Pacific University
Forest Grove, Oregon · Private Nonprofit · 89.6% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 52/100 · Below Average Value
Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon scores 52 out of 100, sitting in the Below Average Value tier. The Oregon private posts a mixed picture: a strong 67% completion rate, an 84.8% three-year repayment rate, and a manageable 11-year payback period suggest the institution executes well on student success and debt management. But the financials are expensive. Tuition runs $56,374, net price is $35,273, and 4-year cost reaches $141,092. Median 6-year earnings of $35,800 climb to $60,583 by year 10, a respectable trajectory driven by Pacific's strength in health sciences (optometry, dental hygiene, pharmacy pre-professional pipeline). Median debt is moderate at $23,223 with a 0.649 debt-to-earnings ratio. The bottom line: Pacific is a price-sensitive bet that the long-run earnings curve, anchored by its health-professions reputation, justifies the sticker. For students who land in dental hygiene or other health-services majors, the math is fine. For students in education, kinesiology, or communications, the debt service is uncomfortable against year-one earnings.
Pacific University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $56,374/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $56,374/yr |
| Average net price | $35,273/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $141,092 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $60,583 |
| Median earnings (6yr post-entry) | $35,800 |
| Median debt at graduation | $23,223 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $246 |
| Estimated payback period | 11 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 67.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,516 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The sticker price at Pacific University is $56,374/year. But sticker price isn't what most students pay. After grants, scholarships, and financial aid, the average student pays a net price of $35,273/year, or roughly $141,092 over four years.
That net price varies significantly by family income. The lowest-income families (under $30,000/year) pay an average of $23,318/year, while families earning over $110,000 pay $40,911/year.
The median graduate leaves with $23,223 in federal loan debt, translating to an estimated monthly payment of $246 on a standard 10-year repayment plan. Against median earnings of $60,583 ten years out, the debt-to-earnings ratio is 0.65 - within the recommended range but worth monitoring.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $23,318 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $23,607 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $29,844 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $34,369 |
| $110,001+ | $40,911 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $23,318 net, and the $30,001-$48,000 band pays $23,607, essentially flat. Pacific's lowest-income aid is generous relative to sticker, but $23K per year still requires significant Pell, state grants, and federal loans. Over four years that is $93,272, which is high for households with no parental contribution capacity.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $29,844 and the $75,001-$110,000 bracket pays $34,369. The aid curve steepens through the middle, with families giving up roughly $6,000 per year as income rises by $30K. Against $60,583 in 10-year earnings, this is the bracket where the math is most strained and where federal loan caps frequently leave a gap.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $40,911 net, $15,463 below the $56,374 sticker. Pacific's pricing assumes high-income families can self-fund a substantial portion. For families who can pay, the residential health-sciences experience and graduate-school pipeline can justify the cost; for those forced into PLUS loans, the payback math weakens considerably.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Pacific University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | $53,092 | D |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $56,053 | F |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $61,696 | C |
| Dental Support Services | $78,641 | B |
| Psychology | $62,484 | D |
| Public Health | $55,116 | D |
| Education, General | $53,333 | D |
| Natural Resources Conservation | $47,202 | - |
| Political Science and Government | $64,029 | - |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | $76,880 | B+ |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Biology
Biology is Pacific's largest undergraduate cohort at 46 graduates, with $34,612 in first-year earnings and $53,092 at year four. The 0.752 debt-to-earnings ratio against $26,021 of debt earns a D grade, reflecting the classic pre-health bottleneck: undergraduates who continue to graduate or medical school see strong long-term earnings, but Scorecard captures only the 4-year-post-degree window, undercounting the eventual physician, optometrist, or pharmacist earnings of the cohort that continues.
