Puget Sound: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes

Puget Sound is a private institution located in Tacoma, Washington with a moderately selective admissions profile. For the most recent reporting cycle, Puget Sound admits about half to three-quarters of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 72%. Admitted students typically post a median SAT of 1280 and an ACT composite around 29. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $38,394 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price.

What GPA does my child need for Puget Sound?

71% of enrolled students at Puget Sound had a high school GPA of 3.50 or above, and the average was 3.63, according to its 2024-2025 Common Data Set.

What does Puget Sound weight in admissions?

Puget Sound reports these factor weights in its Common Data Set (2024-2025). What the weights mean

SAT and ACT scores Puget Sound typically admits

The middle-50 SAT Math range is 560–670, with an EBRW midpoint near 640. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 27–31. Many applicants here submit scores; even slightly below the average can be competitive when combined with a strong GPA and curriculum.

Where admitted students ranked in their high school class

Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort, often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.

How much does Puget Sound actually cost?

Published tuition is $62,898 for in-state students and $62,898 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $16,498 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $38,394 per year, and that is the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 17% of students receive Pell Grants.

Application deadlines and early decision data for Puget Sound

Will my child graduate from Puget Sound?

These predict outcomes at Puget Sound better than its acceptance rate does. How to read retention and graduation rates

Most popular majors at Puget Sound

The most popular undergraduate programs at Puget Sound, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Business Administration, Management and Operations, Political Science and Government and Psychology, General. Across all programs, Puget Sound confers roughly 281 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Business Administration, Management and Operations program report a median income of about $82,150 five years after entering college. What these figures mean

Is Puget Sound safe? Campus crime & safety

In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Puget Sound disclosed 20 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 12.6 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 2 violent offenses and 7 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Why per-1,000 rates, not counts

What is campus life like at Puget Sound?

About 70% of undergraduates at Puget Sound live in campus housing, making it a largely residential campus. In Greek life, 23% of men join a fraternity and 18% of women join a sorority. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.

Other colleges in Washington parents ask about

• Whitman College
  38% acceptance
• University of Washington-Seattle Campus
  39% acceptance
• Washington State University
  87% acceptance
• Seattle University
  77% acceptance
• Gonzaga University
  82% acceptance
• Pacific Lutheran University
  78% acceptance

Colleges that admit at a similar rate

• University of Missouri-Kansas City
  72% acceptance · Missouri
• University of Maryland-Baltimore County
  72% acceptance · Maryland

Common questions parents ask about Puget Sound