Pacific Lutheran University

Student body

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment

2,401

Graduate enrollment

351

Student–faculty ratio

12 : 1

Pell Grant recipients

35%

First-generation students

30%

Students over 25

9%

Median family income

$59,189

Avg faculty salary (academic year)

$77,229

Endowment

$131,845,000

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Admissions

Admission rate

78.0%

Test scores

Considered but not required

SAT range (25th–75th %)

1040–1260

SAT average

1168

SAT reading

540–660

SAT math

500–600

ACT composite

22–28

Average GPA (estimated)

3.36

Cost

In-state tuition

$52,254

Room & board

$13,008

Books & supplies

$785

Total cost of attendance

$62,459

Average net price

$19,589

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)

69%

Graduated on time (4 years)

41%

First-year retention

82%

Transferred to another college

25%

Median earnings, 6 years after entry

$52,212

Median earnings, 10 years after entry

$66,990

Median debt at graduation

$22,578

Students with federal loans

44%

Paying down their loans (1 year in)

70%

About 27% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing

Yes

Dorm capacity

1,382

Dorm capacity vs undergrads

58%

Housing charge (year)

$5,920

Meal plan (year)

$7,086

Application fee

Free

Athletics

NCAA Division III with football

Football conference

Northwest Conference

Varsity athletes

474 (276 men · 198 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (12)

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade

D

Reported offenses per 1,000 students

24.3 / year

Violent offenses (2022–2024)

35

Property offenses (2022–2024)

169

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (2,797 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

$15,756/year × about 4.6 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.