Samuel Merritt University vs Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU)

Samuel Merritt University and Point Loma Nazarene University, two distinct institutions of higher learning, offer unique educational experiences to their students. Samuel Merritt University, located in Oakland, California, is a private, non-profit university with a focus on health sciences, while Point Loma Nazarene University, situated in San Diego, California, is a private, Christian university with a broad range of academic programs. With acceptance rates of 75% and 78%, respectively, both universities welcome a diverse student body. Samuel Merritt University's student population is predominantly female (70%), while Point Loma Nazarene University has a more balanced gender ratio (52% female, 48% male). Explore the comparison table below to delve into further details about these universities, including popular majors, graduation rates, and other key factors, to determine which institution best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Point Loma Nazarene University	Samuel Merritt University
Overview
Location	San Diego, California	Oakland, California
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Trimester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	84.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation	Evangelical

Admission
Acceptance rate	83.7%	N/A
Application fees	Undergraduate: $55 Graduate: $50	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $90
SAT range	1170 - 1350	N/A
ACT range	22 - 30	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	15.0%
Students submitting ACT score	10.0%
Total number of applicants	3,060
Total number of admissions given out	2,560
Admitted students who chose to enroll	662
Yield rate	25.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A
High school GPA	Required	N/A
Recommendation letters	Required	N/A
High school transcript	Not required	N/A
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	N/A

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$62,642
Average net price	$34,851
Tuition	$38,800
Room & board	$11,300
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $18,365
Students receiving federal student loan	45.0% Average amount $5,325
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $22,040

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,174 Men 34.3% Women 65.7%	728 Men 20.6% Women 79.4%
Graduate students	1,271 Men 29.2% Women 70.8%	1,320 Men 26.1% Women 73.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	26.3%	N/A
International students	1.1%	N/A
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,845	N/A
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	N/A
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	California Washington Colorado Arizona Hawaii	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Health Professions Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences Kinesiology & Leisure Studies	Health Professions
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	7:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	72.7%	N/A
Dropout rate	3.8%	N/A
Transferred out	22.9%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $105,619 Year 2: $118,210 Year 3: $128,990 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $85,406 Year 2: $85,206 Year 3: $89,492 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,310 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $80,351 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $66,821 Year 3: $76,001 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $63,749 Year 3: $74,448 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,649 Year 2: $61,681 Year 3: $59,139 Business/Corporate Communications (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,198 Year 2: $40,402 Year 3: $43,339 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,184 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $43,147 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,147 Year 2: $32,925 Year 3: $41,978 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,647 Year 2: $30,228 Year 3: $35,103	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $123,663 Year 2: $139,136 Year 3: $143,948 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $101,572 Year 2: $110,846 Year 3: $121,792 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $124,643 Year 2: $116,083 Year 3: $121,450 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $80,463 Year 2: $73,635 Year 3: $73,513 Podiatric Medicine/Podiatry (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $55,601 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $72,593 Medicine (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $56,189 Year 3: N/A Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $95,289 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A

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Samuel Merritt University vs Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU)

Point Loma Nazarene University

Samuel Merritt University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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