Pacific Lutheran University

What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Pacific Lutheran University

Pacific Lutheran University operates as a private nonprofit institution located in Tacoma, Washington (suburb: large), with a total reported enrollment of 2,401 students of which 2,603 are undergraduates. Institution-level records in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) classify each school by Carnegie category, ownership sector, and urban/rural locale, which is how this profile’s peer group and cost cohort are determined. Pacific Lutheran University is categorized as “19” under the Carnegie classification system, a meaningful signal when comparing like-to-like institutions.

Selectivity and financial signals give context to what applicants can expect. The reported admission rate is 78.0%, drawn from the most recent IPEDS Fall enrollment survey, with an average SAT of 1,168 and an ACT midpoint of 25. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $19,589, with published in-state tuition of $52,254 and a Pell grant recipient share of 35.3%. Median federal student debt at graduation is $22,578, drawn from the U.S. Treasury-matched College Scorecard file.

Outcomes reveal whether the investment pays back. The 4-year completion rate is 69.8%, and the first-year retention rate is 81.9%. Graduates earn a median of $66,990 ten years after enrolling, compared with $52,212 six years post-enrollment. Within three years of entering repayment, 143100.0% of borrowers are making progress on their federal loans, and 68.8% of graduates earn above the high-school threshold. Treating these numbers as a single snapshot alongside the cost cohort is the standard approach for evaluating ROI under the College Scorecard methodology.