Kinesiology and Exercise Science
With 45 graduates and a 1.024 debt-to-earnings ratio that earns an F, kinesiology is structurally the weakest program at Pacific. First-year earnings of $26,219 cannot service $26,848 of debt, and even the 4-year figure of $56,053 lags peers. The pattern is consistent with national kinesiology data: most graduates require an additional credential (DPT, athletic training certification, teaching license) for the field to pay, and Pacific's pricing makes the undergraduate-only outcome especially punishing.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business posts 34 graduates with $44,435 in 1-year earnings, $61,696 at 4 years, and a 0.585 debt-to-earnings ratio earning a C grade. This is one of the few undergraduate programs where the math approaches breakeven without graduate school. Pacific business graduates are entering management, sales, and operations roles with earnings trajectories that pull cleanly above the school median, and $26,000 of debt is comfortably serviceable on $44K starting pay.
Dental Support Services
Dental hygiene is the star of Pacific's undergraduate ROI: 30 graduates, $76,060 in first-year earnings, $78,641 at year four, and a 0.373 debt-to-earnings ratio earning a B grade. This is the program that anchors the school's career-school identity. The hygienist credential leads directly to licensed clinical work with stable earnings, and $28,375 of debt is easily serviced. Students targeting this specific pathway have a coherent value case at Pacific.
Psychology
Psychology graduates 29 students with $34,930 in 1-year earnings and $62,484 at year four. The 0.773 debt-to-earnings ratio earns a D grade and reflects the classic psychology paradox: undergraduate-only earnings are weak, but the long-run curve bends upward as graduates pursue counseling, social work, or PhD pathways. Students should plan for graduate study; the undergraduate degree alone leaves the debt math uncomfortable.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 78.6% | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | 84.8% | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 82.2% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | 85.5% | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 89.6% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 420-610 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 480-630 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 18-29 |
| Enrollment | 1,516 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 27.8% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $9,129 |
Pacific admits 89.6% of applicants, putting it firmly in open-access territory. SAT mid-ranges of 420-610 math and 480-630 reading span a wide academic band, and ACT mid-ranges of 18-29 reinforce that. The wide ranges suggest Pacific accepts both very prepared and underprepared students; the 67% completion rate is solid for that admissions profile, evidence that academic support is working for most enrollees but not all.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Pacific's Scorecard peers include George Fox University, a fellow Oregon private with comparable enrollment and a similar liberal arts plus health-sciences blueprint. George Fox tends to post slightly stronger ROI scores driven by a tighter net-price stack. Hardin-Simmons University in Texas and Southern Nazarene University in Oklahoma are religiously affiliated regional privates with lower price tags and lower earnings. Randolph-Macon College in Virginia is a traditional liberal arts peer. Pacific's distinguishing feature versus the peer set is the health-professions infrastructure, which produces the 4-year earnings outliers in dental and medical administrative services.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific University (this school) | 52 | $35,273 | $60,583 |
| George Fox University | 57 | $31,679 | $59,761 |
| Southern Nazarene University | 55 | $22,084 | $54,951 |
| Randolph-Macon College | 52 | $27,866 | $58,448 |
| Hardin-Simmons University | 51 | $19,555 | $54,771 |
| New Hope Christian College-Eugene | 22 | $21,600 | $31,115 |
Who Thrives Here
Pacific fits Pacific Northwest students drawn to a residential private with a strong feeder pipeline into health professions, especially optometry, dental, and physical therapy programs. With 1,516 undergraduates and a 27.8% Pell rate, the campus is small-to-midsize and economically diverse. Strong fits are students targeting health-sciences pathways and pre-professional tracks where the upper-class clinical exposure and graduate-school connections pay off. Weaker fits are students pursuing humanities or social sciences who would borrow heavily; year-one earnings in education and psychology cannot service the typical debt load.
The Verdict: Proceed With Caution
The financial case for Pacific University is mixed. At $35,273 per year net cost, graduates earn a median of $60,583 ten years after entry - a payback period of 11 years. That's below the average return for four-year institutions, and prospective students should carefully consider whether the investment aligns with their financial goals.
Key strengths include high loan repayment success. However, the data also shows weak earnings relative to cost and high debt relative to what graduates earn.
Median debt of $23,223 against $60,583 in earnings is reasonable, though major choice matters significantly. Students in higher-earning programs will see better returns.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.