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University or college · Private nonprofit

Pacific University

Forest Grove, OR278 online only

Pacific University is a private nonprofit university in Forest Grove, OR, with about 3,201 students on campus.

Visit www.pacificu.edu ↗Directions
Students on campus
3,201
plus 278 studying only online
Admission rate
90%
higher than at 75% of 4-year colleges
Net price a year
$35,273
higher than at 91% of 4-year colleges
Graduation rate
67%
higher than at 72% of 4-year colleges
Earnings, 10 yrs later
$60,583
higher than at 85% of U.S. colleges
In brief

What to know about Pacific University

Easy to get into, and most students finish

Pacific University admits 90% of applicants, yet 67% of students graduate, more than at 72% of 4-year colleges. Outcomes ↓

A graduation gap for lower-income students

53% of students with Pell grants finish, against 67% overall, a gap of 14 points. 28% of undergraduates get Pell grants. Outcomes ↓

Lower-income families pay more here than at most colleges

Families earning under $30,000 still pay about $23,318 a year after grants. The average family on aid pays $35,273, more than at 91% of 4-year colleges. What it costs ↓

This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

★ What stands out · Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay off?

Graduate
67%
within 6 years · Pell students 53%
Come back for year two
79%
full-time first-year students
Earnings, 10 years later
$60,583
median, students on federal aid
Typical debt
$23,223
about $246 a month over 10 years

Debt vs. the paycheck

The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting

6.3%
0%10%: a common comfort line25%

$246 a month against about $3,911 a month in pay.

Paying back loans

Federal student loans, this college

77%

of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 93% of U.S. colleges.

Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).

Earnings by family background

Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment

Lower incomeunder $30k
$59k
Middle income$30–75k
$57k
Higher incomeover $75k
$65k
Getting in

How hard is it to get into Pacific University?

90%

of applicants admitted

About 18 of every 20 applicants get in.

Test scores of admitted students

SAT reading
480–630
SAT math
420–610
ACT
18–29

The middle 50%: a quarter scored below the range and a quarter above it. Average SAT: 1090.

What it costs

The sticker price, and what families really pay

Sticker price: $72,374 a year

Before any grants

Tuition & fees $56,374Room & board $15,620Books & supplies $1,050

After grants, the average family on aid pays $35,273.

Your family’s price

Average net price after grants, by family income

$29,844

About $119,376 over 4 years · 59% off the sticker price

Under $30k$30–48k$48–75k$75–110kOver $110k
Majors

What students study, and what it pays

Share of degrees by field

Parks, recreation & fitness 17%Health professions 17%Business 13%Education 10%Psychology 8%Biology 8%Everything else 27%

Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates

And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).

Biology, General46 graduates a year · typical debt $26,485
$53k4 yrs out
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness45 graduates a year · typical debt $26,348
$56k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations34 graduates a year · typical debt $26,000
$62k4 yrs out
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions30 graduates a year · typical debt $22,500
$79k4 yrs out
Psychology, General29 graduates a year · typical debt $26,372
$62k4 yrs out
Public Health29 graduates a year · typical debt $25,250
$55k4 yrs out
Education, General22 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$53k4 yrs out
Natural Resources Conservation and Research17 graduates a year
$47k4 yrs out
Who goes there

The students

1,516 degree-seeking undergraduates.

By race and ethnicity

White 42%Hispanic 20%Black 3%Asian 13%Two or more 14%International 1%

Women and men

Women 56%Men 44%
10 : 1
students per teacher
28%
get Pell grants (lower income)
81%
take federal loans
8%
undergrads 25 or older
5%
study part time
The town around it

Living in Forest Grove

10% of Forest Grove’s 27,252 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Forest Grove pages.

Forest Grove →
Forest GroveForest Grove, OR
$1,460/momedian rent · 4% below the state$517Ktypical home valueCSafety Grade35° / 81°January low / July high · 5" of snowBHealth GradeAll colleges in and near Forest GroveCompare prices, admissions and outcomes
Nearby

Other colleges within 30 miles

Straight-line distances from Pacific University; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.

George Fox UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Newberg
16.5 mi3,749 students
University of PortlandUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Portland
18.8 mi3,443 students
Portland Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Portland
19.2 mi10,453 students
Portland State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Portland
20.5 mi16,769 students
Oregon Health & Science UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Portland
20.5 mi2,445 students
Pacific Northwest College of ArtUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Portland
20.8 mi524 students
National University of Natural MedicineUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Portland
21 mi343 students
Oregon College of Oriental MedicineUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Portland
21.2 mi133 students

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.