More selective than 38% of Illinois colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $40,625. College Scorecard.
Higher than 52% of Illinois colleges we cover and 62% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 54% of Illinois colleges we cover and 67% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Aurora University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 5,264 applicants, Aurora University admitted 4,482 and 829 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 900–1150 on the SAT or 21–29 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Aurora University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Aurora University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Aurora University took 4.3 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Illinois. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $14,525 | $62,022 | 2.7 years |
| $30–48k | $14,089 | $60,160 | 2.6 years |
| $48–75k | $15,431 | $65,890 | 2.9 years |
| $75–110k | $19,300 | $82,411 | 3.6 years |
| $110k+ | $24,595 | $105,021 | 4.6 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (46% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($58,709) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $22,912 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Aurora University majors, earnings & careers
Aurora University offers 45 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 8
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 8
- Business & Finance · 6
- Health & Medicine · 6
- Science & Math · 5
- Arts & Design · 4
- Education · 3
- Engineering · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
Highest-earning majors at Aurora University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $90,089 | $25,625 |
| Nursing | $84,022 | $26,000 |
| Finance | $77,436 | $24,499 |
| Accounting | $74,820 | $23,452 |
| Marketing | $64,813 | $22,900 |
| Business Administration | $64,446 | $25,000 |
| Criminal Justice | $60,808 | $23,635 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $60,775 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 45 majors
- Accounting$74,820
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Biology$52,159
- Business—
- Business Administration$64,446
- Chemistry—
- Communications$50,079
- Computer Engineering—
- Computer Science$90,089
- Criminal Justice$60,808
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$46,609
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Engineering—
- English—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies$44,786
- Finance$77,436
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- History—
- Information Technology—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$49,471
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$60,775
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Marketing$64,813
- Mathematics—
- Music—
- Nursing$84,022
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management—
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies—
- Philosophy—
- Political Science$58,503
- Pre-Med / Pre-Health$52,987
- Psychology$55,697
- Psychology (Research)—
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
- Religious Studies—
- Social Work$55,546
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education—
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders—
- Studio Art—
- Sustainability Studies—
- Theatre—
- Writing—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Social Work → Social worker
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 4.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Chicago
Overall prices in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $2,011. Housing costs 12% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 39 inches of rain a year, 28 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Kane County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Kane County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Aurora University with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Illinois by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora University | 81% | $18,838 | 60% | $58,709 | This school |
| Saint Xavier University | 84% | $10,970 | 57% | $58,656 | |
| Lewis University | 71% | $17,028 | 67% | $66,099 | |
| School of the Art Institute of Chicago | 77% | $49,790 | 67% | $40,151 | |
| North Central College | 77% | $21,044 | 64% | $60,123 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Aurora University would cost you $7,868 more per year than Saint Xavier University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Aurora University, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$8,770).
- Saint Xavier University gives aided families $10,487 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Illinois resident | Aurora University | Saint Xavier University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $29,170 | $37,940 | −$8,770 |
| Books & supplies | $1,200 | $1,200 | $0 |
| Housing & meals | $13,240 | $12,480 | +$760 |
| Personal & travel | $3,204 | $2,328 | +$876 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$6,189 | −$10,704 | +$4,515 |
| Sticker price | $40,625 | $43,244 | −$2,619 |
| Average grants | −$21,787 | −$32,274 | +$10,487 |
| You pay | $18,838 | $10,970 | +$7,868 |
“+” means Aurora University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Aurora University
What is the Aurora University acceptance rate?
Aurora University accepts 81% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 4,482 of 5,264 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 900–1150 on the SAT or 21–29 on the ACT.
How much does Aurora University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $40,625 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $18,838 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $14,525 and families earning $110k+ pay $24,595.
How much do Aurora University graduates earn?
Former Aurora University students earn a median $58,709 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Aurora University graduation rate?
60% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 77% return for their second year.
How long does a Aurora University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Aurora University costs about $65,890 after grants ($15,431 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $58,709 ten years after starting, $22,912 more than high school graduates in Illinois ($35,797), so the cost is repaid in 2.9 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Aurora University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/aurora-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).