This article is not Seattle Pacific University's website or a brochure. It presents what the institution reported to the United States Department of Education, translated into language that does not require you to become an expert in federal codes to understand what you are looking at. In the end, that understanding is just one piece of the plan. Only you have the other two: what your child wants and what your family can afford.
What kind of school it is, in brief
Seattle Pacific University is in Seattle, Washington, within King County, in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metropolitan area. Its census code places it in a principal city with a population of 250,000 or more. That does not tell you how to get to campus or what is nearby; if your child plans to live at home, drive the route yourself on a weekday at the exact time of your child's classes. The map almost never gets the actual travel time right.
It is a private, nonprofit institution offering programs of four years or more. IPEDS—the federal system that collects these data—records the doctorate as the highest level it reports offering and classifies it as an institution that awards degrees primarily at the bachelor's level or above. That is an institutional category, not a list of programs: it does not tell you whether the major your child is interested in exists here or whether it connects to a graduate program. That must be asked program by program.
A separate system, the Carnegie Classification, describes it—using data from several years ago—as a medium-sized, highly residential school: at that time, at least half of its undergraduate students lived in institution-owned housing, and at least 80 out of every 100 attended full time. It is also listed among schools that receive many transfer students. If your child plans to come here after studying somewhere else, ask in writing which courses will count and which will not; that label tells you neither.
And here is a simple clarification that many families look for: Seattle Pacific University has none of these three federal designations: it is not a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 universities in this directory, 138 have at least one of the three designations. Not appearing on that list does not tell you which communities it serves today or how your child will feel there. Ask directly by talking with someone who already attends the campus.
How many students there are and who they are
Seattle Pacific had 2,659 students enrolled in the official fall count: 2,082 undergraduates and 577 graduate students. It is a medium-sized school, neither large nor small compared with similar selective private institutions. If your child is entering a bachelor's degree program, the number that matters is 2,082, not the total: the total includes people who have already completed an undergraduate degree.
Among undergraduates, 18 out of every 100 students identified as Hispanic or Latino in fall 2023. Compared with 941 selective private four-year schools that reported this information, that share is in the top quartile: three out of four schools in that group reported an equal or lower figure. It is not a majority, but it is not unusual either. Keep one real limitation in mind: that comparison does not account for the part of the country where each school is located, and here in the Northwest, that matters.
Two other pieces of context: there are more women than men—67 out of every 100—and students ages 25 to 64 are a minority, accounting for only 6 out of every 100. If your child enrolls directly after high school, most of the people around them will be at the same stage of life.
How the academic year is organized
Seattle Pacific operates on the quarter system: the year is divided into three terms of about 12 weeks each, with the possibility of a fourth term in the summer. This matters more than it may seem if your child ever considers transferring to or from a school that uses semesters: the calendars do not align automatically. Get written confirmation of how credits would be recognized in both directions.
The institution accepts credit for AP exams and military training, but it did not indicate that it accepts credit for life experience. Accepting AP credit does not mean that every score counts: ask for the exact equivalency table—what scores are required, how many credits are awarded, and whether those credits apply to your child's major—before assuming that it will save time or money.
The official student-to-instructional-staff ratio is 10 to 1, a low figure compared with similar schools. It is an institution-wide aggregate ratio: it does not tell you the actual size of first-year classes, and by itself it does not prove that more individual attention is available to each student. It is a clue, not a promise.
How degrees are distributed
In the latest year reported, the university awarded 641 bachelor's degrees across 23 fields of study—or what the government calls CIP families. No single field accounts for a large share: health professions was the largest, yet it represented only 17 out of every 100 degrees awarded that year. Compared with similar schools, Seattle Pacific ranks in the top quartile for the variety of fields of study represented in its offerings.
That does not mean there are 23 distinct majors or that all of them have active students: one field can include several programs, and a row may report no degrees awarded that year. The offerings look broad on paper; verify the exact program your child is interested in by its name, not by the field to which it belongs.
The institution also reports structured academic pathways: study abroad, teacher-certification preparation below the postsecondary level, training in certain teacher-specialization areas, and state approval of its initial teacher-certification program. Reporting an option confirms that it exists as a stated offering; it does not confirm availability, cost, or whether it applies to your child's specific plan.
Getting in: requirements, probability, and what happens afterward
There are three separate questions that many families mix together: What is required for admission? How likely is admission? And among those admitted, how many decide to enroll? Each must be answered separately.
