More selective than 66% of Ohio colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $51,862. College Scorecard.
Higher than 56% of Ohio colleges we cover and 47% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 42% of Ohio colleges we cover and 39% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Bluffton University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 2,873 applicants, Bluffton University admitted 1,757 and 190 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 860–1130 on the SAT or 16–22 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Bluffton 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
State aid: Ohio residents with household income up to $96,000 and a Student Aid Index of 3,750 or less may receive an Ohio College Opportunity Grant: up to $5,000 a year at private nonprofit colleges in 2026-27. Not included in the prices above. Ohio Department of Higher Education, OCOG 2026-27 award memo (FA27-001)
What Bluffton University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Bluffton University took 4.1 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 Ohio. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $16,363 | $66,434 | 4.7 years |
| $30–48k | $16,689 | $67,757 | 4.8 years |
| $48–75k | $18,469 | $74,984 | 5.3 years |
| $75–110k | $21,233 | $86,206 | 6.1 years |
| $110k+ | $26,321 | $106,863 | 7.6 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (47% 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 ($49,547) minus $35,438 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in OH (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $14,109 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.
Bluffton University majors, earnings & careers
Bluffton University offers 45 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Health & Medicine · 9
- Humanities & Languages · 8
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 6
- Business & Finance · 5
- Arts & Design · 4
- Communications & Media · 4
- Education · 4
- Science & Math · 4
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at Bluffton University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Human Resources | $76,243 | $35,001 |
| Accounting | $62,315 | — |
| Business Administration | $57,308 | $27,000 |
| Social Work | $55,073 | — |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | $47,378 | $27,000 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $44,920 | $27,000 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $44,290 | — |
| Psychology | $42,742 | — |
Quick list of all 45 majors
- Accounting$62,315
- Bible Studies—
- Biology—
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Business Administration$57,308
- Chemistry—
- Communications—
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Criminal Justice—
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$44,290
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- English—
- Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services$47,378
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- Health Administration—
- History—
- Human Development and Family Studies—
- Human Resources$76,243
- Journalism—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$44,920
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Marketing—
- Mathematics—
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Nursing—
- Pastoral Counseling / Ministry—
- Physics—
- Pre-Med / Pre-Health—
- Psychology$42,742
- Public Health—
- Public Relations and Advertising—
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
- Social Sciences—
- Social Work$55,073
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education$41,602
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders—
- Studio Art—
- Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language—
- Visual and Performing Arts, Other—
- 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 →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Human Resources → HR specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 6.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Lima
Overall prices in the Lima, OH area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,179. Housing costs 43% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 39 inches of rain a year, 33 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Allen County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Allen County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Bluffton University with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Ohio 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluffton University | 67% | $19,943 | 53% | $49,547 | This school |
| Columbus College of Art & Design | 68% | $29,439 | 56% | $40,664 | |
| Cleveland Institute of Art | 61% | $29,208 | 58% | $42,509 | |
| Wittenberg University | 72% | $18,649 | 53% | $54,947 | |
| The Christ College of Nursing and Health Sciences | 59% | $18,378 | 56% | $68,303 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Bluffton University would cost you $9,496 less per year than Columbus College of Art & Design, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Bluffton University, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$3,463).
- Bluffton University gives aided families $6,915 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Ohio resident | Bluffton University | CCAD | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $37,362 | $40,825 | −$3,463 |
| Books & supplies | $1,600 | $2,200 | −$600 |
| Housing & meals | $11,866 | $11,450 | +$416 |
| Personal & travel | $2,750 | $3,768 | −$1,018 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,716 | −$3,800 | +$2,084 |
| Sticker price | $51,862 | $54,443 | −$2,581 |
| Average grants | −$31,919 | −$25,004 | −$6,915 |
| You pay | $19,943 | $29,439 | −$9,496 |
“+” means Bluffton 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 Bluffton University
What is the Bluffton University acceptance rate?
Bluffton University accepts 67% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,757 of 2,873 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 860–1130 on the SAT or 16–22 on the ACT.
How much does Bluffton University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $51,862 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $19,943 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $16,363 and families earning $110k+ pay $26,321.
How much do Bluffton University graduates earn?
Former Bluffton University students earn a median $49,547 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Bluffton University graduation rate?
53% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 60% return for their second year.
How long does a Bluffton University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Bluffton University costs about $74,984 after grants ($18,469 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $49,547 ten years after starting, $14,109 more than high school graduates in Ohio ($35,438), so the cost is repaid in 5.3 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: “Bluffton University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/bluffton-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).