# Valparaiso University (VU)

Private nonprofit college in Valparaiso, IN. IPEDS ID 152600.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/valparaiso-university · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/valparaiso-university.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 89% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $18,578 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 70%; beats 81% of IN colleges and 79% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $63,191; beats 85% of IN colleges and 76% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $22,133

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $11,043 |
| 30-48k | $12,055 |
| 48-75k | $15,279 |
| 75-110k | $22,311 |
| 110k+ | $24,780 |

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 4.15 years on average (58% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $63,191 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $35,534 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IN (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $11,043 | $45,828 | 1.7 years |
| 30-48k | $12,055 | $50,028 | 1.8 years |
| 48-75k | $15,279 | $63,408 | 2.3 years |
| 75-110k | $22,311 | $92,591 | 3.3 years |
| 110k+ | $24,780 | $102,837 | 3.7 years |

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

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $58,437
- Tuition and fees: $48,450
- Housing and meals: $13,306; books: $1,200

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 540–640; SAT math: 520–640; ACT: 23–31 (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 6,133 applicants, 5,656 admitted, 596 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 89%, ACT 23–31 (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 92%, ACT 25–30 (IPEDS Admissions)

## Majors (59 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health Sciences | not reported | $115,095 | $19,500 |
| Computer Engineering | $75,484 | $96,079 | $27,000 |
| Computer Science | $59,863 | $94,111 | $27,000 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $68,265 | $90,583 | $27,000 |
| Electrical Engineering | $73,662 | $87,944 | $27,000 |
| Management Science / Analytics | $67,129 | $86,317 | not reported |
| Nursing | $73,747 | $81,278 | $27,366 |
| Civil Engineering | $69,549 | $80,173 | $27,000 |
| Business Administration | $44,100 | $78,163 | $27,000 |
| Finance | $55,399 | $73,880 | $26,613 |
| Accounting | $57,766 | $71,848 | $27,000 |
| Marketing | $44,742 | $66,773 | $27,000 |
| Criminology | $30,653 | $63,772 | $27,000 |
| Chemistry | $37,526 | $62,245 | $27,000 |
| Mathematics | not reported | $61,564 | not reported |
| Biology | $30,672 | $61,072 | $27,000 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $35,931 | $60,612 | not reported |
| Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology | not reported | $60,092 | $27,000 |
| Psychology | $31,057 | $58,104 | $27,000 |
| Social Work | not reported | $57,609 | $27,000 |
| Political Science | $32,893 | $56,054 | $27,000 |
| Health Administration | not reported | $55,485 | $28,000 |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $46,750 | $54,933 | $27,000 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $45,123 | $53,495 | $27,000 |
| English | $23,909 | $52,439 | not reported |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | $31,752 | $50,588 | $26,900 |
| Communications | $35,164 | $50,325 | $27,000 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $44,937 | $47,644 | $27,000 |
| Environmental Science / Conservation | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Area Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Broadcasting / Digital Media | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biomedical Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Environmental Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Engineering-Related Fields | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| German | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Classics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Writing | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biochemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Statistics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mathematics and Computer Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| International / Global Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Philosophy | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Theology / Ministry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Economics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Geography | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| International Relations | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Sociology | 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 |
| Public Health | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Business | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| International Business | 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), $83,500 (IN), $97,550 (U.S.)
- Mechanical Engineering → Mechanical engineer: median wage $102,070 (Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN), $99,590 (IN), $104,110 (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).