More selective than 25% 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 $53,806. College Scorecard.
Higher than 7% of Iowa colleges we cover and 25% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 23% of Iowa colleges we cover and 44% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
University of Dubuque acceptance rate & admissions
Of 1,560 applicants, University of Dubuque admitted 1,356 and 325 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 980–1220 on the SAT or 18–24 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
University of Dubuque 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 University of Dubuque costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of University of Dubuque 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 | $18,106 | $77,494 | 5.3 years |
| $30–48k | $19,318 | $82,681 | 5.7 years |
| $48–75k | $19,480 | $83,374 | 5.7 years |
| $75–110k | $24,660 | $105,545 | 7.3 years |
| $110k+ | $25,908 | $110,886 | 7.6 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (32% 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 ($51,190) minus $36,661 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $14,529 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.
University of Dubuque majors, earnings & careers
University of Dubuque offers 35 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 6
- Business & Finance · 5
- Health & Medicine · 5
- Science & Math · 4
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 4
- Arts & Design · 3
- Education · 3
- Technology & Computing · 3
- Communications & Media · 1
- Trades & Applied Technology · 1
Highest-earning majors at University of Dubuque
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Air Transportation | $86,081 | $26,250 |
| Nursing | $73,710 | $29,750 |
| Human Resources | $64,648 | $27,000 |
| Pre-Med / Pre-Health | $63,655 | — |
| Accounting | $63,082 | $29,000 |
| Business Administration | $62,918 | $27,000 |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $53,514 | — |
| Marketing | $53,011 | $23,375 |
Quick list of all 35 majors
- Accounting$63,082
- Air Transportation$86,081
- Biology—
- Business Administration$62,918
- Chemistry—
- Communications$48,537
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Criminal Justice$52,578
- Data Processing—
- Economics—
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$42,296
- Education (Subject Teaching)$53,514
- English—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Health Administration—
- Human Resources$64,648
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$45,721
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Marketing$53,011
- Mathematics—
- Music—
- Nursing$73,710
- Parks, Recreation, Leisure, Fitness, and Kinesiology, Other—
- Philosophy—
- Pre-Med / Pre-Health$63,655
- Psychology—
- Religious Studies—
- Security / Homeland Security—
- Sociology$51,512
- Software and Media Applications$46,296
- Theatre—
- Theology / Ministry—
- Visual and Performing Arts—
— 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
Criminal Justice → Police officer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Dubuque
Overall prices in the Dubuque, IA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,131. Housing costs 36% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 39 inches of rain a year, 36 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Dubuque County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Dubuque County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare University of Dubuque 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Dubuque | 89% | $23,386 | 40% | $51,190 | This school |
| Graceland University-Lamoni | 81% | $18,504 | 42% | $47,361 | |
| Upper Iowa University | 96% | $20,942 | 34% | $52,766 | |
| Maharishi International University | 96% | $14,956 | 50% | $27,981 | |
| Simpson College | 86% | $21,936 | 63% | $59,274 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
University of Dubuque would cost you $4,882 more per year than Graceland University-Lamoni, on average.
- Higher sticker price at University of Dubuque, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$21,145).
- University of Dubuque gives aided families $630 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Iowa resident | University of Dubuque | Graceland University-Lamoni | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $42,095 | $20,950 | +$21,145 |
| Books & supplies | $1,200 | $1,200 | $0 |
| Housing & meals | $11,470 | $10,540 | +$930 |
| Personal & travel | $1,700 | $3,500 | −$1,800 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,659 | +$12,104 | −$14,763 |
| Sticker price | $53,806 | $48,294 | +$5,512 |
| Average grants | −$30,420 | −$29,790 | −$630 |
| You pay | $23,386 | $18,504 | +$4,882 |
“+” means University of Dubuque 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 University of Dubuque
What is the University of Dubuque acceptance rate?
University of Dubuque accepts 89% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,356 of 1,560 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 980–1220 on the SAT or 18–24 on the ACT.
How much does University of Dubuque cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $53,806 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $23,386 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $18,106 and families earning $110k+ pay $25,908.
How much do University of Dubuque graduates earn?
Former University of Dubuque students earn a median $51,190 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the University of Dubuque graduation rate?
40% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 77% return for their second year.
How long does a University of Dubuque degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at University of Dubuque costs about $83,374 after grants ($19,480 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $51,190 ten years after starting, $14,529 more than high school graduates in Iowa ($36,661), so the cost is repaid in 5.7 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: “University of Dubuque: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-dubuque (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).