Point Loma Nazarene University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
Point Loma Nazarene University is a private college in California that admits most qualified applicants (around 84%), which puts it in the accessible range. A rate like this means it admits most qualified applicants; the bar is less about clearing a single cutoff and more about how your full profile compares to admitted students.
Use this page to see what Point Loma Nazarene University weighs, where it ranks among California schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1290, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at Point Loma Nazarene University?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into Point Loma Nazarene University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Point Loma Nazarene University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Point Loma Nazarene University?
At Point Loma Nazarene University, your real chance depends on far more than the published 84% admit rate. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Point Loma Nazarene University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Point Loma Nazarene University hard to get into?
Point Loma Nazarene University is accessible: it admits most qualified applicants, with about a 84% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
What GPA do you need to get into Point Loma Nazarene University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Point Loma Nazarene University, but admitted students span a wide GPA range, with many in the 2.8 to 3.5 band. Point Loma Nazarene University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at Point Loma Nazarene University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Point Loma Nazarene University for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 3 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at Point Loma Nazarene University with a 3.1 GPA and a 1270 SAT?
About 98% (Safety), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.1 unweighted GPA and a 1270 SAT, the middle of Point Loma Nazarene University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.4 GPA with a 1370 SAT comes out near 98%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/point-loma-nazarene-university.
How to get into Point Loma Nazarene University
Built from Point Loma Nazarene University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
Getting into Point Loma Nazarene University comes down to four decisions, each one visible in the data on this page.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Point Loma Nazarene University carries about a 3.08 core GPA and a 1315 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
The admitted middle 50% is 1175 to 1365 SAT (25 to 32 ACT). Submit a score at 1270 or higher; below 1175, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
Point Loma Nazarene University rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
An early application signals interest and gets your file read before the pool fills. Most early deadlines fall on November 1 and Regular Decision on January 1 to 15; confirm Point Loma Nazarene University's exact dates at www.pointloma.edu.
How many students apply to Point Loma Nazarene University, and how many get in?
3,065 students applied to Point Loma Nazarene University for fall 2023; 2,506 were admitted (81.8%). 657 enrolled. Only about 26% of admitted students enrolled, so the school admits several students for every seat it expects to fill, which is why its acceptance rate reads higher than its selectivity feels. Point Loma Nazarene University enrolls about 3,188 undergraduates in total, 65% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 13 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Point Loma Nazarene University?
Admitted students at Point Loma Nazarene University post SAT scores of 1175 to 1365 in the middle 50%, with an average of 1287. On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 25 to 32. A score above 1365 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 1175 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Point Loma Nazarene University is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What Point Loma Nazarene University looks for
What Point Loma Nazarene University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
Point Loma Nazarene University signals that it values rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores above the rest of the file. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from Point Loma Nazarene University's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at Point Loma Nazarene University
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does Point Loma Nazarene University cost after financial aid?
The full sticker price at Point Loma Nazarene University (tuition, fees, housing, food, books) is about $60,488 a year. Tuition and fees alone are $46,250. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $38,729 a year, and it ranges from $30,999 for families earning under $30,000 to $41,680 for families earning over $110,000. 21% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do Point Loma Nazarene University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Median earnings for Point Loma Nazarene University students ten years after entry are $63,998 ($54,811 at the six-year mark). 77% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 86% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $22,990; 50% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How Point Loma Nazarene University compares in California
Point Loma Nazarene University ranks #37 most selective of 61 schools in California in our database.
Among the 61 California schools we track, Point Loma Nazarene University ranks #37 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like California Institute of Technology (3%) and Stanford University (4%) sit nearby, which makes California a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list.
Similar to Point Loma Nazarene University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
If Point Loma Nazarene University is on your list, schools with a similar admit profile are worth a look: Duquesne University, Houston Christian University, and Dominican University (CA). Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What is Point Loma Nazarene University's acceptance rate?
Point Loma Nazarene University admitted 2,506 of 3,065 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 81.8% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 26% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for Point Loma Nazarene University?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1175 to 1365 on the SAT and 25 to 32 on the ACT. A score above 1365 is in the top quarter of admits. Point Loma Nazarene University is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is Point Loma Nazarene University test-optional?
Yes. Point Loma Nazarene University reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does Point Loma Nazarene University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Point Loma Nazarene University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $38,729 a year against a sticker price of about $60,488. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $30,999 on average.
What do Point Loma Nazarene University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Point Loma Nazarene University are $63,998 a year among students who received federal aid, and 77% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Point Loma Nazarene University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Point Loma Nazarene University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Point Loma Nazarene University consider legacy or demonstrated interest?
Many private colleges weigh legacy relationships and demonstrated interest. Point Loma Nazarene University's full factor profile is charted on this page, and CollegeCalcAI models a legacy effect scaled to a school's selectivity.
How can I improve my chances at Point Loma Nazarene University?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Point Loma Nazarene University specifically.
What are the admission requirements for Point Loma Nazarene University?
Point Loma Nazarene University reviews GPA, course rigor, test scores (where submitted), activities, and essays. With a more accessible acceptance rate, meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.