Pacific Lutheran University vs Longwood University

Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) and Longwood University (LU) are two distinct institutions of higher learning, each offering unique opportunities and experiences to their students. PLU, a private university located in Tacoma, Washington, boasts a smaller student body and a higher acceptance rate compared to LU, a public university situated in Farmville, Virginia. While both universities offer a diverse range of academic programs, PLU is known for its strengths in the liberal arts and sciences, while LU excels in business, education, and health professions. Additionally, PLU's student body is more racially and ethnically diverse than LU's, and its graduation rate is slightly higher. To help you make an informed decision about your educational journey, we have compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these differences and more. Explore the table to discover which university better aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Longwood University	Pacific Lutheran University
Overview
Location	Farmville, Virginia	Tacoma, Washington
Campus setting	Town: Remote	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	73.0%	79.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation		Evangelical

Admission
Acceptance rate	90.0%	88.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $40	$55
SAT range	1030 - 1170	1150 - 1376
ACT range	16 - 24	22 - 28
Students submitting SAT score	26.0%	11.0%
Students submitting ACT score	1.0%	6.0%
Total number of applicants	5,977	3,220
Total number of admissions given out	5,378	2,846
Admitted students who chose to enroll	718	510
Yield rate	13.4%	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	In state: $32,318 Out of state: $43,714	$63,563
Average net price	$21,166	$23,568
Tuition	In state: $8,670 Out of state: $20,250	$46,816
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,194 Meal plan: $5,100	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)	95.0% Average amount $8,406	99.0% Average amount $34,413
Students receiving federal student loan	55.0% Average amount $5,394	45.0% Average amount $5,091
Students taking out private loans	8.0% Average amount $14,063	6.0% Average amount $15,835

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,486 Men 30.6% Women 69.4%	2,373 Men 36.2% Women 63.8%
Graduate students	1,126 Men 30.2% Women 69.8%	333 Men 27.6% Women 72.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	5.8%	N/A
International students	1.7%	1.3%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	2,273	1,369
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Virginia North Carolina Maryland Pennsylvania California	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Business Liberal Arts Health Professions Visual & Performing Arts	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	65.2%	69.4%
Dropout rate	10.4%	30.5%
Transferred out	24.1%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $59,350 Year 3: $61,306 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $51,436 Year 2: $57,995 Year 3: $58,712 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $45,417 Year 3: $51,451 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $43,030 Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $47,090 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $45,902 Year 3: $45,544 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $34,633 Year 3: $42,180 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $41,119 Year 3: $41,437 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $36,668 Year 3: $41,202 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $34,321 Year 3: $41,181 Social Work (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $38,094	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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