University of Puget Sound is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Tacoma, Washington. It enrolls 1,594 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Below you'll find verified data on admissions, cost, student outcomes, programs offered, and what graduates typically earn, all pulled from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and IPEDS.
AccreditorNorthwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
US College Data scores each college on four pillars (outcomes, value, affordability, and selectivity) on a 0–100 scale, ranked within its peer group (4-Year Selective). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Good
59/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes70
Value13
Affordability9
Selectivity70
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
With an acceptance rate of 72.3%, University of Puget Sound is moderately selective.
Acceptance Rate
72.3%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1170 – 1380
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
27 – 31
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 University of Puget Sound is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Getting more selective ↓
7.5 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending University of Puget Sound isn't the sticker price. It's the net price,which is what most students actually pay after grants and scholarships. According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, the average net price is $38,394 per year. That's above the typical net price for private nonprofit colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$38,394
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
17%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
43%
Borrowing to attend
Full Cost Breakdown
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$62,898
Room & Board (on-campus)
$16,498
Room & Board (off-campus)
$16,498
Books & Supplies
$1,000
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,544
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,544
Total Cost of Attendance
$78,378
Application fee: $65 (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
$23,643
$30,001 – $48,000
$23,133
$48,001 – $75,000
$31,649
$75,001 – $110,000
$34,870
Over $110,000
$45,456
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.
$4,58410%percentile
$6,00025%percentile
$25,000Medianpercentile
$29,00075%percentile
$39,75090%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 $19,983
↓ $5,017
No Pell $18,500
↓ $6,500
Dependent students $19,000
↓ $6,000
Independent students $23,000
↓ $2,000
Female students $19,795
↓ $5,205
Male students $16,250
↓ $8,750
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $6,625, less than completers ($25,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
77% of full-time students who enrolled at University of Puget Sound graduate within six years, and 82% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
77%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
82%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Strong completion signals. Most students who start, finish.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, students who entered University of Puget Sound earn a median of $69,594 ten years after first enrolling. That's above the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$69,594
Earning > $25K
85%
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
$54,200
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$66,600
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$55,800
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$62,200
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$59,000
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $12,400, about 19% 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 ↑
13.9 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 94% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
University of Puget Sound is home to 1,594 students, a mid-sized community.
Total Enrolled
1,594
Part-Time
1%
First-Generation
12%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 66.1%1,053
Hispanic 11.4%181
Other 10.2%163
Asian 6.8%108
Black 3.1%50
International 0.4%7
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at University of Puget Sound. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Midsize CityTacoma, Washington
Housing
Strongly residential1,635 beds for 1,594 students
Adult Learners
2%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
What You Can Study
University of Puget Sound offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
41 distinct programs across
20 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.
The student-to-faculty ratio at University of Puget Sound is 10:1, low (small classes, more faculty contact).
Student : Faculty
10:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$637M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$103,221
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
192 instructional faculty across 4 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
98
51%
$118,886
Associate Professors
39
20%
$94,658
Assistant Professors
46
24%
$81,081
Instructors
9
5%
$82,918
Pros & Cons of University of Puget Sound
A quick at-a-glance summary of how University of Puget Sound tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
PROS
Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
Strong six-year graduation rate
Above-average post-graduation earnings
CONS
High net price compared to most US colleges
Very high published cost of attendance (full-pay families pay much more than the net-price average)
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Best for:
Based on the data, University of Puget Sound is a fit for
students prioritizing post-graduation earnings.
Frequently Asked Questions about University of Puget Sound
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about University of Puget Sound.
Is University of Puget Sound hard to get into?
Admissions at University of Puget Sound are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 72.3%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at University of Puget Sound?
University of Puget Sound has an acceptance rate of 72.3%, according to College Scorecard 2023-24 admissions data.
What SAT score do you need for University of Puget Sound?
The middle 50% of admitted students at University of Puget Sound scored between 1170 and 1380 on the SAT (Reading + Math combined). Scores at the higher end of that range improve admissions odds materially. Per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
What ACT score do you need for University of Puget Sound?
The middle 50% of admitted students at University of Puget Sound scored between 27 and 31 on the ACT composite. Scores in the upper half of that range strengthen an application. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does University of Puget Sound cost?
The average net price after aid at University of Puget Sound is $38,394 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is University of Puget Sound worth it?
Moderate return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $69,594 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $38,394 per year. That's roughly 1.8x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is University of Puget Sound known for?
University of Puget Sound is best known for its programs in Business Administration, Rehabilitation, Political Science. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do University of Puget Sound graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering University of Puget Sound are $69,594, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is University of Puget Sound accredited?
Yes. University of Puget Sound is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
How many students attend University of Puget Sound?
University of Puget Sound enrolls 1,594 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at University of Puget Sound?
University of Puget Sound graduates 77% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is University of Puget Sound a public or private college?
University of Puget Sound is a Private Nonprofit institution.
Where is University of Puget Sound located?
University of Puget Sound is located in Tacoma, Washington.
What programs does University of Puget Sound offer?
University of Puget Sound offers 41 distinct programs. The most popular include Business Administration, Rehabilitation, Political Science.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at University of Puget Sound?
The student-to-faculty ratio at University of Puget Sound is 10:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
Related Colleges in Washington
Other colleges in Washington 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.
Psychology
Teacher Education (K-12)
Business Administration
Related Guides
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 3,839 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, 3,839 colleges. The median school costs $16,371 a year, admits 78% of applicants, and enrolls 1,259 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.
