PLU vs. University of Puget Sound

Pacific Lutheran University vs. University of Puget Sound comparison

	Pacific Lutheran University	University of Puget Sound	College 3	College 4
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Overview	PLU	University of Puget Sound
Location	Tacoma, WA	Tacoma, WA
Setting	Large Suburban	Midsize City
Enrollment	2,633	2,023
Type	Private 4 Year	Private 4 Year
National Ranking	#311	#182
Religious Affiliation	Evangelical Lutheran Church	-	-	-
Status	Non-profit	Non-profit
Website	plu.edu	pugetsound.edu
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Comparable Facts

• Pacific Lutheran University is larger than than University of Puget Sound based on total student enrollment (2,633 students vs. 2,023 students)

PLU vs. University of Puget Sound Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, PLU or University of Puget Sound?

• University of Puget Sound is 15.9% more expensive to attend than PLU for in-state tuition ($57,330.00 vs. $49,472.00)
• Out of state tuition is 15.9% higher at University of Puget Sound than Pacific Lutheran University ($57,330.00 vs. $49,472.00)
• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Pacific Lutheran University than University of Puget Sound ($24,825 vs. $41,363)
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Pacific Lutheran University are 22% lower than costs at University of Puget Sound ($11,826 vs. $14,430)
• More students receive financial grant aid at University of Puget Sound than Pacific Lutheran University (100% vs. 99%)
• The average total grant financial aid received by Pacific Lutheran University students is 12.2% larger than aid received University of Puget Sound ($36,435 vs. $32,482)

PLU vs. University of Puget Sound Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

• Accepted freshman PLU students have a 0.15 point higher average high school GPA (3.71) than students at University of Puget Sound (3.56)
• PLU has a higher acceptance rate (88.9%) than University of Puget Sound (82.7%)

PLU vs. University of Puget Sound Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, PLU or University of Puget Sound? 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 University of Puget Sound and PLU.

• The graduation rate at University of Puget Sound is higher than Pacific Lutheran University (73% vs. 66%)
• Graduates from University of Puget Sound earn on average $5,300 more per year than PLU graduates after ten years. ($57,600 vs. $52,300)
• Pacific Lutheran University students graduate with a $1,200 lower median federal student loan debt than University of Puget Sound graduates. ($25,800 vs. $27,000)
• PLU graduates are paying $13 less per month on federal student loans than University of Puget Sound graduates. ($266 vs. $279)
• More University of Puget Sound graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former PLU students, three years after graduation. (84% vs. 74%)

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