Pacific vs. Reed

Should I go to Pacific University or Reed College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Pacific or Reed is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Pacific University vs. Reed College comparison
Pacific University Reed College College 3 College 4
Pacific University Reed College
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Overview

 Pacific Reed
Location Forest Grove, OR Portland, OR
Setting Large Suburban Large City
Enrollment 3,559 1,534
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #354 #77
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website pacificu.edu reed.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Pacific Reed
Tuition (In State) $50,884 $64,450
Tuition (Out of State) $50,884 $64,450
Room & Board $14,408 $15,950
Avg Net Price $33,472 $33,106
Avg Grant Aid $33,340 $47,864
% Receiving Grant Aid 98% 60%

Admission

 Pacific Reed
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,759 9,023
Admitted 2,546 2,779
Acceptance Rate 92.3% 30.8%
Enrolled % 15.4% 14.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.73 4.0
Typical High School Grades A- A/A+
Admissions Standards Challenging Exceptional
Applicant Competition High
ACT Range 20/26 30/33
SAT Range 1010/1350 1320/1500
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 25, 2025

Academics

 Pacific Reed
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Biology (13%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Education (10%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (8%)
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Foreign Languages (15%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • English and Literature (9%)

Outcomes

 Pacific Reed
Graduation Rate 61% 80%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $46,800 $47,200
Making Student Loan Payments 78% 84%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,156 $16,000
Median Loan Payment $270 $165

Diversity

 Pacific Reed
% Men 32% 42%
% Women 68% 58%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 52% 60%
% Black 2% 2%
% Hispanic 13% 11%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 3% 0%
% Two or More Races 12% 8%
% International 2% 7%
% Unknown Race 4% 5%

Students

 Pacific Reed
% In-State 38% 6%
% Out-of-State 61% 87%

Campus

 Pacific Reed
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Pacific University is larger than than Reed based on total student enrollment (3,559 students vs. 1,534 students)

Pacific vs. Reed Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Pacific or Reed?

  • Reed College is 26.7% more expensive to attend than Pacific for in-state tuition ($64,450.00 vs. $50,884.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 26.7% higher at Reed than Pacific University ($64,450.00 vs. $50,884.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Reed College than Pacific ($33,106 vs. $33,472)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Pacific University are 10.7% lower than costs at Reed College ($14,408 vs. $15,950)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Pacific University than Reed College (98% vs. 60%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Reed College students is 43.6% larger than aid received Pacific University ($47,864 vs. $33,340)

Pacific vs. Reed Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Reed College (1383) is 293 points higher than at Pacific (1090)
  • Incoming Reed students have a 7 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at Pacific (24)
  • Accepted freshman Reed students have a 0.27 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at Pacific (3.73)
  • Pacific has a higher acceptance rate (92.3%) than Reed (30.8%)

Pacific vs. Reed Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Pacific or Reed? 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 Reed and Pacific.

  • The graduation rate at Reed is higher than Pacific University (80% vs. 61%)
  • Graduates from Reed College earn on average $400 more per year than Pacific graduates after ten years. ($47,200 vs. $46,800)
  • Reed College students graduate with a $10,156 lower median federal student loan debt than Pacific graduates. ($16,000 vs. $26,156)
  • Reed graduates are paying $105 less per month on federal student loans than Pacific graduates. ($165 vs. $270)
  • More Reed graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Pacific students, three years after graduation. (84% vs. 78%)

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