More selective than 71% 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 $65,461. College Scorecard.
Higher than 79% of Iowa colleges we cover and 80% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 73% of Iowa colleges we cover and 69% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Luther College acceptance rate & admissions
Of 2,447 applicants, Luther College admitted 1,793 and 352 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1078–1406 on the SAT or 22–29 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Luther College 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 Luther College costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Luther College 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 Iowa. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $12,517 | $52,321 | 2.3 years |
| $30–48k | $12,835 | $53,650 | 2.3 years |
| $48–75k | $19,351 | $80,887 | 3.5 years |
| $75–110k | $22,204 | $92,813 | 4.0 years |
| $110k+ | $29,376 | $122,792 | 5.3 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (63% 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 ($59,850) minus $36,661 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $23,189 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.
Luther College majors, earnings & careers
Luther College offers 43 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 11
- Science & Math · 7
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 7
- Arts & Design · 5
- Health & Medicine · 5
- Business & Finance · 4
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
- Education · 1
Highest-earning majors at Luther College
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $77,569 | $27,000 |
| Accounting | $75,341 | $27,000 |
| Business Administration | $68,510 | $27,000 |
| Biology | $63,998 | $27,000 |
| Psychology | $56,469 | $26,500 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $54,821 | $27,000 |
| Political Science | $53,510 | $27,000 |
| Communications | $52,905 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 43 majors
- Accounting$75,341
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Anthropology—
- Biology$63,998
- Business Administration$68,510
- Chemistry—
- Classics—
- Communications$52,905
- Computer Science—
- Cultural Studies / Critical Theory and Analysis—
- Dance—
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$50,164
- English$46,116
- Environmental Science / Conservation$52,296
- German$49,769
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- Health Sciences$50,580
- History$45,737
- Information Science / Studies—
- International / Global Studies—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$51,913
- Legal Studies / Paralegal—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$54,821
- Management Information Systems—
- Mathematics—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music$50,947
- Neuroscience—
- Nursing$77,569
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$53,510
- Psychology$56,469
- Psychology (Research)—
- Public Health—
- Religious Studies—
- Social Work$47,660
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Statistics—
- 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
Biology → Biological technician
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Decorah
2 bedrooms $927.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 38 inches of rain a year, 38 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Winneshiek County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Winneshiek County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Luther College 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luther College | 72% | $23,097 | 71% | $59,850 | This school |
| Dordt University | 68% | $25,807 | 70% | $52,559 | |
| Wartburg College | 76% | $32,908 | 64% | $56,201 | |
| Coe College | 64% | $18,745 | 66% | $57,125 | |
| Buena Vista University | 78% | $18,846 | 62% | $49,156 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Luther College would cost you $2,710 less per year than Dordt University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Luther College, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$15,070).
- Luther College gives aided families $16,438 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Iowa resident | Luther College | Dordt University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $52,120 | $37,050 | +$15,070 |
| Books & supplies | $1,040 | $1,010 | +$30 |
| Housing & meals | $11,180 | $11,430 | −$250 |
| Personal & travel | $3,015 | $3,500 | −$485 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,894 | −$1,257 | −$637 |
| Sticker price | $65,461 | $51,733 | +$13,728 |
| Average grants | −$42,364 | −$25,926 | −$16,438 |
| You pay | $23,097 | $25,807 | −$2,710 |
“+” means Luther College 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 Luther College
What is the Luther College acceptance rate?
Luther College accepts 72% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,793 of 2,447 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1078–1406 on the SAT or 22–29 on the ACT.
How much does Luther College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $65,461 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $23,097 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $12,517 and families earning $110k+ pay $29,376.
How much do Luther College graduates earn?
Former Luther College students earn a median $59,850 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Luther College graduation rate?
71% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 77% return for their second year.
How long does a Luther College degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Luther College costs about $80,887 after grants ($19,351 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $59,850 ten years after starting, $23,189 more than high school graduates in Iowa ($36,661), 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: “Luther College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/luther-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).