10-yr median earnings
$56,201
Federal aid recipients only
Private Nonprofit · Waverly, Iowa
Wartburg College
Wartburg College is a private nonprofit institution in Waverly, Iowa. as a private nonprofit, published Scorecard outcomes cover federal-aid recipients at this campus — endowment and sticker price sit outside those cohort fields.
- $56,201
- 10-yr median earnings
- 75.8%
- Acceptance rate
- $32,908
- Avg net price / yr
- 65.5%
- 150%-time completion
The verdict
Wartburg College pairs top-quartile former-student earnings with a moderately open admit.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- Top 20%
- former-student earnings, US
- 75.8%
- acceptance rate
- 65.5%
- 150%-time completion
- +15%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
Town: Distant
Carnegie: Bacc: A&S
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
How to read this Wartburg College profile
Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts & Sciences Focus"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.
Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.
Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.
College Value Score
D
College Value Score
49/100
Wartburg College
A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.
Earnings B+
$56,201
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price F
$32,908
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate C+
65.5%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$27,000
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment A+
90.0%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention D
75.7%
First-year students returning for year two
Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.
Avg net price
$32,908
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
65.5%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 65.5%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - Wartburg College vs peers
Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.
How Wartburg College ranks nationally
Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.
Wartburg College: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$56,201 Top 20% higher than 80% of 5,103 US colleges
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
| Metric | Wartburg College | National rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $56,201 | #1015 of 5103 | 80th |
| Average net price | $32,908 | #4657 of 5020 | 7th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 65.5% | #1773 of 4858 | 64th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,452 | #1796 of 5462 | 67th |
National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.
Quick Facts
1,452
Undergraduate enrollment
75.8%
Acceptance rate
1,136
SAT average
65.5%
150%-time completion
$56,201
10-yr median earnings
75.7%
First-year retention
How Wartburg College ranks in Iowa
State rank among 69 reporting Iowa colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.
| Metric | Wartburg College | State rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $56,201 | #15 of 69 | 78th |
| Average net price | $32,908 | #67 of 68 | 1st (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 65.5% | #24 of 63 | 62nd |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,452 | #21 of 73 | 71st |
Highest former-student earnings in Iowa
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Drake University | $71,901 | $29,127 |
| 2 | Allen College | $71,261 | - |
| 3 | University of Iowa | $64,762 | $22,531 |
| 4 | Iowa State University | $63,386 | $18,589 |
| 5 | Grinnell College | $62,830 | $17,648 |
| 6 | Mercy College of Health Sciences | $62,234 | $26,924 |
| 7 | St Luke's College | $61,033 | $19,820 |
| 8 | Mount Mercy University | $60,787 | $20,168 |
| 9 | Luther College | $59,850 | $23,097 |
| 10 | Saint Ambrose University | $59,531 | $24,691 |
| 11 | Palmer College of Chiropractic | $59,483 | - |
| 12 | Simpson College | $59,274 | $21,936 |
| 15 | Wartburg CollegeThis school | $56,201 | $32,908 |
Admissions
| Admission Rate | 75.8% |
| SAT Average | 1,136 |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 460 – 580 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 470 – 620 |
| ACT Average | 23 |
| ACT (25th-75th) | 21 – 27 |
Costs & Financial Aid
Net price by family income at Wartburg College
Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket
- $0 – $30k
$0 – $30k
$21,688 net price / yr
- $30k – $48k
$30k – $48k
$20,751 net price / yr
- $48k – $75k
$48k – $75k
$27,056 net price / yr
- $110k+
$110k+
$38,864 net price / yr
What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at Wartburg College - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $26,250 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $26,250 |
| Average Net Price | $32,908 |
22.1%
Pell Grant Rate
67.3%
Federal Loan Rate
$27,000
Median Debt
$286/mo
Monthly Payment
Net price at Wartburg College swings rather than trends
Across 11 reported years between 2013 and 2023, the average net price here has ranged from $21,787 to $22,950 without settling into a rise or a fall. Comparing only the first and last years would read as +2.2%, but the years in between do not follow that line, so the honest summary is the range rather than a trend. Budget against the upper end, not the average.
Lowest year
$21,787
Highest year
$22,950
Most recent (2023)
$22,604
11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
2013 · $22,1242023 · $22,604
Over the same years, enrollment went -13.4% (1,669 → 1,446 students).
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.
