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Is Seattle Pacific University worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Seattle Pacific, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Workable
Seattle Pacific lands in the workable band for a typical family. Median debt of $22,827 can be carried by median long-run earnings of $71,277, but the margin is not huge. For context, Seattle Pacific's net price is about 15% above the typical 4-year, private nonprofit school. This is the kind of school where your actual aid offer can move the answer meaningfully.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 1237 similar 4-year, private nonprofit schools
This school
$26,155
/yrAverage school like this
$22,837
/yrNet price is slightly above average
You'd pay about $3,318 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $13,000 in extra cost.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price sits in a range that leaves more room for family cash flow and lower borrowing.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data does not create enough margin to fully offset the cost.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$25,419
Median earnings 10 years out
$71,277
Median debt at graduation
$22,827
Graduation rate
59%
At Seattle Pacific, a typical graduate carries about $22,827 in student debt and earns roughly $71,277 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $260 per month, or 4% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
How earnings compare to a high school diploma
Graduates earn $36,250 more than the typical working high school graduate in Washington ($35,027) ten years after entering this school. A federal rule finalized in July 2026 ties each undergraduate program's federal loan eligibility to a comparison like this one, with the first calculations expected in 2027.
The national figure is $31,269. The Department of Education uses it instead of the state figure when fewer than half of a school's students come from its state.
83% of former students here earned more than the typical high school graduate ten years after entry, by College Scorecard's own measure.
Context, not a federal determination. The benchmarks are the Department of Education's published thresholds (2024 notice, based on 2022 Census data); thresholds under the 2026 rule have not been released yet. The official test looks at each program's graduates four years after completion; our figure is College Scorecard's median for the whole school, ten years after entry. How this works
Program earnings vs. the federal benchmark
Median earnings of working graduates four years after finishing each undergraduate program, next to the benchmark the federal earnings test uses: the typical working high school graduate aged 25–34 in Washington ($35,027).
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor's degree · 16 working graduates counted
$32,456
$2,571 below the benchmark
Sociology
Bachelor's degree · 25 working graduates counted
$46,974
$11,947 above the benchmark
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
Bachelor's degree · 18 working graduates counted
$50,235
$15,208 above the benchmark
Theological and Ministerial Studies
Bachelor's degree · 17 working graduates counted
$50,557
$15,530 above the benchmark
English Language and Literature, General
Bachelor's degree · 24 working graduates counted
$52,378
$17,351 above the benchmark
Psychology, General
Bachelor's degree · 52 working graduates counted
$58,749
$23,722 above the benchmark
Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations
Bachelor's degree · 22 working graduates counted
$62,392
$27,365 above the benchmark
Communication and Media Studies
Bachelor's degree · 57 working graduates counted
$62,411
$27,384 above the benchmark
Political Science and Government
Bachelor's degree · 28 working graduates counted
$62,972
$27,945 above the benchmark
Economics
Bachelor's degree · 36 working graduates counted
$66,787
$31,760 above the benchmark
43 other undergraduate programs here have no four-year earnings figure, usually because too few graduates were counted to publish one. That says nothing about how those programs do. See every program on College Scorecard
An estimate, not an official determination. Under a federal rule taking effect July 1, 2027, programs below this benchmark in official results may face limits on federal student loans; Pell Grants are not affected. The official test uses finer program categories, different graduating classes and the Department's own records; its first results are expected in 2027. Programs that train for tipped jobs, such as cosmetology and massage, won't be rated on 2025 earnings, and the Department decides which programs qualify. Earnings: College Scorecard field-of-study data (released Oct 15, 2026). Benchmark: Department of Education published thresholds (2024 notice).
Represent Seattle Pacific University and think a figure here is wrong? Request a correction and we'll check it against the latest College Scorecard release.
What this means for your family
Seattle Pacific is a private nonprofit four year school in Seattle, WA. Private pricing can swing more dramatically based on aid, so your personalized score matters more here than the national average view alone.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
Private nonprofit 4-year
Saint Martin's
Lacey, WA
Worth-It Score: 62/100
Median net price: $25,472
Private nonprofit 4-year
Walla Walla
College Place, WA
Worth-It Score: 59/100
Median net price: $27,786
Private nonprofit 4-year
Whitworth
Spokane, WA
Worth-It Score: 68/100
Median net price: $23,009
Private nonprofit 4-year
Whitman
Walla Walla, WA
Worth-It Score: 69/100
Median net price: $29,486
Private nonprofit 4-year
Northwest
Kirkland, WA
Worth-It Score: 67/100
Median net price: $22,071
Common questions about Seattle Pacific
The median net price at Seattle Pacific is $25,419 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at private colleges options in Washington? See the most affordable private colleges in Washington →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →
What families actually paid
The published price is rarely what anyone pays. Pick a household income range to see what students at Seattle Pacific in that range paid on average, after grants and scholarships.
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All students who received aid
$25,419a year, on average
Average for first-time, full-time students who received federal financial aid, 2024-25. It does not include transfer or part-time students, and it is an average rather than a quote — what you pay depends on your own circumstances and the aid this school offers you. Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS.
Now work out how to pay for it, cheapest money first.
A Worth-It Score tells you whether the price is justified. The 2026-27 funding guide covers the borrowing order, what changed on July 1, 2026, and the current limits.
Open the 2026-27 funding guide →