Point Loma Nazarene University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in San Diego, California. It enrolls 3,188 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorWestern Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Good
60/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes82
Value9
Affordability13
Selectivity54
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Point Loma Nazarene University admits 83.7% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.
Acceptance Rate
83.7%
Easy
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1175 – 1365
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
25 – 32
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Point Loma Nazarene University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Becoming less selective ↑
8.1 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $38,729 a year on average, it sits above what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. That is a serious number, so the earnings further down matter more here than usual. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$46,250
Room & Board (on-campus)
$13,650
Room & Board (off-campus)
$22,088
Books & Supplies
$1,062
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$4,448
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$6,930
Total Cost of Attendance
$60,488
Application fee: $55 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$30,999
$30,001 – $48,000
$32,117
$48,001 – $75,000
$32,888
$75,001 – $110,000
$33,003
Over $110,000
$41,680
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$4,50010%percentile
$8,70025%percentile
$22,990Medianpercentile
$27,00075%percentile
$31,00090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $19,500
↓ $3,490
No Pell $19,094
↓ $3,896
Dependent students $19,500
↓ $3,490
Independent students $18,750
↓ $4,240
Female students $19,500
↓ $3,490
Male students $19,000
↓ $3,990
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $15,000, less than completers ($22,990), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
70% of students who start here finish within six years, and 86% come back after first year. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
70%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
86%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
High first-year retention. Students who arrive tend to stay.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $63,998 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$63,998
Earning > $25K
81%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$48,600
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$63,900
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$53,200
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$52,900
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$55,800
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $15,300, about 24% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
8.4 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 90% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 3,188 students, a mid-sized community.
Total Enrolled
3,188
Part-Time
13%
First-Generation
29%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 51.6%1,644
Hispanic 27.0%860
Other 8.5%271
Asian 6.7%214
Black 2.1%67
International 1.2%37
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Point Loma Nazarene University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Point Loma Nazarene University offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
54 distinct programs across
23 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 13 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.
Student : Faculty
13:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$241M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$101,835
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
162 instructional faculty across 3 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
87
54%
$113,894
Associate Professors
53
33%
$92,976
Assistant Professors
22
14%
$75,485
Pros & Cons of Point Loma Nazarene University
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Point Loma Nazarene University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Best for:
Based on the data, Point Loma Nazarene University is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier.
Frequently Asked Questions about Point Loma Nazarene University
The questions families ask most about Point Loma Nazarene University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Point Loma Nazarene University hard to get into?
Not especially. Point Loma Nazarene University admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 83.7%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Point Loma Nazarene University?
83.7% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Point Loma Nazarene University?
Aim for 1365 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1175 and 1365 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Point Loma Nazarene University?
Aim for 32 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 25 and 32 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Point Loma Nazarene University cost?
Budget around $38,729 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Point Loma Nazarene University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $63,998 a year against a net price of $38,729, about 1.7 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Point Loma Nazarene University known for?
Mostly Education, General, Business Administration, Nursing. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Point Loma Nazarene University graduates earn?
About $63,998 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Point Loma Nazarene University accredited?
Yes. Point Loma Nazarene University is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission.
How many students attend Point Loma Nazarene University?
3,188 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Point Loma Nazarene University?
70% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Point Loma Nazarene University a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Point Loma Nazarene University located?
Point Loma Nazarene University is located in San Diego, California.
What programs does Point Loma Nazarene University offer?
54 different programs, most commonly Education, General, Business Administration, Nursing. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Point Loma Nazarene University?
13 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Related Colleges in California
Other colleges in California share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
How to Build Your College List Pillar
The full process of narrowing from 3,811 US colleges to a shortlist of ~10. Cost, location, size, selectivity, and fit factors that actually predict whether you'll thrive.
What actually makes a college work for first-generation students, the support and aid signals that predict success, and how to find the schools that deliver them using federal data.
How to find the colleges that deliver the strongest return on a STEM degree by weighing earnings outcomes against net cost, rather than chasing the most selective name.
Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
American Colleges by the Numbers
One federal dataset, 3,811 colleges. The median school costs $16,296 a year, admits 78% of applicants, and enrolls 1,280 students. The shape of US higher ed.
Higher education data
Net price
College enrollment
Acceptance rate
College ownership
Do Selective Schools Actually Graduate More Students?
Across 1,645 four-year colleges, graduation rates climb steadily with selectivity, from 54% at open-admission schools to 93% at the most exclusive. The gap is real.
Graduation rate
Acceptance rate
Selectivity
Completion
College outcomes
For-Profit Colleges Charge the Most and Pay the Least
For-profit colleges post the highest median net price of any sector and the lowest graduate earnings. They cost more than private nonprofits and pay less than publics.
For-profit colleges
Net price
Earnings
College ROI
College ownership
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.
