by our College Data Analytics TeamWant the scoop on Pacific Lutheran University Graduate School? We’ve put together a comprehensive report on the school that covers what degree programs PLU offers, if the school is ranked, how diverse it is, and much more. You can jump to any section of this page using the following list.
The goal of College Factual’s yearly Best Quality Schools rankings is to help students find graduate schools that provide excellent learning environments that are a great fit for them.These rankings are based on components such as post-graduation earnings of students, accumulated student debt of graduates, how much in demand the school is, and faculty and student diversity.
In College Factual’s 2026 ranking of the Best Master’s Degree Schools in the U.S., Pacific Lutheran University landed the #310 spot out of the 4,630 schools analyzed for this list.PLU also ranked #10 for Best Master’s Degree Schools in Washington.
Of the 4,630 institutions of higher learning that were examined in the 2026 Best Doctorate Schools in the United States ranking, PLU came in at #310.
PLU ranked #310 in College Factual’s 2026 Best Graduate Schools in the United States ranking, out of 4,630 schools. In addition, PLU took the #10 spot for Best Graduate Schools in Washington.
Around 351 graduate students chose to attend Pacific Lutheran University during the most recent year for which we have data.Since diversity is such an important part of the grad school experience, College Factual looked deeper at the demographics of these students.Our findings are below.
Women make up 73.5% of the total graduate student body at PLU while men make up 26.5%. These percentages may be different for specific degree programs.
Racial-ethnic minorities* make up 38.2% of the graduate student population at PLU.Americans aren’t the only ones who appreciate the graduate programs at PLU. Around 2.6% of graduate students are international.The following chart shows the distribution of racial-ethnic groups at the school. If you click on it, you’ll find more detailed information.
The average tuition and fees for full-time graduate students is not available due to a lack of data.
The typical graduate student at PLU who borrowed carries a median debt of $23,675.
Graduate students who earn their master’s degree at PLU enter the workforce with an average early-career salary of $84,101.
Yearly salaries vary depending on the field of study, but the table below shows the highest-earning graduate fields of study at PLU based on the early-career earnings of recent graduates.
| Graduate Field of Study | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|
| Nursing | $108,525 |
| Business Administration & Management | $93,392 |
| Teacher Education Grade Specific | $74,553 |
| Mental & Social Health Services | $59,999 |
| Writing Studies | $49,431 |
Pacific Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit institution situated in Tacoma, Washington.PLU is located in a safe and convenient suburb. Get more details about the location of Pacific Lutheran University.
Contact details for PLU are given below.
| Contact Details | |
|---|---|
| Address: | 12180 Park Ave South, Tacoma, WA 98447-0003 |
| Phone: | 253-535-7411 |
| Website: | www.plu.edu |
| Facebook: | www.facebook.com/Pacific.Lutheran.University |
| Twitter: | twitter.com/PLUNEWS |
Around 12.0% of PLU graduate students took at least one course online.For that same period, 2.8% of grad students took all of their classes online.
The only degree programs listed here are those in which master’s degrees were awarded.
| Masters Degree Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration & Management | 21 | $93,392 |
| Health & Physical Education | 1 | — |
| Management Sciences & Methods | 11 | — |
| Mental & Social Health Services | 21 | $59,999 |
| Nursing | 31 | $108,525 |
| Teacher Education Grade Specific | 37 | $74,553 |
| Writing Studies | 9 | — |
Listed here are the programs in which Pacific Lutheran University awarded a professional degree.
| Professional Degree Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | 17 | — |
Footnotes
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
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