Wartburg College vs Buena Vista University

Wartburg College and Buena Vista University, both esteemed private institutions in Iowa, offer distinct educational experiences. Wartburg, rooted in the Lutheran tradition, boasts a higher acceptance rate (75%) compared to Buena Vista's selective admissions (68%). While Wartburg's student body is predominantly White (88%), Buena Vista fosters a more diverse community, with 30% of its students identifying as minorities. Both colleges excel in certain academic areas: Wartburg is renowned for its strong programs in nursing, education, and business, while Buena Vista shines in exercise science, business, and education. With similar graduation rates hovering around 60%, both institutions prioritize student success. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these colleges' unique offerings and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Buena Vista University	Wartburg College
Overview
Location	Storm Lake, Iowa	Waverly, Iowa
Campus setting	Town: Remote	Town: Distant
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	4-1-4	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	73.0%	74.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation	Presbyterian	Evangelical

Admission
Acceptance rate	66.0%	82.8%
Application fees
SAT range	963 - 1140	973 - 1198
ACT range	18 - 25	20 - 26
Students submitting SAT score	8.0%	8.0%
Students submitting ACT score	57.0%	49.0%
Total number of applicants	1,749	4,024
Total number of admissions given out	1,154	3,330
Admitted students who chose to enroll	237	413
Yield rate	20.5%	12.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$53,162	$59,890
Average net price	$18,532	$23,022
Tuition	$37,518	$45,200
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,114 Meal plan: $5,256	Room/dormitory: $5,730 Meal plan: $4,260
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $31,137	95.0% Average amount $34,498
Students receiving federal student loan	72.0% Average amount $5,750	72.0% Average amount $5,442
Students taking out private loans	29.0% Average amount $5,551	13.0% Average amount $14,049

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,506 Men 36.5% Women 63.5%	1,516 Men 47.9% Women 52.1%
Graduate students	453 Men 16.3% Women 83.7%	25 Men 28.0% Women 72.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	39.4%	27.7%
International students	0.5%	6.1%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	836	1,409
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Iowa Texas Nebraska Minnesota Arizona	Iowa Illinois Minnesota Wisconsin Colorado

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Business Psychology Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Computer and Information Science	Education Communication and Journalism Business Public Administration and Social Service Engineering
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	14:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	62.8%	69.9%
Dropout rate	36.8%	29.8%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $58,501 Year 2: $58,943 Year 3: $61,003 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,278 Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $52,709 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $45,249 Year 2: $45,455 Year 3: $48,387 Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,936 Year 2: $43,426 Year 3: $46,768 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,901 Year 2: $47,494 Year 3: $46,501 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,530 Year 2: $35,416 Year 3: $45,327 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,042 Year 2: $40,089 Year 3: $45,181 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,301 Year 2: $39,369 Year 3: $44,742 Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,198 Year 2: $35,416 Year 3: $43,790 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,262 Year 2: $37,819 Year 3: $37,074	Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $55,999 Year 2: $55,286 Year 3: $63,021 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,367 Year 2: $47,595 Year 3: $53,215 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,779 Year 2: $38,829 Year 3: $44,236 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,368 Year 2: $41,193 Year 3: $42,652 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,087 Year 2: $35,546 Year 3: $39,411 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,075 Year 2: $30,771 Year 3: $37,759 Social Work (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $26,121 Year 3: $33,732 Engineering Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,225 Year 2: $58,221 Year 3: N/A Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: N/A Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,030 Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: N/A

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