The average acceptance rate at PLNU over the past 10 years is 77.46%, and the most recent acceptance rate is 83.68%. The acceptance rate at PLNU is relatively high, giving applicants a greater chance of admission.
The average yield (enrollment rate) over the period is 25.95%, and the 2025 yield is 21.41%. Overall, the yield has decreased by 28.36% from 2015 to 2025.
The number of PLNU applicants increased by 6.53% (200 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 16.23% overall.
The current acceptance rate for the 2025 admission cycle is 83.68%, showing a decreasing selectivity trend. This suggests that PLNU is admitting a higher proportion of applicants, which may indicate either an increase in application quality or a strategic enrollment decision by the institution.
The admission yield (the percentage of admitted students who enroll) for the 2025 academic year is 21.41%. The declining yield trend suggests that a lower percentage of admitted students are choosing to enroll at PLNU. This pattern may reflect increased competition from peer institutions, changing student demographics, or shifts in institutional enrollment strategy.
For the 2025 admission cycle, PLNU received approximately 3,265 applications, admitted 2,732 students, and enrolled 585 students. The rising application volume trend indicates that PLNU is attracting an increasing number of prospective students over time. This growth in applications typically reflects enhanced institutional visibility, improved marketing initiatives, or increasing perceived value in the higher education market.
PLNU 10-Year Admission Rate Summary: The acceptance rate trends at PLNU over the past decade show a relatively stable trend, with fluctuations in both directions. The average acceptance rate over this period is 77.46%, while the most recent rate stands at 83.68%. This data reflects the institution's evolving competitiveness in the higher education admissions landscape.
For the most recent admission cycle (2025), the acceptance rate is 83.68%. By gender, the average acceptance rate for men is 85.22% and for women is 73.85%.
The following table and chart show how acceptance rates at PLNU have changed over the past 10 years (2015-2025).
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 71.34% | 76.16% | 69.35% |
| 2016-17 | 69.42% -1.92% |
74.92% -1.23% |
66.93% -2.42% |
| 2017-18 | 76.29% 6.87% |
82.50% 7.58% |
73.45% 6.52% |
| 2018-19 | 68.93% -7.36% |
80.62% -1.88% |
63.81% -9.64% |
| 2019-20 | 73.66% 4.73% |
85.53% 4.91% |
68.39% 4.58% |
| 2020-21 | 83.55% 9.89% |
92.59% 7.06% |
79.64% 11.25% |
| 2021-22 | 83.99% 0.43% |
90.96% -1.63% |
80.00% 0.36% |
| 2022-23 | 81.93% -2.06% |
89.97% -0.99% |
78.21% -1.79% |
| 2023-24 | 81.76% -0.17% |
89.54% -0.43% |
77.86% -0.34% |
| 2024-25 | 83.68% 1.91% |
89.39% -0.15% |
80.83% 2.97% |
| Average | 77.46% | 85.22% | 73.85% |
PLNU has demonstrated a decline in admission yield over the past 10 years. The institution's yield rate has decreased from 29.89% in 2015 to 21.41% in 2025, representing a 28.36% decrease. The 10-year average yield stands at 25.95%, reflecting weakening enrollment performance.
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in yield at PLNU from 2015 to 2025. The admission yield has decreased by 28.36% over this period.
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 29.89% | 32.91% | 28.52% |
| 2016-17 | 27.06% -2.83% |
28.86% -4.05% |
26.15% -2.37% |
| 2017-18 | 26.94% -0.12% |
26.99% -1.87% |
26.91% 0.76% |
| 2018-19 | 27.44% 0.50% |
26.38% -0.61% |
28.03% 1.12% |
| 2019-20 | 25.35% -2.09% |
23.75% -2.62% |
26.24% -1.79% |
| 2020-21 | 22.48% -2.87% |
18.06% -5.69% |
24.71% -1.53% |
| 2021-22 | 25.99% 3.51% |
26.00% 7.94% |
26.02% 1.31% |
| 2022-23 | 26.74% 0.75% |
27.76% 1.75% |
26.20% 0.18% |
| 2023-24 | 26.22% -0.53% |
22.05% -5.71% |
28.62% 2.41% |
| 2024-25 | 21.41% -4.80% |
19.09% -2.96% |
22.69% -5.93% |
| Average | 25.95% | 25.19% | 26.41% |
Over the past 10 years, The average number of applicants is 3,122, the average number of admitted is 2,415, and the average number of first-year enrolled students is 623.
The number of PLNU applicants increased by 6.53% (200 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 16.23% overall.
The following table and chart show the changes of applicants, admitted, and enrolled headcount at Point Loma Nazarene University from 2015 to 2025.
| Year | Applicants | Admitted | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 2,809 | 2,004 | 599 |
| 2016-17 | 3,162 12.57% |
2,195 9.53% |
594 -0.83% |
| 2017-18 | 3,007 -4.90% |
2,294 4.51% |
618 4.04% |
| 2018-19 | 3,473 15.50% |
2,394 4.36% |
657 6.31% |
| 2019-20 | 3,277 -5.64% |
2,414 0.84% |
612 -6.85% |
| 2020-21 | 2,949 -10.01% |
2,464 2.07% |
554 -9.48% |
| 2021-22 | 3,060 3.76% |
2,570 4.30% |
668 20.58% |
| 2022-23 | 3,149 2.91% |
2,580 0.39% |
690 3.29% |
| 2023-24 | 3,065 -2.67% |
2,506 -2.87% |
657 -4.78% |
| 2024-25 | 3,265 6.53% |
2,732 9.02% |
585 -10.96% |
| Average | 3,122 | 2,415 | 623 |
The following table compares Point Loma Nazarene University' acceptance rate to similar schools.
| 2024 | 2025 | Change % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Point Loma Nazarene University | 81.76% | 83.68% | 2.35% |
| University of Southern California | 9.81% | 10.02% | -2.10% |
| University of the People | - | - | - |
| National University | - | - | - |
| Stanford University | 3.61% | 3.91% | -7.67% |
| California Baptist University | 84.88% | 73.57% | 15.37% |
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