Pacific Lutheran University vs George Fox

Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) and George Fox University (GFU) are two private Christian universities located in the Pacific Northwest, each offering a unique educational experience. PLU, situated in the vibrant city of Tacoma, Washington, boasts a higher acceptance rate (75%) compared to GFU's selective admissions (65%). Both universities offer a diverse range of undergraduate programs, with PLU excelling in the fields of nursing, business, and education, while GFU is renowned for its strong science and engineering programs. PLU's student body is slightly larger and more diverse, with a higher percentage of international students, while GFU maintains a smaller, close-knit community. When it comes to post-graduate success, PLU graduates enjoy a slightly higher graduation rate (79%) compared to GFU's 75%. To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table below, highlighting key differences between these two esteemed institutions.

	George Fox University	Pacific Lutheran University
Overview
Location	Newberg, Oregon	Tacoma, Washington
Campus setting	Town: Fringe	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	82.0%	79.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Protestant	Evangelical

Admission
Acceptance rate	82.5%	88.4%
Application fees		$55
SAT range	1090 - 1350	1150 - 1376
ACT range	19 - 27	22 - 28
Students submitting SAT score	8.0%	11.0%
Students submitting ACT score	10.0%	6.0%
Total number of applicants	3,957	3,220
Total number of admissions given out	3,266	2,846
Admitted students who chose to enroll	647	510
Yield rate	19.8%	17.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	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	$54,220	$63,563
Average net price	$31,236	$23,568
Tuition	$37,840	$46,816
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,200 Meal plan: $5,500	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)	94.0% Average amount $21,534	99.0% Average amount $34,413
Students receiving federal student loan	72.0% Average amount $5,564	45.0% Average amount $5,091
Students taking out private loans	11.0% Average amount $18,780	6.0% Average amount $15,835

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,559 Men 39.0% Women 61.0%	2,373 Men 36.2% Women 63.8%
Graduate students	1,726 Men 31.4% Women 68.6%	333 Men 27.6% Women 72.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	45.0%	N/A
International students	0.5%	1.3%
Campus local/setting	Town: Fringe	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,358	1,369
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Oregon Washington California Hawaii Colorado	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Health Professions Theology Business Psychology	Health Professions Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	16:1	11:1
Institutional accreditation	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Outcome
Graduation rate	69.5%	69.4%
Dropout rate	7.9%	30.5%
Transferred out	22.5%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $78,566 Year 2: $74,307 Year 3: $81,113 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $79,191 Year 2: $75,518 Year 3: $79,443 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $72,250 Year 2: $74,721 Year 3: $77,301 Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,179 Year 2: $60,230 Year 3: $68,898 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $55,390 Year 2: $57,125 Year 3: $64,215 Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $66,736 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $56,992 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,569 Year 2: $48,041 Year 3: $54,632 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $43,499 Year 2: $46,227 Year 3: $48,515 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $43,935 Year 2: $40,945 Year 3: $46,179 Social Work (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $44,147 Year 2: $46,924 Year 3: $43,877	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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