Judson University

Judson University is a moderately selective private nonprofit university in Elgin, Illinois. It admits about 1 in 2 applicants, graduates 60% of its students within six years, and its former students earn a median $56,313 ten years after starting college, more than 41% of the Illinois colleges we cover.

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Acceptance rate
48%

More selective than 87% of Illinois colleges we cover.

College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class

What your family pays
$18,558 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $43,137. College Scorecard.

Graduation rate
60%

Higher than 50% of Illinois colleges we cover and 61% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.

Within 6 years · College Scorecard

Earnings after college
$56,313

Higher than 41% of Illinois colleges we cover and 60% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.

Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard

Judson University acceptance rate & admissions

Of 873 applicants, Judson University admitted 551 and 178 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 816–1118 on the SAT or 16–24 on the ACT.

873
Applied
551
Admitted
178
Enrolled

IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class

SAT total, middle 50% of first-years816–1118
ACT composite, middle 50% of first-years16–24
First-years who sent SAT scores55%
First-year students who return59%
Pell Grant recipients39%
First-generation students36%
Women / men41% / 59%

Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS

Judson 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)

Tuition & fees$31,360
Housing & meals, on campus$11,820
Books & supplies$1,270
Total cost of attendance$43,137

IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard

Median debt at graduation$14,000
Loan default rate4.3%3-year rate, 2017 repayment cohort

College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal

Full cost breakdown, in-state vs out-of-state →

What Judson University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back

Graduates of Judson University took 4.2 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 incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$15,701$66,1013.2 years
$30–48k$18,010$75,8223.7 years
$48–75k$17,079$71,9033.5 years
$75–110k$21,124$88,9324.3 years
$110k+$21,515$90,5784.4 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (43% 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 ($56,313) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $20,516 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.

Best-value colleges in Illinois for your income →

Judson University majors, earnings & careers

Judson University offers 38 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.

  • Humanities & Languages · 9
  • Arts & Design · 6
  • Science & Math · 6
  • Social Sciences & Public Service · 5
  • Business & Finance · 4
  • Education · 3
  • Communications & Media · 2
  • Engineering · 1
  • Health & Medicine · 1
  • Technology & Computing · 1

Highest-earning majors at Judson University

MajorEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debt
Architecture$63,846$26,221
Business Administration$63,153$27,000
Psychology$46,816$25,000
Education (Elementary / Secondary)$45,830—
Human Services$38,639$34,455
Quick list of all 38 majors
  • Accounting—
  • Architecture$63,846
  • Arts and Entertainment Management—
  • Bible Studies—
  • Biochemistry—
  • Biology—
  • Business Administration$63,153
  • Chemistry—
  • Communications—
  • Computer and Information Sciences—
  • Education (Elementary / Secondary)$45,830
  • Education (Subject Teaching)—
  • English—
  • Environmental Science / Conservation—
  • Film and Photography—
  • Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
  • Human Resources—
  • Human Services$38,639
  • Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
  • Legal Studies / Paralegal—
  • Liberal Arts / General Studies—
  • Literature—
  • Marketing—
  • Mathematics—
  • Missions / Missionary Studies and Missiology—
  • Music—
  • Natural Sciences—
  • Pastoral Counseling / Ministry—
  • Psychology$46,816
  • Psychology (Clinical / Counseling)—
  • Public Relations and Advertising—
  • Religious Music and Worship—
  • Sociology—
  • Special Education—
  • Studio Art—
  • Theatre—
  • Theology / Ministry—
  • 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

$105,090
Chicago
$104,270
Illinois
$101,860
U.S.

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

Architecture → Architect

$81,790
Chicago
$81,780
Illinois
$99,280
U.S.

Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 4.3% from 2025 to 2035.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35

Living in Chicago

Cost of living
4% above the U.S. average

Overall prices in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area.

BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024

Off-campus rent, 1 bedroom
$1,780/mo

2 bedrooms $2,011. Housing costs 12% above the U.S. average.

HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027

Weather
30° / 84°

January and July average highs. 40 inches of rain a year, 32 inches of snow.

NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020

Natural hazard risk
Relatively High

Highest: tornado (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high).

FEMA National Risk Index, Kane County

Campus & students

Total enrollment (incl. graduate)1,058
First-year students from Illinois57%
Next most common home statesTexas, Wisconsin, Florida
AthleticsNAIA Division I · 11 sports
Undergraduate degrees awarded, 2023-2487% bachelor's · 5% associate · 8% certificates
Campus typeHighly residential
Student bodyWhite 42% · Hispanic 26% · Black 15% · Two or more 3%International 9%

IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute

Kane County at a glance

Population517,255
Median household income$103,163
Adults with a bachelor's degree38%
Median age39

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024

Compare Judson 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.

SchoolAcceptanceYou'd payGraduationEarnings, 10 yrsPrice gap
Judson University48%$18,55860%$56,313This school
Quincy University51%$20,35945%$50,369
Principia College44%—74%—
Blackburn College63%$18,46057%$46,802
Olivet Nazarene University56%$20,72961%$53,213

College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.

Why the price is different

Judson University would cost you $1,801 less per year than Quincy University, on average.

  • Lower sticker price at Judson University.
  • Quincy University gives aided families $5,153 more in grants, on average.
Per year, Illinois residentJudson UniversityQuincy UniversityDifference
Sticker price$43,137$50,091−$6,954
Average grants−$24,579−$29,732+$5,153
You pay$18,558$20,359−$1,801

“+” means Judson 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 Judson University

What is the Judson University acceptance rate?

Judson University accepts 48% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 551 of 873 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 816–1118 on the SAT or 16–24 on the ACT.

How much does Judson University cost per year?

The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $43,137 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $18,558 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $15,701 and families earning $110k+ pay $21,515.

How much do Judson University graduates earn?

Former Judson University students earn a median $56,313 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.

What is the Judson University graduation rate?

60% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 59% return for their second year.

How long does a Judson University degree take to pay off?

For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Judson University costs about $71,903 after grants ($17,079 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $56,313 ten years after starting, $20,516 more than high school graduates in Illinois ($35,797), so the cost is repaid in 3.5 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: “Judson University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/judson-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).