What is required. Seattle Pacific does not have open admission: it reviews application materials before saying yes. Of nine possible considerations, excluding standardized tests and legacy status, it marked four as required: the high school transcript, high school GPA, letters of recommendation, and an English-proficiency exam for applicants to whom it applies. The list of what does not factor into the decision is longer: class rank, the specific high school curriculum completed, the personal essay, a portfolio or competency exam, work experience, and whether a family member attended the university. Gather the required items first; none of the others substitutes for them. And because letters of recommendation are required, request them a month in advance and provide a sheet reminding the teacher what your child has done over the past few years. The published application fee is $50.
How likely admission is. In the 2023 cycle, Seattle Pacific received 2,806 first-time applications and offered admission to 2,556 applicants. That is 91 out of every 100. Compared with similar selective private schools, it is on the more accessible side: seven out of ten schools in that group, or more, admitted an equal or lower percentage. It is a school that does admit students. But that figure covers the entire school during a single cycle: it does not tell you how much attendance will cost, how many students finish, or whether the specific major your child wants has its own separate screening process within the university. Ask those three questions separately.
What happens after admission. Out of every 100 applicants admitted in 2023, only 15 enrolled that fall. Put another way, out of every 7 young people who received a yes, roughly one ended up attending. That is a typical proportion among similar schools, not a warning sign. The federal record does not say why each person made that choice, and what other people decided does not tell you what the university will offer you. What matters is your letter showing your actual net price. Use that number to decide whether this school stays on the list.
Regarding standardized tests, neither the SAT nor the ACT is required. Among those who enrolled in 2023, 21 out of every 100 submitted SAT scores, and the middle half of that group scored between 530 and 660 in reading and writing and between 520 and 660 in mathematics. Those ranges describe students who enrolled and submitted scores, not all applicants: 530 is not a minimum, and 660 guarantees nothing.
Regarding transfers, among the cohort that entered in 2017, 27 out of every 100 transferred to another school without completing a credential here within the standard period. That share is slightly above the midpoint among similar schools. Separately—and unrelated to that outgoing-transfer figure—98 students arrived in fall 2023 and entered Seattle Pacific after studying at another institution. Keep this fact for later: someone who transfers does not count as a graduate of this school, even if that person completes a degree elsewhere. That matters greatly when we compare graduation rates.
The sticker price and what is actually paid
At Seattle Pacific University, the first-time, full-time, credential-seeking population receiving federal Title IV aid included 89 students whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000; their average net price was $19,348. In the same population, the group with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000 included 56 students and had an average net price of $23,893; the group with EFC family income above $110,000 included 97 students and had an average net price of $32,524. For dependent students, the income band combines their parents' income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band, which included 89 students, and the average for the highest-income band, which included 97 students, is $13,176. These are group averages, not a prediction of your family's price. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $26,155.
$19,348 was the average net price for families in the lowest-income band during the 2022-23 academic year. That does not mean it is what your family will pay. It helps you decide whether it is worth requesting the financial-aid letter.
Because the price changes so much from one income band to another, correctly identifying yours is the first step. The income bands on this page describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. When shown, the overall average for students receiving grant or scholarship aid describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships. The financial-aid letter sent to you is what matters.
How it is paid for: grants, loans, and what remains unknown
97 out of every 100 degree-seeking students received a grant, scholarship, or other aid that does not have to be repaid. Here, that is the norm rather than the exception. Among recipients, the annual average was $25,612, although some received much more and others much less. The federal Pell Grant, intended for low-income families, went to 33 out of every 100 students.
On the loan side, 51 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal loan in 2022-23, and the average among borrowers was $6,441 that year. If your child borrowed a similar amount each year throughout the program's four years, the total would be around $25,764, excluding interest and not including loans that parents sometimes take out, such as Parent PLUS, or debt from a bank or credit card. That amount is decided before the first signature, not at the end.
None of these percentages is your offer. A high average among aid recipients does not mean your aid will be that large. When your letter arrives, focus on a single number: how much your family would have to pay out of pocket. That is the figure to compare across schools, not the size of the advertised discount. The institution also reports offering a tuition installment plan, in case that helps manage cash flow during the year.
