Pacific Lutheran University vs La Sierra University

Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) and La Sierra University (LSU) are two distinct institutions of higher learning with unique characteristics. PLU, located in Tacoma, Washington, is a private liberal arts university with a strong emphasis on undergraduate education, while LSU, situated in Riverside, California, is a private Christian university affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church. While both universities offer a diverse range of academic programs, PLU boasts a higher acceptance rate and a larger student body, with a more balanced gender ratio compared to LSU. Additionally, PLU offers a wider variety of popular majors, including business, nursing, and education, while LSU excels in fields such as theology, social work, and health professions. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details and discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	La Sierra University	Pacific Lutheran University
Overview
Location	Riverside, California	Tacoma, Washington
Campus setting	City: Large	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Quarter	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	72.0%	79.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation	Protestant	Evangelical

Admission
Acceptance rate	66.1%	88.4%
Application fees		$55
SAT range	880 - 1140	1150 - 1376
ACT range	18 - 28	22 - 28
Students submitting SAT score	25.0%	11.0%
Students submitting ACT score	2.0%	6.0%
Total number of applicants	2,726	3,220
Total number of admissions given out	1,801	2,846
Admitted students who chose to enroll	287	510
Yield rate	15.9%	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	$59,289	$63,563
Average net price	$25,230	$23,568
Tuition	$33,228	$46,816
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,740 Meal plan: $4,050	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)	100.0% Average amount $20,812	99.0% Average amount $34,413
Students receiving federal student loan	59.0% Average amount $4,980	45.0% Average amount $5,091
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $22,020	6.0% Average amount $15,835

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,351 Men 41.2% Women 58.8%	2,373 Men 36.2% Women 63.8%
Graduate students	387 Men 33.1% Women 66.9%	333 Men 27.6% Women 72.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	14.1%	1.3%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	850	1,369
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Law Enforcement and Firefighting Health Professions Education Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Health Professions Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	16:1	11:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Outcome
Graduation rate	44.9%	69.4%
Dropout rate	20.1%	30.5%
Transferred out	34.7%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $60,771 Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $56,649 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,359 Year 2: $26,933 Year 3: $41,100 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $41,044 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $22,771 Year 3: N/A Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,215 Year 2: $16,478 Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,179 Year 2: $28,019 Year 3: N/A Health/Medical Preparatory Programs (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: N/A Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,431 Year 2: $29,751 Year 3: N/A	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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