Pacific University
Pacific 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 University Featured Rankings
About Pacific University
According to Wikipedia, Pacific University is a private university in Forest Grove, Oregon. Founded in 1849 as the Tualatin Academy, the original Forest Grove campus is west of Portland. The university maintains three other campuses in Eugene, Hillsboro, and Woodburn, and has an enrollment of more than 4,000 students.
Pacific University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,817 | 90% | 79% | 71% | 1070 | 23 |
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 University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $58,348 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $22,328 |
| 30K - 48K | $25,697 |
| 48K - 75K | $23,763 |
| 75K - 110K | $32,119 |
| 110K+ | $43,253 |
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 University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Pacific University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $67,497 a year, and 95% 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 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 3,930 | 1,707 | 2,223 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Pacific University?
Pacific University is located at 2043 College Way, Forest Grove, OR 97116.
How Safe is Pacific University?
Relative to its enrollment, Pacific University has a violent crime rate of 0.12% and a property crime rate of 0.09%. Forest Grove has a violent crime rate of 0.34% and a property crime rate of 1.40%. 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 University Known For?
Pacific University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Medical
- Social Work
- Chemistry
- Mathematics
- Biology
- Literature
- Computer Science
- Philosophy
- Physics
- Education
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Communications
- History
- Anthropology
- Engineering
- Business
- Sociology
- Economics
Pacific University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Pacific 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 University ranks #282 in the U.S. and #1018 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesPacific University ranks #290 in the U.S. and #716 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesPacific University ranks #367 in the U.S. and #1893 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesPacific University ranks #409 in the U.S. and #1711 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesPacific University ranks #420 in the U.S. and #1762 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesPacific University ranks #486 in the U.S. and #1474 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesPacific University ranks #519 in the U.S. and #2395 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesPacific University ranks #567 in the U.S. and #1894 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesPacific University ranks #571 in the U.S. and #2512 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesPacific University ranks #606 in the U.S. and #2638 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesPacific University ranks #613 in the U.S. and #2615 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesPacific University ranks #659 in the U.S. and #1707 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesPacific University ranks #734 in the U.S. and #2739 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesPacific University ranks #739 in the U.S. and #2223 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesPacific University ranks #743 in the U.S. and #2309 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesPacific University ranks #757 in the U.S. and #4278 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesPacific University ranks #775 in the U.S. and #2959 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesPacific University ranks #915 in the U.S. and #3092 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesPacific University ranks #1102 in the U.S. and #5821 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesWho Are Pacific University's Most Influential Alumni?
Pacific University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Social Work, Earth Sciences, and Medical. Here are some of Pacific University's most famous alumni:
- Loren Cordain
- An American scientist.
- Thomas N. Hibbard
- An American computer scientist and professor .
- David G. Hebert
- An Ethnomusicologist and music educator.
- Gregg Lambert
- An American philosopher.
- Nancy Wilson
- An American guitarist.
- Robert T. Oliver
- An American academic.
- Liz Heaston
- A First female to play and score in a college football game.
