PLU vs. Saint Martin's University

Pacific Lutheran University vs. Saint Martin's University comparison

	Pacific Lutheran University	Saint Martin's University	College 3	College 4
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Overview	PLU	Saint Martin's University
Location	Tacoma, WA	Lacey, WA
Setting	Large Suburban	Midsize Suburban
Enrollment	2,633	1,609
Type	Private 4 Year	Private 4 Year
National Ranking	#311	#683
Religious Affiliation	Evangelical Lutheran Church	Roman Catholic	-	-
Status	Non-profit	Non-profit
Website	plu.edu	stmartin.edu
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Comparable Facts

• Pacific Lutheran University is larger than than Saint Martin's University based on total student enrollment (2,633 students vs. 1,609 students)

PLU vs. Saint Martin's University Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, PLU or Saint Martin's University?

• Pacific Lutheran University is 18.8% more expensive to attend than Saint Martin's University for in-state tuition ($49,472.00 vs. $41,660.00)
• Out of state tuition is 18.8% higher at PLU than Saint Martin's University ($49,472.00 vs. $41,660.00)
• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Saint Martin's University than PLU ($21,811 vs. $24,825)
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Pacific Lutheran University are 17% lower than costs at Saint Martin's University ($11,826 vs. $13,840)
• The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Pacific Lutheran University as Saint Martin's University (99% vs. 99%)
• The average total grant financial aid received by Pacific Lutheran University students is 11.4% larger than aid received Saint Martin's University ($36,435 vs. $32,697)

PLU vs. Saint Martin's University Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, PLU or Saint Martin's University? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Saint Martin's University or PLU .

• The average SAT score at Pacific Lutheran University (1117) is 70 points higher than at Saint Martin's University (1047)
• Incoming PLU students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Saint Martin's University (24)
• Accepted freshman PLU students have a 0.25 point higher average high school GPA (3.71) than students at Saint Martin's University (3.46)
• Saint Martin's University has a higher acceptance rate (95%) than PLU (88.9%)

PLU vs. Saint Martin's University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, PLU or Saint Martin's University? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Saint Martin's University and PLU.

• The graduation rate at PLU is higher than Saint Martin's University (66% vs. 48%)
• Graduates from Pacific Lutheran University earn on average $3,800 more per year than Saint Martin's University graduates after ten years. ($52,300 vs. $48,500)
• Saint Martin's University students graduate with a $800 lower median federal student loan debt than PLU graduates. ($25,000 vs. $25,800)
• Saint Martin's University graduates are paying $8 less per month on federal student loans than PLU graduates. ($258 vs. $266)
• More PLU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Saint Martin's University students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 66%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/