PLU vs. Western Washington University

Pacific Lutheran University vs. Western Washington University comparison

	Pacific Lutheran University	Western Washington University	College 3	College 4
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Overview	PLU	Western Washington University
Location	Tacoma, WA	Bellingham, WA
Setting	Large Suburban	Small City
Enrollment	2,633	14,747
Type	Private 4 Year	Public 4 Year
National Ranking	#311	#378
Religious Affiliation	Evangelical Lutheran Church	-	-	-
Status	Non-profit	Non-profit
Website	plu.edu	wwu.edu
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Comparable Facts

• Western Washington University is larger than than PLU based on total student enrollment (14,747 students vs. 2,633 students)

PLU vs. Western Washington University Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, PLU or Western Washington University?

• Pacific Lutheran University is 537.5% more expensive to attend than Western Washington University for in-state tuition ($49,472.00 vs. $7,760.00)
• Out of state tuition is 92.8% higher at PLU than Western Washington University ($49,472.00 vs. $25,666.00)
• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Western Washington University than PLU ($21,105 vs. $24,825)
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Pacific Lutheran University are 24.2% lower than costs at Western Washington University ($11,826 vs. $14,691)
• More students receive financial grant aid at Pacific Lutheran University than Western Washington University (99% vs. 91%)
• The average total grant financial aid received by Pacific Lutheran University students is 458.6% larger than aid received Western Washington University ($36,435 vs. $6,522)

PLU vs. Western Washington University Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, PLU or Western Washington University? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Western Washington University or PLU .

• The average SAT score at Pacific Lutheran University (1117) is 3 points higher than at Western Washington University (1114)
• Incoming PLU students have at the same average ACT score (25) as students at Western Washington University (25)
• Accepted freshman PLU students have a 0.25 point higher average high school GPA (3.71) than students at Western Washington University (3.46)
• Western Washington University has a higher acceptance rate (92.7%) than PLU (88.9%)

PLU vs. Western Washington University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, PLU or Western Washington University? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Western Washington University and PLU.

• The graduation rate at Western Washington University is higher than Pacific Lutheran University (73% vs. 66%)
• Graduates from Pacific Lutheran University earn on average $4,300 more per year than Western Washington University graduates after ten years. ($52,300 vs. $48,000)
• Western Washington University students graduate with a $6,387 lower median federal student loan debt than PLU graduates. ($19,413 vs. $25,800)
• Western Washington University graduates are paying $66 less per month on federal student loans than PLU graduates. ($200 vs. $266)
• More PLU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Western Washington University students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 71%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/