Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Willamette University, University of the Pacific, California Lutheran University. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | Willamette UniversitySalem, OR | the PacificStockton, CA | California LutheranThousand Oaks, CA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 77.1% | 71.3% | 75.7% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1240–1440 | 1183–1480 | 1150–1330 |
| Average net price | $25,12123.5% on Pell grants | $25,44736.1% on Pell grants | $30,10931.1% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $51,156Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $57,080Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $52,560Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 71.2% | 69.0% | 69.6% |
| First-year retention | 86.5% | 88.5% | 78.8% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 23.5% | 36.1% | 31.1% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $56,911 | $78,445 | $68,712 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $21,500 | $19,500 | $21,669 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 12:1 | 14:1 | 13:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,592 | 3,204 | 2,296 |
| Consensus percentile | 38Lower is better | 38Lower is better | 37Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 48 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 89 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 62 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Willamette University | the Pacific | California Lutheran |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #77 of 210Liberal arts collegesNational Liberal Arts Colleges · 2026 | #139 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #12 of 118Regional univ. (West)Regional Universities (West) · 2026 |
| Forbes | #340 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #198 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #362 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | #397 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #399 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #494 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | Not ranked by this source | #87 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | Not ranked by this source |
| Niche | #532 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #273 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #812 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | #1499 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 | Not ranked by this source |
Students comparing Willamette University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing University of the Pacific on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing California Lutheran University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
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