Pacific Lutheran University
Pacific Lutheran University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Pacific Lutheran University Featured Rankings
About Pacific Lutheran University
According to Wikipedia, Pacific Lutheran University is a private Lutheran university in Parkland, Washington. It was founded by Norwegian Lutheran immigrants in 1890. PLU is sponsored by the 580 congregations of Region I of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. PLU has approximately 2,700 students enrolled. As of 2023, the school employs approximately 238 full-time professors on the woodland campus.
Pacific Lutheran University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,139 | 78% | 82% | 64% | 1150 | 25 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Pacific Lutheran University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $53,096 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $13,627 |
| 30K - 48K | $13,026 |
| 48K - 75K | $16,022 |
| 75K - 110K | $18,495 |
| 110K+ | $21,998 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Pacific Lutheran University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Pacific Lutheran University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $71,109 a year, and 93% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Pacific Lutheran University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 3,126 | 2,603 | 523 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Pacific Lutheran University?
Pacific Lutheran University is located at 12180 Park Ave South, Tacoma, WA 98447-0003.
How Safe is Pacific Lutheran University?
Like every college that receives federal student aid, Pacific Lutheran University publishes an annual security report with its campus crime statistics and safety policies. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, Pacific Lutheran University has a violent crime rate of 0.25% and a property crime rate of 1.25%. Tacoma has a violent crime rate of 1.06% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 5.70%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Pacific Lutheran University Known For?
Pacific Lutheran University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Chemistry
- Earth Sciences
- Anthropology
- Literature
- Religious Studies
- History
- Biology
- Economics
- Business
- Communications
- Psychology
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Education
- Nursing
- Computer Science
- Political Science
- Medical
- Social Work
- Philosophy
- Sociology
Pacific Lutheran University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Pacific Lutheran University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Pacific Lutheran University ranks #303 in the U.S. and #1562 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesPacific Lutheran University ranks #305 in the U.S. and #1291 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesPacific Lutheran University ranks #464 in the U.S. and #1424 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesPacific Lutheran University ranks #470 in the U.S. and #1433 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesPacific Lutheran University ranks #528 in the U.S. and #2323 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesPacific Lutheran University ranks #530 in the U.S. and #1556 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesPacific Lutheran University ranks #537 in the U.S. and #2314 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesPacific Lutheran University ranks #619 in the U.S. and #3698 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesPacific Lutheran University ranks #649 in the U.S. and #2426 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesPacific Lutheran University ranks #655 in the U.S. and #2457 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesPacific Lutheran University ranks #664 in the U.S. and #1722 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesPacific Lutheran University ranks #682 in the U.S. and #2754 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesPacific Lutheran University ranks #747 in the U.S. and #3168 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesPacific Lutheran University ranks #809 in the U.S. and #3505 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesPacific Lutheran University ranks #847 in the U.S. and #2202 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesPacific Lutheran University ranks #850 in the U.S. and #3781 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesPacific Lutheran University ranks #904 in the U.S. and #3897 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesPacific Lutheran University ranks #945 in the U.S. and #3309 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesPacific Lutheran University ranks #994 in the U.S. and #2407 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesPacific Lutheran University ranks #1062 in the U.S. and #3542 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesPacific Lutheran University ranks #1114 in the U.S. and #3725 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesWho Are Pacific Lutheran University's Most Influential Alumni?
Pacific Lutheran University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Earth Sciences, Anthropology, and Literature. Here are some of Pacific Lutheran University's most famous alumni:
- Rod Rosenbladt
- An American theologian.
- Jim Laidler
- An American anesthesiologist and alternative medicine opponent.
- Karla Satchell
- An American microbiologist.
- Tara Hudiburg
- A Forest Scientist.
- Ken Flajole
- An American football coach.
- Christopher Howell
- An American poet, editor, and educator.
- Robert Ericksen
- A Historian.
- Cindy McTee
- An American composer.
- Kendall Durelle Briggs
- An American composer of classical music and music theorist.
- Karen Weekly
- A Softball coach.
- Teresa Miller
- An American politician.
