College · Private nonprofit · Storm Lake, IA · Town
Buena Vista University
Storm Lake, IA
Religious affiliation
Admit rate78%
6-yr median pay$44k
Net price / yr$19k
Undergrad size1,366
§ I · The real read
What it's actually like.
The bet
Net price of $19k/yr for a shot at a $44k first-5-year salary. Math out whether that works for you — it does for some people, not for others.
Getting in
Admit rate of 78% means this is workable if your grades and essays are solid. Admitted students average SAT 1120 · ACT 22.
If you get in
1,366 undergrads. Tiny. Every professor will know your name.
Where you live
Town setting — self-contained, social life mostly on campus.
§ II · Cost & aid
Sticker vs. real.
Sticker cost of attendance is $54k/yr. After need-based aid, the average student pays $19k/yr. Merit aid varies. Run your EFC calculator before you rule anything out.
Sticker · 4 yrs$217k
Before any aid.
Net · 4 yrs$75k
What the average student pays.
Typical aid$142k
Difference over 4 years — higher for lower-income households.
Payback1.7x
4-yr net price ÷ first-5-year salary. Lower is better.
Where the money goes · annual sticker.
- Tuition · in-state
- $41.8k
- Room & board
- $11.3k
- Books & supplies
- $2,089
How students pay for it.
Pell grants44%
Share of undergrads on federal Pell grants.
Federal loans67%
Share taking out federal student loans.
Median debt · grads$25k
What the median student owes at graduation. Non-completers: $8k.
3-yr default0%
Low — grads tend to pay on time.
§ III · Outcomes
Do people finish? Do they land?
1-yr retention76%
Watch this number.
Graduation · 6 yr62%
Majority finish.
6-yr median pay$44k
Cross-major. Your major's number can be very different.
10-yr median pay$49k
Ten years out — where grads tend to land career-wise.
Transfer out0%
Share of full-time students who transfer to another school.
§ IV · Campus & identity
Setting, size, and who this school is.
- Setting
- Town
- Control
- Private nonprofit
- Undergrad size
- 1,366
- Location
- Storm Lake, IA
- Region
- Plains (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD)
- Carnegie class
- Master's Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
- Size & setting
- Four-year · small · highly residential
- Undergrad program
- Four-year · full-time, selective, higher transfer-in
- Accreditor
- Higher Learning Commission
Identity
Religious affiliation
§ · Who studies here
The student body at a glance.
- White78%
- Hispanic13%
- Black3%
- Unknown2%
- Two or more races2%
- Asian1%
- International1%
First-gen students35%
Share whose parents didn't complete college.
Part-time13%
Mixed full-time and part-time.
Median family income$41k
Of enrolled students' households — useful for aid context.
§ V · Majors offered here · 54
What you can study.
- Finance$74k · 5-yr
- Biology/Biological Sciences$64k · 5-yr
- Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies$61k · 5-yr
- Business Administration and Management$59k · 5-yr
- Accounting$59k · 5-yr
- Marketing/Marketing Management$56k · 5-yr
- Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration$54k · 5-yr
- Agricultural Teacher Education$53k · 5-yr
- Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness$52k · 5-yr
- Criminal Justice and Corrections, General$46k · 5-yr
- Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching$45k · 5-yr
- Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$43k · 5-yr
- Psychology$38k · 5-yr
- Special Education and Teachingearnings not reported
- Education, Otherearnings not reported
- French Language and Literatureearnings not reported
- Pre-Law Studiesearnings not reported
- English Language and Literatureearnings not reported
- Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studiesearnings not reported
- Biochemistryearnings not reported
- Mathematicsearnings not reported
- Philosophy and Religious Studies, Otherearnings not reported
- Chemistryearnings not reported
- Physicsearnings not reported
- Human Services, Generalearnings not reported
- Public Administrationearnings not reported
- Social Workearnings not reported
- Criminologyearnings not reported
- Political Science and Governmentearnings not reported
- Design and Visual Communicationsearnings not reported
- Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Artsearnings not reported
- Art/Art Studiesearnings not reported
- Musicearnings not reported
- Arts, Entertainment, and Media Managementearnings not reported
- Cardiovascular Technology/Technologistearnings not reported
- Pre-Dentistry Studiesearnings not reported
- Art Therapy/Therapistearnings not reported
- Medical Illustration/Medical Illustratorearnings not reported
- Business/Commerceearnings not reported
- Business/Managerial Economicsearnings not reported
- Agriculture, Generalearnings not reported
- Historyearnings not reported
- Agricultural Business and Managementearnings not reported
- Animal Sciencesearnings not reported
- Soil Science and Agronomyearnings not reported
- Natural Resources/Conservationearnings not reported
- Speech Communication and Rhetoricearnings not reported
- Radio and Televisionearnings not reported
- Organizational Communicationearnings not reported
- Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Otherearnings not reported
- Graphic Communicationsearnings not reported
- Computer and Information Sciencesearnings not reported
- Computer Systems Analysis/Analystearnings not reported
- Educationearnings not reported