Western Washington University (WWU) vs Pacific Lutheran University

Western Washington University and Pacific Lutheran University, both esteemed institutions in Washington state, offer distinct educational experiences. Western, a public university, boasts a higher acceptance rate and a larger student body, providing a diverse and vibrant campus community. Pacific Lutheran, a private Lutheran university, offers a more selective admissions process and a smaller student body, fostering a close-knit and supportive learning environment. While both universities excel in various academic disciplines, Western is renowned for its strong programs in the arts, sciences, and education, while Pacific Lutheran shines in business, nursing, and the sciences. Explore the detailed comparison table to delve into further distinctions, including graduation rates, popular majors, and student demographics, to determine which university best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Pacific Lutheran University	Western Washington University
Overview
Location	Tacoma, Washington	Bellingham, Washington
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Public
Calendar system	4-1-4	Quarter
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	79.0%	81.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Evangelical

Admission
Acceptance rate	88.4%	96.1%
Application fees	$55	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $100
SAT range	1150 - 1376	1090 - 1310
ACT range	22 - 28	22 - 29
Students submitting SAT score	11.0%	16.0%
Students submitting ACT score	6.0%	3.0%
Total number of applicants	3,220	10,580
Total number of admissions given out	2,846	10,167
Admitted students who chose to enroll	510	2,874
Yield rate	17.9%	28.3%
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	In state: $26,634 Out of state: $43,861
Average net price	$23,568	$11,388
Tuition	$46,816	In state: $7,572 Out of state: $24,799
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,330 Meal plan: $6,481	$13,079
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $34,413	82.0% Average amount $7,112
Students receiving federal student loan	45.0% Average amount $5,091	29.0% Average amount $4,929
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $15,835	3.0% Average amount $15,435

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,373 Men 36.2% Women 63.8%	14,019 Men 42.6% Women 57.4%
Graduate students	333 Men 27.6% Women 72.4%	1,106 Men 36.4% Women 63.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	1.3%	1.0%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	1,369	3,985
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	Education Psychology Business Multidisciplinary Studies Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	17:1
Institutional accreditation	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Outcome
Graduation rate	69.4%	67.7%
Dropout rate	30.5%	30.6%
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	Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $69,837 Year 2: $81,333 Year 3: $92,019 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $71,492 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $78,577 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $60,314 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $76,877 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $52,624 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $71,599 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $61,592 Year 2: $60,920 Year 3: $64,540 Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $60,325 Year 3: $64,302 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,243 Year 2: $49,572 Year 3: $60,999 Chemistry (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,788 Year 2: $37,748 Year 3: $58,090 Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,818 Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $57,268 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,065 Year 2: $45,696 Year 3: $57,167

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Western Washington University (WWU) vs Pacific Lutheran University

Pacific Lutheran University

Western Washington University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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