PLNU vs. St John's

Deciding between Point Loma Nazarene University and St. John's University New York? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

Point Loma Nazarene University
St. John's University New York

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

  • Overview

  • Location
  • PLNU San Diego, CA
  • St John's Queens, NY
  • Setting
  • PLNU Large City
  • St John's Large City
  • Total enrollment
  • PLNU 4,757
  • St John's 19,389
  • Type
  • PLNU Private 4 Year
  • St John's Private 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • PLNU #250
  • St John's #392
  • Religious Affiliation
  • PLNU Church of the Nazarene
  • St John's Roman Catholic
  • Status
  • PLNU Non-profit
  • St John's Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • PLNU
  • St John's
  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • PLNU $46,250
  • St John's $53,020
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • PLNU $46,250
  • St John's $53,020
  • Room & Board
  • PLNU $13,650
  • St John's $20,600
  • Average Net Price
  • PLNU $39,696
  • St John's $29,656
  • Average Grant Aid
  • PLNU $20,702
  • St John's $35,979
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • PLNU 94%
  • St John's 100%
  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • PLNU 3,265
  • St John's 24,208
  • Admitted
  • PLNU 2,732
  • St John's 20,196
  • Acceptance Rate
  • PLNU 83.7%
  • St John's 83.4%
  • Enrolled
  • PLNU 21.4%
  • St John's 11.6%
  • Typical SAT score
  • PLNU 1270
  • St John's 1250
  • Typical ACT score
  • PLNU 28
  • St John's 26
  • Average High School GPA
  • PLNU 3.65
  • St John's 3.5
  • Typical High School Grades
  • PLNU A-
  • St John's A-
  • Admissions Standards
  • PLNU Very High
  • St John's Difficult
  • Applicant Competition
  • PLNU
  • St John's
  • ACT Range
  • PLNU 25/32
  • St John's 24/29
  • SAT Range
  • PLNU 1175/1365
  • St John's 1150/1340
  • Submit Test Scores
  • PLNU Test optional
  • St John's Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • PLNU Feb 15, 2027
  • St John's
  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • PLNU 13:1
  • St John's 16:1
  • Popular Majors
  • PLNU
    • Business (23%)
    • Health Professions (11%)
    • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
    • Psychology (8%)
    • Communication (6%)
  • St John's
    • Business (27%)
    • Health Professions (9%)
    • Communication (8%)
    • Education (7%)
    • Biology (6%)
  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • PLNU 72%
  • St John's 58%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • PLNU $53,500
  • St John's $61,400
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • PLNU 79%
  • St John's 65%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • PLNU $25,000
  • St John's $26,000
  • Median Loan Payment
  • PLNU $258
  • St John's $268
  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • PLNU 33%
  • St John's 43%
  • % Women
  • PLNU 67%
  • St John's 57%
  • Racial Diversity
  • PLNU High
  • St John's Very High
  • HBCU
  • PLNU No
  • St John's No
  • % White
  • PLNU 59%
  • St John's 34%
  • % Asian
  • PLNU 5%
  • St John's 17%
  • % Black
  • PLNU 2%
  • St John's 19%
  • % Hispanic
  • PLNU 23%
  • St John's 12%
  • % Native American
  • PLNU 1%
  • St John's 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • PLNU 1%
  • St John's 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • PLNU 7%
  • St John's 5%
  • % International
  • PLNU 1%
  • St John's 5%
  • % Unknown Race
  • PLNU 2%
  • St John's 7%
  • Students

  • % In-State
  • PLNU 72%
  • St John's 83%
  • % Out-of-State
  • PLNU 26%
  • St John's 13%
  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • PLNU Yes
  • St John's Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • PLNU No
  • St John's No
  • Meal Plan
  • PLNU Yes
  • St John's Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • PLNU No
  • St John's Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • PLNU No
  • St John's No

Comparable Facts

Compare Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, CA with St. John's University New York in Queens, NY on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

St. John's University New York is larger than PLNU based on total student enrollment (19,389 students vs. 4,757 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Point Loma Nazarene University is located in San Diego, CA (Large City setting); St. John's University New York is in Queens, NY (Large City setting).
  • Point Loma Nazarene University is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. St. John's University New York is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Point Loma Nazarene University 13:1; St. John's University New York 16:1.

PLNU vs. St John's Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, PLNU or St John's? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at St. John's University New York than PLNU ($29,656 vs. $39,696).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Point Loma Nazarene University are 33.7% lower than at St. John's University New York ($13,650 vs. $20,600).
  • St. John's University New York is 14.6% more expensive for in-state tuition than PLNU (about $6,770 more per year; $53,020.00 vs. $46,250.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 14.6% higher at St John's than at Point Loma Nazarene University (about $6,770 more per year; $53,020.00 vs. $46,250.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at St. John's University New York than at Point Loma Nazarene University (100% vs. 94%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by St. John's University New York students is 73.8% larger than aid received by Point Loma Nazarene University students ($35,979 vs. $20,702).

PLNU vs. St John's Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, PLNU or St John's? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between St John's and PLNU.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Point Loma Nazarene University (1270) is 20 points higher than at St John's (1250).
  • Incoming PLNU students have a 2 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (28 vs. 26 at St John's).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Point Loma Nazarene University 1175/1365; St. John's University New York 1150/1340.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Point Loma Nazarene University 25/32; St. John's University New York 24/29.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: PLNU - Test optional; St John's - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: PLNU Feb 15, 2027.
  • Accepted freshman PLNU students have a 0.15 point higher average high school GPA (3.65) than students at St John's (3.5).
  • PLNU has a higher acceptance rate (83.7%) than St John's (83.4%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 21.4% at PLNU vs. 11.6% at St John's.

PLNU vs. St John's Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for PLNU and St John's? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • Point Loma Nazarene University's six-year graduation rate (72%) is higher than St. John's University New York's (58%).
  • Graduates from St. John's University New York earn a median of about $7,900 more per year than PLNU graduates about ten years after starting college ($61,400 vs. $53,500), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, Point Loma Nazarene University graduates have a $1,000 lower median loan debt than St John's graduates ($25,000 vs. $26,000).
  • Among borrowers, PLNU graduates have an estimated $10 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than St John's graduates ($258 vs. $268).
  • More PLNU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former St John's students, three years after graduation. (79% vs. 65%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.