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Compare colleges

Up to 4 at once. Figures are from the 2022-23 reporting year and are averages, so they will differ from what any one student pays or experiences.

  • Pacific Lutheran University
  • Whitman College

What stands out

Pacific Lutheran University has the lower average net price, Whitman College reports the higher graduation rate, Whitman College reports higher median earnings ten years on, while Whitman College leaves graduates with less median federal debt. Which of those matters more depends on what you need, and none of it predicts your own cost or your own chance of admission.

Pacific Lutheran University compared with Whitman College
MetricPacific Lutheran UniversityTacoma, WAPrivate nonprofit · 4-yearLowest net priceWhitman CollegeWalla Walla, WAPrivate nonprofit · 4-yearHighest graduation rateHighest retentionLowest median debtHighest median earnings
Cost
Average net priceWhat students on federal aid actually paid per year, after grants.$19,589lowest$33,313
Published costSticker price before aid. Few students pay it.$62,459$78,092
In-state tuition$52,254$64,050
Out-of-state tuition$52,254$64,050
Admissions
Acceptance rate78%38%
SAT midpoint1,2641,375
ACT midpoint2531
Outcomes
Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time. Excludes transfer students.70%81%highest
Retention rateFirst-year students who come back for a second year.82%87%highest
Median debt at graduationFederal loans only. Private and parent loans are not included.$22,578$18,437lowest
Median earnings, 10 yrsReflects the subjects a college teaches and where it sits, not only its teaching.$66,990$67,589highest
Campus
Undergraduates2,4011,531

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, 2022-23. Blank figures mean the college did not report that measure, not that the value is zero. Acceptance rate and enrollment carry no highlight because neither a lower acceptance rate nor a larger campus is better in itself. How this works.