Valparaiso University

What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Valparaiso University

Valparaiso University operates as a private nonprofit institution located in Valparaiso, Indiana (suburb: small), with a total reported enrollment of 2,083 students of which 2,403 are undergraduates. Institution-level records in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) classify each school by Carnegie category, ownership sector, and urban/rural locale, which is how this profile’s peer group and cost cohort are determined. Valparaiso University is categorized as “17” under the Carnegie classification system, a meaningful signal when comparing like-to-like institutions.

Selectivity and financial signals give context to what applicants can expect. The reported admission rate is 89.4%, drawn from the most recent IPEDS Fall enrollment survey, with an average SAT of 1,178. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $18,578, with published in-state tuition of $48,450 and a Pell grant recipient share of 27.3%. Median federal student debt at graduation is $26,942, drawn from the U.S. Treasury-matched College Scorecard file.

Outcomes reveal whether the investment pays back. The 4-year completion rate is 68.7%, and the first-year retention rate is 75.4%. Graduates earn a median of $63,191 ten years after enrolling, compared with $55,216 six years post-enrollment. Within three years of entering repayment, 123400.0% of borrowers are making progress on their federal loans, and 72.8% of graduates earn above the high-school threshold. Treating these numbers as a single snapshot alongside the cost cohort is the standard approach for evaluating ROI under the College Scorecard methodology.