Seattle Pacific University
A good fit for students who want accessible admissions and students who want small classes and close faculty access. no major red flags in the data. financial aid brings net price below sticker.
About This School
Seattle Pacific University is a private nonprofit institution located in Seattle, Washington with approximately 1,762 undergraduate students enrolled. Seattle Pacific University has an open or accessible admissions process, with an acceptance rate of 83%. The average net price after financial aid is $24,488 per year. The graduation rate is 62%, and the typical graduate earns $54,200 within 10 years of enrollment.
Seattle Pacific University (SPU) is a private Christian university in Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded in 1891 in conjunction with the Oregon and Washington Conference of the Free Methodist Church as the Seattle Seminary. It became the Seattle Seminary and College in 1913, adopted the name Seattle Pacific College two years later, and received its current name in 1977.
The numbers tell a mixed story here: a 91% acceptance rate means admission is accessible, but a 62% graduation rate suggests a meaningful share of students don't finish — worth asking hard questions about support and fit before enrolling. On the positive side, median debt at graduation is a relatively manageable $16,946, and the Seattle location offers real career proximity for students drawn to the Pacific Northwest job market. Worth considering if you're a values-driven student seeking a tight-knit Christian university environment in a major city, but make sure SPU's retention and completion trends don't signal a mismatch with your needs.
Popular Programs
Percentage of degrees awarded. Source: College Scorecard.
Notable Alumni
Source: Wikidata. Used for context only.
Admissions
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Cost & Financial Aid
Net Price by Family Income
Average annual cost after grants/scholarships, by household income. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Financial Aid
Full Cost
After Graduation
Earnings 6 Years After Enrollment, by Gender
Gap: 13% less for female graduates. National avg ~16%.
What Each Major Actually Earns
Median earnings four years after graduation, by major, next to the national median for that same major at every college. The school-wide average hides this: at most schools the spread between the best- and worst-paying majors is far wider than the gap between schools.
Seattle Pacific University graduates earn most above the national rate in Computer Science ($133,039 vs $107,009 nationally), and most below it in Economics ($66,787 vs $82,686).
| Major | Grads | Here | National | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 87 | $93,334 | $88,910 | +$4,424 |
| Psychology, General | 62 | $58,749 | $50,706 | +$8,043 |
| Business/Commerce, General | 60 | $84,493 | $68,407 | +$16,086 |
| Design and Applied Arts | 34 | $68,547 | $51,490 | +$17,057 |
| Computer Science | 25 | $133,039 | $107,009 | +$26,030 |
| Political Science and Government | 17 | $62,972 | $63,293 | −$321 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 16 | $62,411 | $56,359 | +$6,052 |
| Sociology | 14 | $46,974 | $52,657 | −$5,683 |
| Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations | 13 | $62,392 | $59,631 | +$2,761 |
| Education, General | 11 | $70,584 | $49,808 | +$20,776 |
| Economics | 9 | $66,787 | $82,686 | −$15,899 |
| English Language and Literature, General | 8 | $52,378 | $48,590 | +$3,788 |
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data. Median earnings of graduates working and not enrolled four years after completing a bachelor's degreehere. Majors with too few graduates to report are omitted for privacy, so this is not the school's full program list.
Will This School Pay Off?
Solid return. Earnings outpace debt, though major choice matters.
Earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. These are means across all graduates, not specific to any major.
Student Body
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (1,762 undergraduates).
Contact & Location
Official Links
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See How Colleges Compare
Seattle Pacific University is one of thousands of colleges in our data studies, each built from the same U.S. Department of Education data shown on this page. Compare schools head to head:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at Seattle Pacific University?
Seattle Pacific University has an acceptance rate of 83%, based on the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Education.
Is Seattle Pacific University hard to get into?
Not especially. Seattle Pacific University has an acceptance rate of 83%, so admissions are relatively accessible for applicants who meet the requirements.
How much does Seattle Pacific University cost?
The average net price at Seattle Pacific University is about $24,488 per year after grants and scholarships, based on federal data. Your actual cost depends on your family's finances and aid package.
What is the graduation rate at Seattle Pacific University?
Seattle Pacific University has a graduation rate of 62%, according to U.S. Department of Education data.
Sources & Methodology
Primary data source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Accessed via automated sync. Latest values may come from different reporting years depending on the metric.
School overview from Wikipedia. Used for context only, not as a primary data source for admissions, cost, or outcomes claims.
- Earnings figures are institution-level averages, not major-specific.
- Some metrics are based on Title IV financial aid recipients only.
- Some values may be privacy-suppressed or rolled up by the Department of Education.
- Contact the school directly for current admissions requirements and costs.
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