More selective than 64% 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 $64,359. College Scorecard.
Higher than 48% of Iowa colleges we cover and 68% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 57% of Iowa colleges we cover and 60% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Wartburg College acceptance rate & admissions
Of 2,543 applicants, Wartburg College admitted 2,528 and 424 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 930–1200 on the SAT or 21–27 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Wartburg 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 Wartburg College costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Wartburg 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 | $21,688 | $91,090 | 4.7 years |
| $30–48k | $20,751 | $87,154 | 4.5 years |
| $48–75k | $27,056 | $113,635 | 5.8 years |
| $75–110k | $28,873 | $121,267 | 6.2 years |
| $110k+ | $38,864 | $163,229 | 8.4 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (54% 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 ($56,201) minus $36,661 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $19,540 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.
Wartburg College majors, earnings & careers
Wartburg College offers 42 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 10
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 8
- Science & Math · 7
- Business & Finance · 4
- Health & Medicine · 4
- Arts & Design · 3
- Education · 3
- Communications & Media · 1
- Engineering · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at Wartburg College
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting | $89,696 | $26,840 |
| Engineering Science | $78,959 | — |
| Business | $74,824 | $27,000 |
| Biology | $67,036 | $27,000 |
| Communications | $48,433 | $26,750 |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $48,074 | $27,000 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $47,698 | $25,757 |
| Psychology | $47,110 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 42 majors
- Accounting$89,696
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$67,036
- Business$74,824
- Chemistry—
- Communications$48,433
- Community Organization and Advocacy—
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$47,698
- Education (Subject Teaching)$48,074
- Engineering Science$78,959
- English—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- German—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- History—
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- International Relations—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Library Science, Other—
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Mathematics—
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Music—
- Neuroscience—
- Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution—
- Physics—
- Political Science—
- Psychology$47,110
- Public Health—
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
- Religious Studies—
- Social Sciences—
- Social Sciences, Other—
- Social Work—
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Studio Art—
- 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 → 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
Communications → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Waterloo
Overall prices in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,023. Housing costs 37% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 36 inches of rain a year, 39 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Bremer County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Bremer County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Wartburg 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wartburg College | 76% | $32,908 | 64% | $56,201 | This school |
| Buena Vista University | 78% | $18,846 | 62% | $49,156 | |
| Saint Ambrose University | 77% | $24,691 | 61% | $59,531 | |
| Northwestern College | 80% | $25,907 | 66% | $49,802 | |
| Cornell College | 80% | $23,634 | 62% | $53,460 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Wartburg College would cost you $14,062 more per year than Buena Vista University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Wartburg College, 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 | Wartburg College | Buena Vista University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $26,250 | $41,798 | −$15,548 |
| Books & supplies | $1,100 | $1,132 | −$32 |
| Housing & meals | $11,062 | $10,896 | +$166 |
| Personal & travel | $1,300 | $2,561 | −$1,261 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | +$24,647 | −$2,165 | +$26,812 |
| Sticker price | $64,359 | $54,222 | +$10,137 |
| Average grants | −$31,451 | −$35,376 | +$3,925 |
| You pay | $32,908 | $18,846 | +$14,062 |
“+” means Wartburg 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 Wartburg College
What is the Wartburg College acceptance rate?
Wartburg College accepts 76% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 2,528 of 2,543 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 930–1200 on the SAT or 21–27 on the ACT.
How much does Wartburg College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $64,359 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $32,908 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $21,688 and families earning $110k+ pay $38,864.
How much do Wartburg College graduates earn?
Former Wartburg College students earn a median $56,201 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Wartburg College graduation rate?
64% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 76% return for their second year.
How long does a Wartburg College degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Wartburg College costs about $113,635 after grants ($27,056 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $56,201 ten years after starting, $19,540 more than high school graduates in Iowa ($36,661), so the cost is repaid in 5.8 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: “Wartburg College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/wartburg-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).