University of San Francisco vs Pacific Lutheran University

Nestled in the heart of San Francisco and Tacoma, University of San Francisco (USF) and Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) stand as two distinct beacons of higher education. USF, a private Jesuit university, boasts a vibrant urban campus and a diverse student body, while PLU, a private Lutheran university, offers a picturesque suburban setting and a strong emphasis on community. With acceptance rates of 65% and 75%, respectively, both universities welcome a substantial number of applicants each year. While USF's student body is predominantly undergraduate, PLU offers a more balanced mix of undergraduate and graduate students. Explore the comparison table below to delve into further details about these institutions, including popular majors, student demographics, graduation rates, and more, to help you make an informed decision about your academic journey.

	Pacific Lutheran University	University of San Francisco
Overview
Location	Tacoma, Washington	San Francisco, California
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	City: Large
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%	86.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Evangelical	Catholic

Admission
Acceptance rate	88.4%	70.9%
Application fees	$55	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $55
SAT range	1150 - 1376	1190 - 1390
ACT range	22 - 28	26 - 31
Students submitting SAT score	11.0%	17.0%
Students submitting ACT score	6.0%	11.0%
Total number of applicants	3,220	22,372
Total number of admissions given out	2,846	15,867
Admitted students who chose to enroll	510	1,452
Yield rate	17.9%	9.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$63,563	$75,232
Average net price	$23,568	$39,825
Tuition	$46,816	$52,920
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,330 Meal plan: $6,481	Room/dormitory: $11,030 Meal plan: $5,110
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $34,413	92.0% Average amount $31,112
Students receiving federal student loan	45.0% Average amount $5,091	47.0% Average amount $5,182
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $15,835	6.0% Average amount $23,306

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,373 Men 36.2% Women 63.8%	5,969 Men 35.6% Women 64.4%
Graduate students	333 Men 27.6% Women 72.4%	4,065 Men 34.0% Women 66.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	35.6%
International students	1.3%	12.9%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,369	2,800
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 Oregon Texas Hawaii

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Visual & Performing Arts	Health Professions Psychology Education Business Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	13:1
Institutional accreditation	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	69.4%	75.6%
Dropout rate	30.5%	7.8%
Transferred out	N/A	16.4%
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	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $154,879 Year 2: $175,674 Year 3: $161,396 Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $103,844 Year 2: $91,744 Year 3: $130,019 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $117,274 Year 2: $122,038 Year 3: $127,016 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $91,668 Year 2: $100,292 Year 3: $112,643 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $101,719 Year 2: $96,866 Year 3: $106,157 Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $97,959 Year 3: $105,769 Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $71,015 Year 3: $103,513 Public Administration (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $76,025 Year 2: $79,284 Year 3: $95,947 Law (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $57,019 Year 2: $67,101 Year 3: $85,917 Economics (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $58,064 Year 2: $67,660 Year 3: $78,626

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University of San Francisco vs Pacific Lutheran University

Pacific Lutheran University

University of San Francisco

Overview

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Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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