Point Loma Nazarene University

PLNU is an online school offering flexible, faith-based degrees for working students. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 23% of undergraduate and 45% of graduate students are engaged in at least some online courses. 

Although PLNU has an excellent graduation rate, its tuition costs are significantly higher than other four-year universities. According to the federal data reported by the U.S. Department of Education via College Scorecard, students spend an average of $33,500 per year, which is ~$14,600 more than the midpoint for all universities.

Students should also consider a school's accreditation before applying. This refers to the status of a school's legitimacy. It's a stamp of approval showing that a school's program and faculty have been thoroughly examined for quality by a third-party education agency. PLNU is accredited by WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). 

All online schools featured on OnlineU are accredited.

PLNU is known for offering a Christ-centered education. This mission applies to the Foundational Explorations core curriculum, which requires first-year students to take eight credits in Biblical Foundations and The Christian Tradition. Chapel attendance is required for all undergraduate students, although it's unclear how this affects online learners. 

The highest-earning degree at PLNU is the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN), where graduates earn a median annual salary of $100,400, according to College Scorecard. The Bachelor of Business Administration - Marketing is the second highest-earning online degree. Graduates of this program can expect to earn $73,700.

Students can also explore OnlineU's proprietary earnings metric, Salary Score. Alum salaries are scored on a 1 to 100 scale by comparing different schools using the same degree data. PNLU, for example, scores a 71 for its bachelor's degrees and 77 for its master's degrees. 

PLNU accepts most students who apply, making it easier to get into than many other four-year universities. Data from College Scorecard shows that 84% of first-year applicants are accepted for enrollment. 

There is no GPA minimum needed to get into PLNU. The school uses a holistic approach to admissions by considering students' overall academic and life experiences. GPA requirements are an important consideration when choosing a college, so it is worth noting that some programs, such as PLNU's Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, do require applicants with less than 24 college credits to have a 2.5 GPA. 

The process for applying to college as an online student consists of the steps below:

• Fill out the PNLU online application. 
• Submit two letters of recommendation. (Online forms are sent directly to one academic and one spiritual counselor to fill out on students' behalf.)
• Pay the $55 application fee.
• Submit academic transcripts.
• Although PLNU does not require students to submit their college entrance exams, scores are accepted if they wish to include them in their application. 
• Students can request an admissions interview at the end of the application, which is strongly encouraged.

If you want to explore other options for higher education, check out our list of the top online colleges.