Private nonprofit · University

University of Puget Sound

Tacoma, Washington · Midsize city

72.3%
Admit rate
$38,394
Avg net price
68%
Graduation rate
$69,594
Median earnings

University of Puget Sound is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Tacoma, Washington (midsize city setting), enrolling 1,594 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitSmall · 1,594 undergradsMidsize cityAccessible · 72% admitNCAA Division III with football · Northwest ConferenceNear the coast

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against University of Puget Sound's admitted students.

Admit rate
72.3%
SAT (mid 50%)
1170–1380
Avg GPA (est.)
3.63

Enter a test score to see where you land against University of Puget Sound's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and University of Puget Sound's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Tacoma, Washington

Tacoma is a city in and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. In 1852, Swedish immigrant Nicolas Delin built a water-powered sawmill on a creek near the head of Commencement Bay, but the small settlement that grew around it was abandoned during the Indian War of 1855–56. Tacoma adopted a percent for art ordinance in 1975, allocating one percent of construction costs from major public projects to public art. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Midsize city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
25 miles to Seattle, WA
To the ocean
1 mile
Nearest airport
5 miles to Tacoma Narrows (TIW)

How University of Puget Sound compares

Selectivity72.3%

More selective than 59% · #6 most selective of 21 in Washington

SAT average1296

Higher than 79%

Graduation rate68%

Higher than 74% · #8 of 25 in Washington

First-year retention84%

Higher than 74%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$69,594

Higher than 83% · #7 of 27 in Washington

Average net price$38,394

Cheaper than 6% · #23 cheapest of 25 in Washington

Median debt at graduation$25,000

Lower than 34%

Student–faculty ratio10 : 1

Lower than 76%

Undergraduate enrollment1,594

Larger than 51%

Percentiles compare University of Puget Sound with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Washington.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

1,864students
  • Undergraduate1,59486%
  • Graduate27014%

Undergraduates by gender

1,594undergrads
  • Women1,01964%
  • Men57536%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White66%
  • Black3.1%
  • Hispanic11%
  • Asian6.8%
  • Other or multiracial13%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,594
Graduate enrollment
270
Student–faculty ratio
10 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
17%
First-generation students
12%
Students over 25
2%
Median family income
$90,104
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$96,534
Endowment
$471,468,000

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

Where students come from

Home state of the 463 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Washington23%
  • Other U.S. states77%

A national draw — only 23% of first-years come from Washington; 77% arrive from other states.

Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
72.3%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1170–1380
SAT average
1296
SAT reading
610–710
SAT math
560–670
ACT composite
27–31
Average GPA (estimated)
3.63

Cost

In-state tuition
$62,898
Room & board
$16,498
Books & supplies
$1,000
Total cost of attendance
$78,378
Average net price
$38,394

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)
68%
Graduated on time (4 years)
2%
First-year retention
84%
Transferred to another college
15%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$46,802
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$69,594
Median debt at graduation
$25,000
Students with federal loans
43%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
77%

About 66% 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)

All students
2%
Low-income (Pell)
67%
First-generation
66%

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
1,635
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
100%+
Housing charge (year)
$8,766
Meal plan (year)
$7,740
Application fee
$65
Athletics
NCAA Division III with football
Football conference
Northwest Conference
Varsity athletes
494 (297 men · 197 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)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)96
Football93
Soccer60
Baseball47
Swimming42
Basketball31
Volleyball28
Rowing27
Tennis22
Softball18
Golf16
Lacrosse14

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
D
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
12.7 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
30
Property offenses (2022–2024)
41

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (1,864 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.

24reported offenses a year
10 violent a year14 property a year

By offense type, per year

Motor vehicle theft
10
Rape
6.7
Burglary
3.3
Aggravated assault
1.3
Fondling
1.0
Robbery
1.0

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.

< $30k
$23,643
$30–48k
$23,133
$48–75k
$31,649
$75–110k
$34,870
$110k+
$45,456

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.

Est. total to a degree
$173,001

$31,649/year × about 5.5 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.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

99%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$31,340
average award, among those who get one

University of Puget Sound discounts heavily: 99% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $31,340. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 405 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$69,594
Typical debt at graduation
$25,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
36%
Out-earn a HS grad
66%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.6 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$66,258
Men
$78,153

Men out-earn women by $11,895 (18%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
77°F
Winter low
37°F
Annual rain
40.8″
Annual snow
5.6″

Average temperature

HighLow
30°60°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.03.36.5JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Tacoma #1, WA US station (3.3 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to University of Puget Sound

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare University of Puget Sound side by side →

Colleges near University of Puget Sound

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.