Student Demographics
Race & ethnicity
Student body at a glance
54.1%
Female
17.4%
First Generation
Outcomes
75.7%
Retention Rate
$48,795
Median Earnings (6yr)
78.5%
Earning Over $25K
90.0%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Outcomes & debt snapshot
| Measure | Cohort / horizon | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Completion within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time | 65.5% |
| First-year retention | First-time, full-time freshmen | 75.7% |
| Median earnings | 6 years after entry | $48,795 |
| Median earnings | 10 years after entry | $56,201 |
| Share earning over $25,000 | Working, not enrolled | 78.5% |
| Loan repayment rate | Completers, 3 years after leaving | 90.0% |
| Median federal student debt | At completion | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly payment | Standard 10-year plan | $286/mo |
Programs & Earnings
Top programs at Wartburg College by completer earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Accounting and Related Ser…
Accounting and Related Services
$89,696 median earnings
- Engineering Science
Engineering Science
$78,959 median earnings
- Business/Commerce, General
Business/Commerce, General
$74,824 median earnings
- Biology, General
Biology, General
$67,036 median earnings
- Communication and Media St…
Communication and Media Studies
$48,433 median earnings
- Teacher Education and Prof…
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
$48,074 median earnings
- Teacher Education and Prof…
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
$47,698 median earnings
- Psychology, General
Psychology, General
$47,110 median earnings
What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.
| Program | Credential | Completers | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting and Related Services | Bachelor's | 14 | $89,696 | $26,818 |
| Engineering Science | Bachelor's | 11 | $78,959 | - |
| Business/Commerce, General | Bachelor's | 76 | $74,824 | $27,000 |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's | 31 | $67,036 | $27,000 |
| Communication and Media Studies | Bachelor's | 15 | $48,433 | $26,750 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Bachelor's | 27 | $48,074 | $27,000 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Bachelor's | 17 | $47,698 | $25,571 |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's | 24 | $47,110 | $25,125 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | Bachelor's | 11 | - | $23,048 |
| Mathematics | Bachelor's | 8 | - | - |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | Bachelor's | 19 | - | - |
| Social Work | Bachelor's | 13 | - | - |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | Bachelor's | 11 | - | - |
| History | Bachelor's | 6 | - | - |
Nearby Schools
Explore Data-Matched Colleges
Independent Scorecard matches among reporting colleges — not recommendations from the institution or a counselor.
Similar Enrollment and Sector
Other Private Nonprofit institutions closest in reported enrollment, preferring the same Carnegie classification.
Similar Reported Net Price
Other Private Nonprofit institutions with the nearest reported average net price.
Bethel College-North Newton
North Newton, KS
$32,917 net price · $9 apart
Lawrence Technological University
Southfield, MI
$32,918 net price · $10 apart
Academy of Interactive Entertainment
Lafayette, LA
$32,888 net price · $20 apart
Arizona Christian University
Glendale, AZ
$32,839 net price · $69 apart
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at Wartburg College? ▼
Wartburg College is a private nonprofit institution in Waverly, Iowa. The acceptance rate is 75.8%. The average SAT score is 1,136. Undergraduate enrollment is 1,452 students.
How much do Wartburg College former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at Wartburg College who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $56,201 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $48,795.
How much does Wartburg College cost? ▼
The average net price at Wartburg College is $32,908. In-state tuition is $26,250 and out-of-state tuition is $26,250. Median student debt at graduation is $27,000.
What is the graduation rate at Wartburg College? ▼
Wartburg College has a 65.5% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 75.7%.
Is Wartburg College worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at Wartburg College is $27,000, while former students earn a median of $56,201 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 48% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 90.0% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $286.
Sources & methodology
Private-nonprofit profiles emphasize Scorecard cost-after-aid and completion alongside IPEDS Carnegie class. Endowment, gifts, and sticker price are not Scorecard fields on this page.
Figures are the Mar–Jul 2026 federal retrievals. Nonprofit campuses vary widely in aid practice — net price here is the Title-IV-recipient cohort average, not an individual award letter. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education - former-student earnings, cost & completion (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics - enrollment, admissions, Carnegie class & demographics (nces.ed.gov/ipeds).
- U.S. Treasury / IRS earnings linkage - median earnings 6 & 10 years after enrollment for federal-aid recipients (irs.gov).
- College Scorecard, Field of Study - program-level (credential) earnings & debt (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- Federal Student Aid (Title IV / NSLDS) - U.S. Department of Education - net price, student debt & aid-recipient repayment outcomes (studentaid.gov).
Where to go next from Wartburg College
- Compare Wartburg College against schools with similar outcomes at a lower average net price.Find similar schools that cost less
- Browse every reporting college in Iowa side by side.Browse Iowa
- See how fields of study differ on former-student earnings and debt.Explore programs
Nonprofit Scorecard medians describe federal-aid recipients who were working and not enrolled — they are not sticker-price ROI and not advice.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Private-nonprofit profiles compile Scorecard net-price and earnings cohorts with IPEDS structure fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.