Pacific University — College Profile

About

Nestled in the scenic Pacific Northwest, Pacific University is highly regarded for its premier graduate programs in optometry and health professions, alongside robust undergraduate offerings in the natural sciences, education, and business. The student experience is characterized by a close-knit, collaborative, and service-oriented campus culture where undergraduates benefit from direct faculty mentorship and an active outdoor lifestyle. Distinctively, the university stands out for its "Four-Year Graduation Guarantee"—promising to cover additional tuition costs if a student doesn't graduate on time—and its deep historical ties to Hawaii, which culminate annually in the largest student-run Lu’au on the U.S. mainland.

Wikipedia:Pacific University is a private university in Forest Grove, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1849 as the Tualatin Academy, the original Forest Grove campus is 23 miles (37 km) west of Portland. The school maintains one other campus, in Hillsboro, and an office in Portland, and has an enrollment of more than 3,000 students. The university has Oregon's only optometry school, and offers doctorates in 14 programs. Pacific competes in NCAA Division III as part of the Northwest Conference, with its teams known as the Boxers.

Location

Forest Grove, OR, 97116 · Suburb campus

✈

Nearest airport from college

PDX · Portland

25 mi away

Open in Google Maps

Cost & aid

Cost of attendance

These figures are federal data and may be out of date.

YoursEveryone

Tuition & fees$56,374

Housing & food (on campus)$15,620

Books & supplies$1,050

Cost of attendance$72,374

Average net price$35,273

Same price for all students

Tuition & fees$56,374

Housing & food (on campus)$15,620

Books & supplies$1,050

Cost of attendance$72,374

Average net price$35,273

Source: U.S. College Scorecard

Net price by family income · 2023-24

$0–30k

$23,318

$30–48k

$23,607

$48–75k

$29,844

$75–110k

$34,369

$110k+

$40,911

Your family's actual price → Pacific University net price calculator

Source: U.S. College Scorecard

Merit aid · 2025-26

Awarded without financial need. Students with financial need can get merit awards too; they're counted as need-based aid.

Average award$33,040

Share of first-years who get one21%

Source: Pacific University's Common Data Set — the school's own yearly report of its admissions and aid figures.

Outcomes

Completion

Within 6 yrs

66%

Entered 2017–18

Within 4 yrs

55%

Back for yr 2

79%

Transferred

8 yrs after starting · first-time, full-time students

69% graduated · 25% transferred · 6% left or unknown · none still enrolled

Earnings · measured 2020 & 2021

6 yrs after entry$46,936

10 yrs after entry$60,583

Debt

Median at graduation$23,223

Monthly payment$246

Middle 50% owe$9k–$27k

90th percentile$34,500

Green marks a figure above the typical Doctoral/Professional University: 58% graduate within 6 yrs, $55,545 earned 10 yrs after entry.

Admissions

Getting in · applied for fall 2024

Admit rate

90%

Test policy

Test optional

Per College Scorecard

SAT average

1090

R 480–630 · M 420–610

ACT midpoint

Comp 18–29 · E 16–27 · M 18–26

SAT middle 50%: 900–1240

40080012001600

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Essay prompts

If Pacific University asks for supplemental essays, the prompts are in the Common App.

The personal essay is separate: see the Common App essay prompts.

Student Body

Gender

Men 44%Women 56%

Who enrolls

Faculty ratio

10 : 1

Pell grant

28%

First-gen

29%

Family income

$64,458

Independent

16%

Age at entry

21.0

Part-time

Race & ethnicity

White

42%

Hispanic

20%

Black

Asian

13%

Two or more

14%

Non-resident

NH/PI

Unknown

Varsity sports

NCAA Division III with football · EADA 2024-25

Baseball
Men's
Basketball
Men's · Women's
Cross Country
Men's · Women's
Football
Men's
Golf
Men's · Women's
Lacrosse
Women's
Rowing
Women's
Soccer
Men's · Women's
Softball
Women's
Swimming
Men's · Women's
Tennis
Men's · Women's
Track and Field (Indoor)
Men's · Women's
Track and Field (Outdoor)
Men's · Women's
Volleyball
Women's
Wrestling
Men's · Women's

Programs & Earnings

Bachelor's degrees by annual completions · 4yr national median earnings

Median earnings, all programs · measured 2020 & 2021

After 6 yrs

$46,936

After 10 yrs

$60,583

Biology, General46

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness45

Business Administration, Management and Operations34

Dental Support Services and Allied Professions30

Psychology, General29

Public Health29

Education, General22

Natural Resources Conservation and Research17

Education, Other13

Criminology12

Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics10

Chemistry10

Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions10

Accounting and Related Services9

Political Science and Government8

Health and Medical Administrative Services8

Type your major above to highlight and detail relevant programs.

Institutional

Resources

Endowment

$65M

Full-time faculty

68%

Faculty salary

$9,129/mo

Teaching spend

$12,774

per student

Federal loans

81%

Classification

Carnegie type

Doctoral/Professional University

Research activity

Research college or university

$8M research spending · 18 research doctorates a year

Undergraduate profile