More selective than 57% of Iowa colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $54,222. College Scorecard.
Higher than 38% of Iowa colleges we cover and 65% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 17% of Iowa colleges we cover and 38% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Buena Vista University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 1,544 applicants, Buena Vista University admitted 1,108 and 217 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Buena Vista 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 Buena Vista University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Buena Vista 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 Iowa. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $12,901 | $55,603 | 4.5 years |
| $30–48k | $14,838 | $63,952 | 5.1 years |
| $48–75k | $18,094 | $77,985 | 6.2 years |
| $75–110k | $19,571 | $84,351 | 6.8 years |
| $110k+ | $24,967 | $107,608 | 8.6 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (35% 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 ($49,156) minus $36,661 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $12,495 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.
Buena Vista University majors, earnings & careers
Buena Vista University offers 54 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 9
- Science & Math · 9
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 8
- Humanities & Languages · 6
- Arts & Design · 5
- Communications & Media · 5
- Education · 5
- Health & Medicine · 5
- Technology & Computing · 2
Highest-earning majors at Buena Vista University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Finance | $63,950 | $27,000 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $63,832 | — |
| Accounting | $63,454 | $27,000 |
| Entrepreneurship | $58,540 | $27,000 |
| Business Administration | $58,440 | $31,000 |
| Human Resources | $56,329 | $27,312 |
| Marketing | $55,330 | $25,994 |
| Criminal Justice | $53,736 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 54 majors
- Accounting$63,454
- Agricultural Business—
- Agriculture—
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Animal Sciences—
- Arts and Entertainment Management—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology—
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Business—
- Business Administration$58,440
- Business Economics—
- Chemistry—
- Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other—
- Communications—
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Computer Systems Analysis—
- Criminal Justice$53,736
- Criminology—
- Education$50,997
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$45,573
- Education (Subject Teaching)$48,048
- Education, Other—
- English—
- Entrepreneurship$58,540
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Finance$63,950
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- Graphic Communications—
- History—
- Human Resources$56,329
- Human Services—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$49,281
- Legal Studies / Paralegal—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$63,832
- Marketing$55,330
- Mathematics—
- Medical Illustration and Informatics—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$45,185
- Music—
- Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other—
- Physics—
- Political Science—
- Pre-Med / Pre-Health—
- Psychology$44,755
- Public Administration—
- Public Relations and Advertising—
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
- Social Work—
- Soil Sciences—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
— 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
Education (Elementary / Secondary) → Elementary school teacher
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 0.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Storm Lake
2 bedrooms $1,031.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 34 inches of rain a year, 36 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Buena Vista County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Buena Vista County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Buena Vista University with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Iowa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buena Vista University | 78% | $18,846 | 62% | $49,156 | This school |
| Wartburg College | 76% | $32,908 | 64% | $56,201 | |
| Cornell College | 80% | $23,634 | 62% | $53,460 | |
| Saint Ambrose University | 77% | $24,691 | 61% | $59,531 | |
| Northwestern College | 80% | $25,907 | 66% | $49,802 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Buena Vista University would cost you $14,062 less per year than Wartburg College, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Buena Vista University, mostly from more Buena Vista University students living at home, which lowers its average (−$26,812).
- Buena Vista University gives aided families $3,925 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Iowa resident | Buena Vista University | Wartburg College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $41,798 | $26,250 | +$15,548 |
| Books & supplies | $1,132 | $1,100 | +$32 |
| Housing & meals | $10,896 | $11,062 | −$166 |
| Personal & travel | $2,561 | $1,300 | +$1,261 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,165 | +$24,647 | −$26,812 |
| Sticker price | $54,222 | $64,359 | −$10,137 |
| Average grants | −$35,376 | −$31,451 | −$3,925 |
| You pay | $18,846 | $32,908 | −$14,062 |
“+” means Buena Vista 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 Buena Vista University
What is the Buena Vista University acceptance rate?
Buena Vista University accepts 78% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,108 of 1,544 applicants were admitted.
How much does Buena Vista University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $54,222 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $18,846 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $12,901 and families earning $110k+ pay $24,967.
How much do Buena Vista University graduates earn?
Former Buena Vista University students earn a median $49,156 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Buena Vista University graduation rate?
62% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 76% return for their second year.
How long does a Buena Vista University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Buena Vista University costs about $77,985 after grants ($18,094 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $49,156 ten years after starting, $12,495 more than high school graduates in Iowa ($36,661), so the cost is repaid in 6.2 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: “Buena Vista University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/buena-vista-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).