University of Puget Sound: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Tacoma, Washington · Private nonprofit · Open access
University of Puget Sound is a private nonprofit university in Tacoma, Washington that admits about 81% of applicants, making it a open access school. The average family pays about $21,370 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, Business Administration, Management and Operations and Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 29.6 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
University of Puget Sound is a private institution located in Tacoma, Washington. For the most recent reporting cycle, University of Puget Sound admits the majority of qualified applicants, with an overall admission rate of 81%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1152 and an ACT composite around 25. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $21,370 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether University of Puget Sound 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 University of Puget Sound?
University of Puget Sound 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 University of Puget Sound typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 473–628, with an EBRW midpoint near 632. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 21–27. Many applicants here submit scores; even slightly below the average can be competitive when combined with a strong GPA and curriculum.
How much does University of Puget Sound actually cost?
Published tuition is $50,964 for in-state students and $50,964 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $12,446 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $21,370 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 University of Puget Sound
The most popular undergraduate programs at University of Puget Sound, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Business Administration, Management and Operations and Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness. Across all programs, University of Puget Sound confers roughly 365 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing program report a median income of about $86,344 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 | 98 | $86,344 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 80 | $70,355 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 47 | $61,136 |
| Biology, General | 38 | $49,616 |
| Psychology, General | 31 | $52,603 |
| Computer Science | 26 | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 24 | $62,293 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 21 | $59,869 |
Is University of Puget Sound safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), University of Puget Sound disclosed 71 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 29.6 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 7 violent offenses and 8 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 University of Puget Sound
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like University of Puget Sound 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 University of Puget Sound
What GPA do I need for University of Puget Sound?
University of Puget Sound 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 University of Puget Sound typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 473–628, with an EBRW midpoint near 632. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 21–27.
How much does University of Puget Sound actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at University of Puget Sound after grants and scholarships is $21,370 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 University of Puget Sound 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, University of Puget Sound 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 University of Puget Sound?
University of Puget Sound accepts about 81% of applicants. It admits the majority of qualified applicants.
Is University of Puget Sound a public or private school, and where is it located?
University of Puget Sound is a private nonprofit institution located in Tacoma, Washington.
What are the most popular majors at University of Puget Sound?
The largest undergraduate majors at University of Puget Sound by annual graduates are Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Business Administration, Management and Operations and Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness. The school awards about 365 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is University of Puget Sound safe? What is its campus crime rate?
University of Puget Sound reported 71 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 29.6 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.