Pacific Lutheran University vs Willamette University

Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) and Willamette University share a commitment to academic excellence and a vibrant campus community, but they offer distinct experiences for prospective students. PLU, located in the Pacific Northwest, boasts a higher acceptance rate and a larger student body, while Willamette, nestled in Oregon's Willamette Valley, offers a more selective admissions process and a smaller, close-knit community. Both universities excel in liberal arts and sciences, but PLU has a stronger emphasis on pre-professional programs, while Willamette is known for its environmental studies and law programs. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details about these institutions, including their graduation rates, popular majors, student demographics, and more, to help you make an informed decision about your higher education journey.

	Pacific Lutheran University	Willamette University
Overview
Location	Tacoma, Washington	Salem, Oregon
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	City: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	4-1-4	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	79.0%	80.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Evangelical

Admission
Acceptance rate	88.4%	79.6%
Application fees	$55
SAT range	1150 - 1376	N/A
ACT range	22 - 28	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	11.0%
Students submitting ACT score	6.0%
Total number of applicants	3,220	3,680
Total number of admissions given out	2,846	2,930
Admitted students who chose to enroll	510	260
Yield rate	17.9%	8.9%
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)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$63,563	$60,106
Average net price	$23,568	$37,400
Tuition	$46,816	$43,500
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,330 Meal plan: $6,481	Room/dormitory: $7,150 Meal plan: $6,650
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $34,413	99.0% Average amount $30,413
Students receiving federal student loan	45.0% Average amount $5,091	50.0% Average amount $5,145
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $15,835	7.0% Average amount $15,973

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,373 Men 36.2% Women 63.8%	1,236 Men 42.2% Women 57.8%
Graduate students	333 Men 27.6% Women 72.4%	549 Men 49.2% Women 50.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	1.3%	2.4%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	1,369	1,228
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 Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Visual & Performing Arts	Social Sciences Legal Profession Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences Natural Resources and Conservation
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Outcome
Graduation rate	69.4%	72.0%
Dropout rate	30.5%	28.0%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $66,562 Year 2: $73,530 Year 3: $85,115 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $53,741 Year 2: $49,102 Year 3: $65,240 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,509 Year 2: $39,909 Year 3: $57,544 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,011 Year 2: $36,848 Year 3: $48,905 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,615 Year 2: $31,133 Year 3: $41,516 Chemistry (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,482 Year 2: $27,204 Year 3: $39,994 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,357 Year 2: $28,055 Year 3: $36,208 Anthropology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $21,508 Year 3: $33,257 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,292 Year 2: $32,925 Year 3: $32,785 Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,658 Year 3: $29,070

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Pacific Lutheran University vs Willamette University

Pacific Lutheran University

Willamette University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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