Point Loma Nazarene University
San Diego, CA · Private
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See the full analysis — freeAdmission rate
Point Loma Nazarene University admitted 83.7% of applicants university-wide (2,732 of 3,265).
| Cohort | Admit rate | Admitted | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| University-wide | 83.7% | 2,732 | 3,265 |
| In-state | 70.0% | 1,400 | 2,000 |
| Out-of-state | 60.0% | 300 | 500 |
| International applicants | 50.0% | 100 | 200 |
| Men | 89.4% | 969 | 1,084 |
| Women | 80.8% | 1,763 | 2,181 |
Also offers Early Action (closes Nov 1) — the Common Data Set doesn't publish EA admit counts.
Of 2,732 admitted students, 585 enrolled (21.4% yield).
Point Loma Nazarene University U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections C1–C2 · 2023 — Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.
Test scores and GPA of admitted students
- SAT (mid-50%)
- 1175–1365
- ACT (mid-50%)
- 25–32
- GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
- 3.00–3.74
Testing policy: Test-optional (considered if submitted)
Point Loma Nazarene University U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections C9–C12 · 2023 — Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.
Cost and financial aid
Published cost of attendance: $60,488/yr.
| Out-of-state tuition | $46,250 |
| Fees, housing, food, books & other | $18,212 |
| Sticker cost of attendance | $60,488/yr |
Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)
| Under $30k | $30,999 |
| $30k–48k | $32,117 |
| $48k–75k | $32,888 |
| $75k–110k | $33,003 |
| Over $110k | $41,680 |
US applicants
Need- and merit-based aid available.
- President's Scholarship — $20,000 per year (Merit)
- Provost's Scholarship — $15,000 per year (Merit)
- Academic Distinction Scholarship — $10,000 per year (Automatic)
- Dean's Scholarship — $10,000 per year (Merit)
- Achievement Award — $8,000 per year (Automatic)
- Faculty Scholarship — Varies (Merit)
- Founder's Scholarship — Varies (Merit)
- University Grant — Varies (Need Based)
International applicants
No need-based aid reported for internationals.
- President's Scholarship — $20,000 per year (Merit)
- International Student Scholarship — Up to $15,000 per year (International Aid)
- Provost's Scholarship — $15,000 per year (Merit)
- Academic Distinction Scholarship — $10,000 per year (Automatic)
- Dean's Scholarship — $10,000 per year (Merit)
- Achievement Award — $8,000 per year (Automatic)
- Faculty Scholarship — Varies (Merit)
- Founder's Scholarship — Varies (Merit)
- International Student Grant — Varies (Need Based)
Point Loma Nazarene University U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections G–H · 2023
Application requirements
US applicants
- Application for Admission (PLNU application or Common App)
- Official High School Transcripts
- Two Letters of Recommendation (spiritual leader and academic recommender)
- Two Essays (Community Living Agreement and Admissions Essay)
- Application fee
International applicants
- Application for Admission (PLNU application or Common App)
- Official High School Transcripts
- Two Letters of Recommendation (spiritual leader and academic recommender)
- Two Essays (Community Living Agreement and Admissions Essay)
- Application fee
- English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
- GPA credential conversion
- Predicted Class XII marksheet
- Financial documentation (I-20)
Point Loma Nazarene University · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025
Essay prompts
The Common App personal essay is required (one of 7 shared prompts).
Draft these in the free Essay Coach
Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 4, 2026
Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings
- $63,998
- Median earnings · 10 years after entry
- Graduation rate
- 77.2%
- Within 150% of normal time
- First-year retention
- 86%
- Return for year two · CDS Section B
- Median debt
- $22,990
- At graduation
Point Loma Nazarene University · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023 — Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.
Published rankings
- WSJ: #402
- Niche: #196
Deadlines
- 2026-11-01Early Action — Non-binding early round
- 2027-02-15Regular Decision — Standard deadline
Point Loma Nazarene University U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections C21–C22 · 2023
Academics and campus
Largest degree fields: Business & marketing (23%), Psychology (9%), Biological & life sciences (6%).
Student–faculty ratio: 14:1 · 68% of class sections have under 20 students.
Point Loma Nazarene University U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections E, F, I · 2023 — Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.