Home Schools Pacific Lutheran University
Private Institution

Pacific Lutheran University

Tacoma, WA plu.edu 2,350 students

Pacific Lutheran University's 156-acre campus is located in Parkland, Washington, a suburban setting near Tacoma. Known for its strong sense of community, the university fosters a student body engaged in service and social justice initiatives. With a focus on undergraduate education, PLU organizes its academic programs into four colleges, including Health Professions and Natural Sciences. The university maintains an affiliation with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Programs
17
Analyzed in dataset
Earnings
$42,363
Average graduate, 1 yr after
Tuition
$50,964
Sticker price (est.)

Financial Aid

The sticker price is rarely what families actually pay. Pacific Lutheran University's grant and scholarship aid lowers the net price for most income brackets. 33% of students receive Pell Grants; 44% take federal loans.

Key Insight

Average net price across income brackets is $19,944, roughly 61% lower than the published tuition.

Net Price by Family Income

Academic Year 2025
Income Bracket Avg Net Price 4-Year Net Cost
$0 – $30K $13,847 $55,388
$30K – $48K $13,035 $52,140
$48K – $75K $18,653 $74,612
$75K – $110K $24,898 $99,592
$110K+ $29,289 $117,156
Sticker price (no aid) $50,964 $203,856
Net price = tuition + fees + room & board minus grants and scholarships, by reported family-income bracket. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey via College Scorecard.

Programs at Pacific Lutheran University

17 degree programs ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any program for AI scenario analysis and 10-year earnings projections.

Degree Program DW Score 1-yr Earnings AI Risk ROI
Information Sciences Compare across schools →
76
$78,055/yr Very High 4.2x
Nursing Compare across schools →
73
$81,761/yr High 3.2x
Subject-Area Teaching Compare across schools →
58
$57,683/yr High 1.8x
Teacher Education Compare across schools →
58
$57,624/yr High 2.1x
Business Administration Compare across schools →
58
$52,919/yr High 2.5x
Economics Compare across schools →
47
$43,806/yr Very High 1.1x
Chemistry Compare across schools →
44
$44,555/yr High 1.2x
Political Science Compare across schools →
41
$41,518/yr Very High 1.0x
Health & Physical Education Compare across schools →
33
$33,449/yr Moderate 2.0x
Sociology Compare across schools →
31
$35,317/yr High 1.9x
Biology Compare across schools →
28
$36,766/yr High 1.4x
Communication and Media Studies Compare across schools →
28
$33,970/yr High 1.9x
Psychology Compare across schools →
25
$30,757/yr High 1.6x
Theater & Drama Compare across schools →
22
$25,754/yr Moderate 0.3x
Romance Languages Compare across schools →
20
$24,773/yr Very High 0.2x
Fine Arts Compare across schools →
18
$23,766/yr Moderate 0.4x
Music Compare across schools →
15
$17,711/yr High 1.0x