Houghton College vs Pacific Lutheran University

Houghton College and Pacific Lutheran University, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Houghton College, nestled in the picturesque town of Houghton, New York, is a private Christian liberal arts college with a strong emphasis on faith and service. Pacific Lutheran University, located in the vibrant city of Tacoma, Washington, is a private Lutheran university known for its commitment to academic excellence and global engagement. While both institutions share a dedication to providing a transformative education, they differ in several key aspects, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Houghton College	Pacific Lutheran University
Overview
Location	Houghton, New York	Tacoma, Washington
Campus setting	Rural: Remote	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	75.0%	79.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Methodism	Evangelical

Admission
Acceptance rate	79.1%	88.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $40	$55
SAT range	1080 - 1290	1150 - 1376
ACT range	20 - 31	22 - 28
Students submitting SAT score	28.0%	11.0%
Students submitting ACT score	6.0%	6.0%
Total number of applicants	1,008	3,220
Total number of admissions given out	797	2,846
Admitted students who chose to enroll	204	510
Yield rate	25.6%	17.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$27,846	$63,563
Average net price	$24,502	$23,568
Tuition	$15,900	$46,816
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,288 Meal plan: $4,568	Room/dormitory: $5,330 Meal plan: $6,481
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $21,951	99.0% Average amount $34,413
Students receiving federal student loan	62.0% Average amount $5,120	45.0% Average amount $5,091
Students taking out private loans	18.0% Average amount $13,866	6.0% Average amount $15,835

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	863 Men 37.2% Women 62.8%	2,373 Men 36.2% Women 63.8%
Graduate students	32 Men 50.0% Women 50.0%	333 Men 27.6% Women 72.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	4.9%	1.3%
Campus local/setting	Rural: Remote	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,015	1,369
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Liberal Arts Business Psychology Education Visual & Performing Arts	Health Professions Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	11:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Outcome
Graduation rate	64.6%	69.4%
Dropout rate	13.2%	30.5%
Transferred out	22.2%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $16,932 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,222 Year 2: $24,872 Year 3: N/A Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,411 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: N/A	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $75,084 Year 2: $92,632 Year 3: $86,573 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,051 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $79,254 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $69,659 Year 2: $68,875 Year 3: $71,075 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $61,461 Year 2: $54,053 Year 3: $64,188 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,494 Year 2: $45,082 Year 3: $52,405 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,050 Year 2: $46,556 Year 3: $51,610 Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $36,848 Year 3: $49,858 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,589 Year 2: $34,420 Year 3: $47,617 Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,575 Year 2: $35,420 Year 3: $46,377 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $36,674 Year 3: $45,113

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Houghton College vs Pacific Lutheran University

Houghton College

Pacific Lutheran University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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