Wisconsin Lutheran vs Pacific Lutheran University

Wisconsin Lutheran College and Pacific Lutheran University, while both rooted in Lutheran traditions, offer distinct educational experiences. Wisconsin Lutheran College, a private liberal arts college in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, boasts a 99% acceptance rate and a student body of around 1,300 undergraduates. Pacific Lutheran University, a private liberal arts university in Tacoma, Washington, has a more selective admissions process with a 75% acceptance rate and a larger student body of over 3,000 undergraduates. Both institutions offer a range of undergraduate programs, with popular majors at Wisconsin Lutheran College including Business Administration, Elementary Education, and Nursing, while Pacific Lutheran University is known for its strengths in Biology, Business Administration, and Psychology. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about these institutions' differences in tuition, graduation rates, student demographics, and more, and make an informed decision about which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Pacific Lutheran University logo

Pacific Lutheran University

Wisconsin Lutheran College logo

Wisconsin Lutheran College

Overview

Location Tacoma, Washington Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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% 80.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Evangelical Evangelical

Admission

Acceptance rate 88.4% 98.0%
Application fees $55
SAT range 1150 - 1376 1010 - 1170
ACT range 22 - 28 21 - 28
Students submitting SAT score 11.0% 8.0%
Students submitting ACT score 6.0% 62.0%
Total number of applicants 3,220 1,363
Total number of admissions given out 2,846 1,336
Admitted students who chose to enroll 510 274
Yield rate 17.9% 20.5%
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 Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $63,563 $48,354
Average net price $23,568 $21,761
Tuition $46,816 $32,322
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $5,330

Meal plan: $6,481
$11,050
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

99.0%
Average amount $34,413
100.0%
Average amount $22,728
Students receiving federal student loan 45.0%
Average amount $5,091
80.0%
Average amount $5,281
Students taking out private loans 6.0%
Average amount $15,835
18.0%
Average amount $13,586

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 2,373
Men 36.2% Women 63.8%
1,031
Men 43.0% Women 57.0%
Graduate students 333
Men 27.6% Women 72.4%
116
Men 27.6% Women 72.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Low
Out-of-state students N/A 29.2%
International students 1.3% 0.7%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large City: Large
Dormitory capacity 1,369 731
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A Wisconsin Illinois Texas Louisiana Michigan

Academics

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

Outcome

Graduation rate 69.4% 61.0%
Dropout rate 30.5% 8.6%
Transferred out N/A 29.2%
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 (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,060
  • Year 2: $62,111
  • Year 3: $67,626
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,827
  • Year 2: $46,869
  • Year 3: $52,764
Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $39,009
  • Year 3: $49,144
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $30,984
  • Year 3: $40,507
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $40,758
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,599
  • Year 2: $41,937
  • Year 3: N/A
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $31,670
  • Year 3: N/A
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $32,219
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A

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