Educating for Lives of Thoughtful Inquiry, Service, Leadership, and Care.

"We must spare no diligence, time, or cost in educating our children, that they might serve God and the world."
     ~Martin Luther (1483 - 1546)

More than 100 years ago, Scandinavian pioneers in the Northwest took Martin Luther's charge seriously. From the beginning their mission was clear: Educate students for lives of service. And indeed, for more than a century, PLU graduates have provided vital leadership and service throughout the world.

PLU's founders held an ambitious vision: a university that offered both a high-quality liberal arts education and the practical training needed for settlers on a raw frontier. The liberal arts built the critical thinking skills essential to lifelong learning and personal growth, and the practical education enabled graduates to assume leadership roles in the unfolding drama of the new frontier.

Since 1890, PLU has kept that vision, blending the liberal arts and professional programs. Today, we're called a New American University-a university which exposes its students to a broad range of ideas and helps you think through complex problems with an understanding of many points of view. Pacific Lutheran University is the only university in the Northwest identified as a member of the Associated New American Colleges.