Regional university
Buena Vista University
Storm Lake, IA · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid About $19,000 a year
Median debt at graduation: $25,000 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.62%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.76%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,120 · ACT 22.5
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.13 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$7,966
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average paid by families who received aid, by income. Families who get no aid pay the full cost of attendance: $54,222 a year.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 1,442 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 37% · Women 63% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 35% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 26% |
| Total students | 1,951 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | About $19,000 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $54,222 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $25,000 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 62% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 52% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 47% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 58% |
| First-year retention | 76% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $49,156 |
| Admission rate | 78% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | No application fee |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $770 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 44% |
| Average SAT | 1120 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | — |
| SAT math | — |
| ACT composite | 19–26 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Good (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Finance | |
| Liberal arts | |
| Accounting | |
| Entrepreneurship | |
| Business administration | |
| Human resources | |
| Marketing | |
| Criminal justice | |
| Education (general) | |
| Kinesiology and exercise science | |
| Secondary education | |
| Teacher education | |
| Interdisciplinary studies | |
| Psychology |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Agricultural business, Agriculture, Allied health, Animal Sciences, Arts management, Biochemistry, Biology, Broadcasting, Business (general), Chemistry, Communication studies, Computer Systems Analysis, Computing and information science, Criminology, Design, English, Fine arts, Graphic communications, History, Human services, Managerial economics, Mathematics, Medical Illustration and Informatics, Music, Natural resources and conservation, Other communication, journalism, and related programs, Other education, Other philosophy and religious studies, Physics, Political science, Pre-health, Pre-law and legal studies, Public administration, Public relations, Rehabilitation and therapy, Romance languages, Social work, Soil Sciences, Special education, Theatre.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Education | |
| Business | |
| Public administration and social service | |
| Psychology | |
| Agriculture |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | Town |
| Part-time undergraduates | 13% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 30% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $11,330 |
| Sports | NCAA Division III · American Rivers Conference |
| ROTC | Army |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 13 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 5%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Disability services | Visit the office’s pageThe college’s own page |
| Faculty who are full-time | 33%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $99,222IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 53% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Eppley Airfield (OMA)About 99 miles away · about 2 hours 55 minutes by car |
| Town population | 11,428Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | OmahaAbout 105 miles away · about 2 hours 55 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 17°F in January · 73°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Storm Lake, IA |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Questions families ask
- What is Buena Vista University’s Compass Score?
- Good (grade B). It ranks in the top 45% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Buena Vista University cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is about $19,000 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Buena Vista University?
- Buena Vista University admitted 78% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Buena Vista University’s graduates do?
- 62% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $49,156; the median federal debt at graduation is $25,000.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 153001
- Carnegie classification: Master's university (medium programs)
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
- Religious affiliation (IPEDS): Presbyterian Church (USA)
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Colleges like this one
The same kind of school first, then the closest in selectivity, size and cost.
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