Pacific Lutheran University: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Seattle, Washington · Private nonprofit · Open access
Pacific Lutheran University is a private nonprofit university in Seattle, Washington that admits about 91% of applicants, making it a open access school. The average family pays about $24,820 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Psychology, General and Business/Commerce, General, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 11.9 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
Pacific Lutheran University is a private institution located in Seattle, Washington. For the most recent reporting cycle, Pacific Lutheran University admits the majority of qualified applicants, with an overall admission rate of 91%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1191 and an ACT composite around 24. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $24,820 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Pacific Lutheran University is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for Pacific Lutheran University?
Pacific Lutheran University has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
SAT and ACT scores Pacific Lutheran University typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 520–660, with an EBRW midpoint near 595. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 20–28. Many applicants here submit scores; even slightly below the average can be competitive when combined with a strong GPA and curriculum.
How much does Pacific Lutheran University actually cost?
Published tuition is $38,814 for in-state students and $38,814 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $15,498 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $24,820 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 33% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
Most popular majors at Pacific Lutheran University
The most popular undergraduate programs at Pacific Lutheran University, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Psychology, General and Business/Commerce, General. Across all programs, Pacific Lutheran University confers roughly 384 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing program report a median income of about $96,041 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 92 | $96,041 |
| Psychology, General | 72 | $55,138 |
| Business/Commerce, General | 62 | $92,084 |
| Design and Applied Arts | 35 | $79,971 |
| Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences | 33 | — |
| Communication and Media Studies | 31 | $56,672 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 30 | — |
| Computer Science | 29 | — |
Is Pacific Lutheran University safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Pacific Lutheran University disclosed 21 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 11.9 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 6 violent offenses and 1 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
Other colleges in Washington parents ask about
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Pacific Lutheran University
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Pacific Lutheran University recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about Pacific Lutheran University
What GPA do I need for Pacific Lutheran University?
Pacific Lutheran University has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission.
What SAT or ACT score does Pacific Lutheran University typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 520–660, with an EBRW midpoint near 595. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 20–28.
How much does Pacific Lutheran University actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Pacific Lutheran University after grants and scholarships is $24,820 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is Pacific Lutheran University realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, Pacific Lutheran University is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at Pacific Lutheran University?
Pacific Lutheran University accepts about 91% of applicants. It admits the majority of qualified applicants.
Is Pacific Lutheran University a public or private school, and where is it located?
Pacific Lutheran University is a private nonprofit institution located in Seattle, Washington.
What are the most popular majors at Pacific Lutheran University?
The largest undergraduate majors at Pacific Lutheran University by annual graduates are Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Psychology, General and Business/Commerce, General. The school awards about 384 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is Pacific Lutheran University safe? What is its campus crime rate?
Pacific Lutheran University reported 21 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 11.9 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
Data sourced from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.