Pacific Lutheran University vs California Lutheran University

Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) and California Lutheran University (CLU) are two private Lutheran universities that offer a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs. While both institutions share a commitment to providing a high-quality education in a faith-based environment, there are some key differences between the two schools. PLU, located in Tacoma, Washington, has a slightly higher acceptance rate (75%) compared to CLU's 68%. Additionally, PLU's student body is more diverse, with 48% of students identifying as non-white compared to CLU's 37%. In terms of popular majors, PLU offers a wider selection of programs in the liberal arts and sciences, while CLU has a stronger focus on business and nursing. Both universities boast impressive graduation rates, with PLU's four-year graduation rate at 68% and CLU's at 67%. To help you make an informed decision about which university is the

	California Lutheran University	Pacific Lutheran University
Overview
Location	Thousand Oaks, California	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	83.0%	79.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Evangelical	Evangelical

Admission
Acceptance rate	81.9%	88.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $50	$55
SAT range	1090 - 1290	1150 - 1376
ACT range	23 - 28	22 - 28
Students submitting SAT score	17.0%	11.0%
Students submitting ACT score	5.0%	6.0%
Total number of applicants	4,041	3,220
Total number of admissions given out	3,311	2,846
Admitted students who chose to enroll	492	510
Yield rate	14.9%	17.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$69,251	$63,563
Average net price	$24,065	$23,568
Tuition	$45,500	$46,816
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,130 Meal plan: $6,840	Room/dormitory: $5,330 Meal plan: $6,481
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	98.0% Average amount $30,924	99.0% Average amount $34,413
Students receiving federal student loan	53.0% Average amount $5,462	45.0% Average amount $5,091
Students taking out private loans	5.0% Average amount $23,023	6.0% Average amount $15,835

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,592 Men 46.8% Women 53.2%	2,373 Men 36.2% Women 63.8%
Graduate students	1,174 Men 38.3% Women 61.7%	333 Men 27.6% Women 72.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	17.2%	N/A
International students	6.1%	1.3%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,517	1,369
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	California Washington Hawaii Colorado Texas	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Education Communication and Journalism Computer and Information Science Kinesiology & Leisure Studies	Health Professions Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	14:1	11:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Outcome
Graduation rate	73.8%	69.4%
Dropout rate	4.9%	30.5%
Transferred out	20.8%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $95,459 Year 2: $108,092 Year 3: $110,763 Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $71,377 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $88,791 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $76,491 Year 2: $75,011 Year 3: $76,443 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,247 Year 2: $57,995 Year 3: $73,469 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,706 Year 2: $55,512 Year 3: $62,953 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $51,621 Year 2: $56,641 Year 3: $59,516 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $43,707 Year 2: $48,823 Year 3: $56,640 Public Administration (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $58,014 Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $55,305 Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,687 Year 2: $46,478 Year 3: $52,964 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,541 Year 2: $36,275 Year 3: $52,663	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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