# Aurora University

Private nonprofit college in Aurora, IL. IPEDS ID 143118.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/aurora-university · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/aurora-university.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 81% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $18,838 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 60%; beats 52% of IL colleges and 62% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $58,709; beats 54% of IL colleges and 67% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $15,500

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $14,525 |
| 30-48k | $14,089 |
| 48-75k | $15,431 |
| 75-110k | $19,300 |
| 110k+ | $24,595 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.27 years on average (46% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $58,709 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $14,525 | $62,022 | 2.7 years |
| 30-48k | $14,089 | $60,160 | 2.6 years |
| 48-75k | $15,431 | $65,890 | 2.9 years |
| 75-110k | $19,300 | $82,411 | 3.6 years |
| 110k+ | $24,595 | $105,021 | 4.6 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $40,625
- Tuition and fees: $29,170
- Housing and meals: $13,240; books: $1,200

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 470–580; SAT math: 430–570; ACT: 21–29 (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 5,264 applicants, 4,482 admitted, 829 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 81%, ACT 21–29 (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 85%, ACT 20–26 (IPEDS Admissions)

### Common Data Set 2025-26 (Fall 2025)
- Very important: none; important: none; considered: none
- Early decision: not reported; early action: not reported; waitlist: no
- Aid (full-time first-years): average 85.7% of need met; 161 of 687 with need fully met; merit aid to students without need: 116 students, average $15,256
- Source: https://aurora.edu/documents/about/cds-2025-2026.pdf

## Majors (45 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $51,605 | $90,089 | $25,625 |
| Nursing | $72,520 | $84,022 | $26,000 |
| Finance | $51,437 | $77,436 | $24,499 |
| Accounting | $50,086 | $74,820 | $23,452 |
| Marketing | $39,482 | $64,813 | $22,900 |
| Business Administration | $48,843 | $64,446 | $25,000 |
| Criminal Justice | $44,150 | $60,808 | $23,635 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $44,614 | $60,775 | $27,000 |
| Political Science | not reported | $58,503 | not reported |
| Psychology | $31,484 | $55,697 | $23,250 |
| Social Work | $38,382 | $55,546 | $27,000 |
| Pre-Med / Pre-Health | $33,018 | $52,987 | $21,375 |
| Biology | $32,691 | $52,159 | $24,163 |
| Communications | $30,728 | $50,079 | $23,262 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $37,256 | $49,471 | $27,000 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $44,282 | $46,609 | $24,197 |
| Ethnic / Gender Studies | not reported | $44,786 | not reported |
| Environmental Science / Conservation | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Information Technology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Special Education | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Computer Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| English | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Writing | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Sustainability Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Philosophy | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Religious Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Chemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Psychology (Research) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Sociology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Theatre | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Studio Art | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Music | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences | $41,856 | not reported | $23,750 |
| Business | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Management Science / Analytics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| History | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Nursing → Registered nurse: median wage $100,490 (Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN), $95,990 (IL), $97,550 (U.S.)
- Social Work → Social worker: median wage $64,790 (Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN), $63,220 (IL), $59,550 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).