Campus life, athletics, and available support
Seattle Pacific has its own housing, but it does not require all first-time, full-time students to live there; the reported maximum capacity is 1,775 students, on or off campus. It also offers meal plans, with a fixed number of meals per week under its largest option. The existence of an option does not guarantee space: ask in writing for the year's rate, the deadline to apply for a room, and whether a place is guaranteed or your child will join a waiting list.
ROTC opportunities are available in two branches: Army and Navy. Air Force is not marked as available. Its reported availability does not tell you whether the program is offered on this campus or another nearby campus, nor does it indicate capacity or requirements: ask about it by name before building a plan around it.
The university competes in intercollegiate athletics and is affiliated with the NCAA. It specifically reports membership for basketball and cross-country or track and field. The affiliation belongs to the school, not to your child: if your child is interested in competing, write directly to the coach and ask about roster availability, division, and whether that sport offers scholarships.
Regarding distance education, the university offers it at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, but in the fall count, fewer than 1 out of every 100 undergraduate students took their entire course load remotely. The institution also reported that it does not offer a complete program—from beginning to end—that can be taken entirely through distance education. If this matters to your child, confirm it in writing for the exact major.
The library operates with paid staff, and its annual expenditures exceed the reporting threshold of $100,000 used by the government; it has physical and digital materials and participates in interlibrary lending. The institution also reports other forms of support: combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, placement services upon program completion, participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program for veterans, a dedicated point of contact for military families, and a published webpage for services for students with disabilities. Their inclusion in the report confirms that they exist as stated services; it does not measure how well they work for your child in particular. Ask by speaking with someone who already uses them.
How many stay and how many finish
For many families, this is the number that carries the most weight, and it deserves careful reading.
Among the cohort that entered in fall 2022 as full-time bachelor's-degree-seeking students, 75 out of every 100 were still enrolled here or had already graduated one year later. That share is slightly below the midpoint among similar schools—more comparable institutions retained a higher share. Importantly, this figure does not distinguish between "still here" and "already graduated," and not enrolling again is not the same as leaving school entirely. In this measure, someone who transferred to another university and continues studying there is counted the same as someone who stopped attending school altogether.
Regarding graduation, a cohort of 642 students entered in 2017 as full-time bachelor's-degree-seeking students, and 399 had earned a degree from Seattle Pacific itself within six years. That is 62 out of every 100. At four years—the period most families budget for—the figure is only 46 out of every 100, sixteen percentage points lower. The data do not say how many terms each person attended and do not report tuition, rent, or wages. Before signing anything, it is worth asking how required courses in the intended major are scheduled and how realistic it is to finish in four years.
Of those same 642 students, 176 transferred to another institution without completing a credential here, 4 remained enrolled without finishing within the measured period, and 63 fell into the federal category of "no longer enrolled"—a category that does not explain the reason and can include people who finished after the measured time limit.
There is also an eight-year measure using a broader cohort of 1,041 students who entered between July 2015 and June 2016, including full-time and part-time students: 67 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school by the August 2023 reporting date. Among Pell Grant recipients, the figure was 65 out of every 100, only three percentage points below the figure for nonrecipients. The rest of the cohort does not disappear into a single category: some remained enrolled, some had an unknown status for reporting purposes, and some may have completed a degree at another institution that this count does not capture. The data do not explain why each person followed a particular path.
What you now know and what remains yours to decide
You now know one real part of Seattle Pacific University: how it admits students, how much it costs on paper and in practice based on family income, how most families finance attendance there, and how likely students are to be admitted, stay, and finish. That is already more than most families know when they begin considering a school.
But this piece knows only the university. It does not know what your child wants to study, how far from home your child is willing to live, or how much your family can or is willing to pay without compromising everything else. Only you have those two pieces, and no federal data sheet will complete them for you.
If you are just beginning to consider this school, ask your child what is appealing about it and whether your child can imagine living in Seattle for the next several years. If your child is already preparing an application, gather the four required items first and request the letters of recommendation well in advance. And if your child has already received an offer, do not decide anything until you have the letter showing the exact net price in hand. That number—the one sent specifically to you—is the only one that truly matters when deciding whether this university fits your family's plan.
Source note: The information in this article comes from data reported by Seattle Pacific University to the United States Department of Education's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), primarily for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles, as well as Carnegie classifications based on data from earlier years, as indicated in the text. Best College Aid does not represent Seattle Pacific University or any government agency; this article organizes and explains public data for informational purposes.