Pacific Lutheran University vs Abilene Christian

Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) and Abilene Christian University (ACU) are two distinct institutions of higher learning with unique characteristics. PLU, located in the vibrant city of Tacoma, Washington, offers a diverse student body and a wide range of academic programs, including popular majors like Biology, Business Administration, and Psychology. With an acceptance rate of 75%, PLU welcomes students from various backgrounds and academic strengths. On the other hand, ACU, nestled in the heart of Abilene, Texas, is a private Christian university known for its strong emphasis on faith-based education. With an acceptance rate of 70%, ACU attracts students seeking a Christ-centered learning environment. Both universities boast impressive graduation rates, with PLU at 78% and ACU at 68%, indicating their commitment to student success. To help you make an informed decision about your higher education journey, we present a comprehensive comparison table highlighting key differences between PLU and ACU, including

	Abilene Christian University	Pacific Lutheran University
Overview
Location	Abilene, Texas	Tacoma, Washington
Campus setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	79.0%	79.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Churches of Christ	Evangelical

Admission
Acceptance rate	70.1%	88.4%
Application fees	$65	$55
SAT range	1050 - 1270	1150 - 1376
ACT range	22 - 28	22 - 28
Students submitting SAT score	35.0%	11.0%
Students submitting ACT score	28.0%	6.0%
Total number of applicants	8,208	3,220
Total number of admissions given out	5,755	2,846
Admitted students who chose to enroll	833	510
Yield rate	14.5%	17.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$55,500	$63,563
Average net price	$29,734	$23,568
Tuition	$39,250	$46,816
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,878 Meal plan: $5,750	Room/dormitory: $5,330 Meal plan: $6,481
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan Other alternative tuition plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $23,662	99.0% Average amount $34,413
Students receiving federal student loan	53.0% Average amount $5,275	45.0% Average amount $5,091
Students taking out private loans	16.0% Average amount $18,262	6.0% Average amount $15,835

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,138 Men 39.2% Women 60.8%	2,373 Men 36.2% Women 63.8%
Graduate students	1,774 Men 28.1% Women 71.9%	333 Men 27.6% Women 72.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	14.8%	N/A
International students	3.3%	1.3%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	2,153	1,369
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Texas Oklahoma California Arizona Tennessee	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Education Business Psychology Kinesiology & Leisure Studies	Health Professions Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	11:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Outcome
Graduation rate	60.2%	69.4%
Dropout rate	38.8%	30.5%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $60,955 Year 2: $64,068 Year 3: $76,106 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,092 Year 2: $58,522 Year 3: $66,013 Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $60,144 Year 2: $53,358 Year 3: $65,252 Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $54,661 Year 3: $59,374 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $41,079 Year 2: $49,631 Year 3: $53,274 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $55,118 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $52,550 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $40,619 Year 2: $39,009 Year 3: $50,422 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,737 Year 2: $44,170 Year 3: $46,207 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,484 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $45,767 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,141 Year 2: $44,747 Year 3: $43,080	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $75,084 Year 2: $92,632 Year 3: $86,573 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,051 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $79,254 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $69,659 Year 2: $68,875 Year 3: $71,075 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $61,461 Year 2: $54,053 Year 3: $64,188 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,494 Year 2: $45,082 Year 3: $52,405 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,050 Year 2: $46,556 Year 3: $51,610 Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $36,848 Year 3: $49,858 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,589 Year 2: $34,420 Year 3: $47,617 Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,575 Year 2: $35,420 Year 3: $46,377 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $36,674 Year 3: $45,113

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Pacific Lutheran University vs Abilene Christian

Abilene Christian University

Pacific Lutheran University

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Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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