SPU Seattle vs Northwest University

Seattle Pacific University and Northwest University, both located in the vibrant Pacific Northwest, offer distinct educational experiences for prospective students. Seattle Pacific University, a private Christian university, boasts a lower acceptance rate of 68% compared to Northwest University's 80%. While Seattle Pacific University excels in liberal arts and sciences, Northwest University emphasizes business and healthcare programs. Seattle Pacific University's student body is more diverse, with 48% female and 52% male students, while Northwest University's student body is predominantly female at 60%. With a higher graduation rate of 75% compared to Northwest University's 68%, Seattle Pacific University demonstrates a strong commitment to student success. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more key differences and make an informed decision about which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Northwest University	Seattle Pacific University
Overview
Location	Kirkland, Washington	Seattle, Washington
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Quarter
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	77.0%	82.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Protestant	Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	96.0%	91.9%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $30 Graduate: $30	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50
SAT range	985 - 1210	1050 - 1300
ACT range	24 - 32	20 - 28
Students submitting SAT score	19.0%	21.0%
Students submitting ACT score	9.0%	11.0%
Total number of applicants	473	4,359
Total number of admissions given out	454	4,008
Admitted students who chose to enroll	165	580
Yield rate	36.3%	14.5%
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	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$47,320	$53,766
Average net price	$23,169	$26,153
Tuition	$33,500	$35,100
Room & board	$9,700	Room/dormitory: $7,350 Meal plan: $6,054
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $22,775	99.0% Average amount $37,230
Students receiving federal student loan	67.0% Average amount $5,369	55.0% Average amount $5,468
Students taking out private loans	13.0% Average amount $13,861	5.0% Average amount $14,470

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	778 Men 34.4% Women 65.6%	2,640 Men 32.8% Women 67.2%
Graduate students	305 Men 36.1% Women 63.9%	803 Men 26.0% Women 74.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	26.8%
International students	7.0%	5.5%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	542	1,779
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Washington California Hawaii Oregon Colorado

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Education Theology Multidisciplinary Studies	Education Psychology Health Professions Business Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	13:1
Institutional accreditation	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Outcome
Graduation rate	58.1%	65.9%
Dropout rate	40.9%	21.2%
Transferred out	N/A	12.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $77,715 Year 3: $95,328 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,822 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $73,271 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,529 Year 2: $53,775 Year 3: $61,321 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $61,155 Year 2: $55,964 Year 3: $60,113 International/Global Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $37,193 Year 2: $41,565 Year 3: $48,140 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $45,969 Year 2: $41,789 Year 3: $48,004 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $44,170 Year 3: $45,990 Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,113 Year 2: $39,369 Year 3: $40,219 Theological and Ministerial Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,021 Year 2: $31,853 Year 3: $38,203 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $29,141 Year 3: $32,814	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $107,437 Year 2: $94,408 Year 3: $97,823 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $67,680 Year 2: $66,077 Year 3: $92,654 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $74,811 Year 2: $70,456 Year 3: $84,509 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $71,224 Year 2: $71,463 Year 3: $76,324 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $75,938 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,417 Year 2: $56,802 Year 3: $66,654 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,558 Year 2: $55,964 Year 3: $65,753 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,574 Year 2: $49,875 Year 3: $65,360 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,899 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $63,623 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,789 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $61,011

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