average amount $4,987	45.0% Average amount $5,091
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $16,620	6.0% Average amount $15,835

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,068 Men 47.1% Women 52.9%	2,373 Men 36.2% Women 63.8%
Graduate students	189 Men 38.1% Women 61.9%	333 Men 27.6% Women 72.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	11.7%	1.3%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	2,453	1,369
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Education Engineering Theology	Health Professions Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	11:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Outcome
Graduation rate	77.3%	69.4%
Dropout rate	7.6%	30.5%
Transferred out	14.7%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,594 Year 2: $61,020 Year 3: $73,154 Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,088 Year 2: $65,188 Year 3: $71,772 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $55,940 Year 2: $57,564 Year 3: $62,400 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,498 Year 2: $57,770 Year 3: $60,645 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,593 Year 2: $45,980 Year 3: $53,866 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $54,275 Year 2: $60,878 Year 3: $51,938 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,034 Year 2: $32,382 Year 3: $44,640 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,528 Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: $39,008 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,756 Year 2: $31,133 Year 3: $37,976 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,469 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $36,953	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.

Pacific Lutheran University vs Calvin University

Calvin University

Pacific Lutheran University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

Compare Similar Colleges

Find Colleges By State

Resources

About