Private nonprofit · University

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois · Large suburb

80.8%
Admit rate
$18,838
Avg net price
60%
Graduation rate
$58,709
Median earnings

Aurora University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Aurora, Illinois (large suburb setting), enrolling 3,974 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).

Private nonprofitMidsize · 3,974 undergradsLarge suburbAccessible · 81% admitNCAA Division III with football · Northern Athletics Collegiate ConferenceCold winters

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Aurora University's admitted students.

Admit rate
80.8%
SAT (mid 50%)
900–1150
Avg GPA (est.)
3.11

Enter a test score to see where you land against Aurora University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Aurora University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Aurora, Illinois

Aurora is a city in northeastern Illinois, United States, located along the Fox River. In 1834, following the Black Hawk War, the McCarty brothers settled on both sides of the river, but subsequently sold their land on the west side to the Lake brothers, who opened a mill. The McCartys lived on and operated a mill on the east side. Downtown Aurora is home to the Paramount Theatre, a large live performance theater on the National Register of Historic Places, and the Hollywood Casino. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large suburb
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
38 miles to Chicago, IL
To Great Lakes shore
38 miles
Nearest airport
28 miles to Chicago O'Hare (ORD) · major hub

How Aurora University compares

Selectivity80.8%

More selective than 43% · #34 most selective of 58 in Illinois

SAT average1076

Higher than 21%

Graduation rate60%

Higher than 61% · #27 of 58 in Illinois

First-year retention77%

Higher than 52%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$58,709

Higher than 64% · #31 of 66 in Illinois

Average net price$18,838

Cheaper than 55% · #28 cheapest of 57 in Illinois

Median debt at graduation$20,318

Lower than 73%

Student–faculty ratio18 : 1

Lower than 18%

Undergraduate enrollment3,974

Larger than 74%

Percentiles compare Aurora University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Illinois.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

5,791students
  • Undergraduate3,97469%
  • Graduate1,81731%

Undergraduates by gender

3,974undergrads
  • Women2,64367%
  • Men1,33133%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White39%
  • Black6.3%
  • Hispanic43%
  • Asian3.2%
  • Other or multiracial9.3%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
3,974
Graduate enrollment
1,817
Student–faculty ratio
18 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
45%
First-generation students
46%
Students over 25
14%
Median family income
$45,293
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$82,278
Endowment
$54,014,375

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 829 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Illinois86%
  • Other U.S. states13%
  • International1.1%

Most first-years stay in state — Aurora University draws overwhelmingly from Illinois.

1% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
80.8%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
900–1150
SAT average
1076
SAT reading
470–580
SAT math
430–570
ACT composite
21–29
Average GPA (estimated)
3.11

Cost

In-state tuition
$29,170
Room & board
$13,580
Books & supplies
$1,200
Total cost of attendance
$40,625
Average net price
$18,838

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
60%
Graduated on time (4 years)
50%
First-year retention
77%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$51,237
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$58,709
Median debt at graduation
$20,318
Students with federal loans
47%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
57%

About 11% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
50%
Low-income (Pell)
64%
First-generation
64%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
789
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
20%
Housing charge (year)
$7,300
Meal plan (year)
$5,940
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division III with football
Football conference
Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference
Varsity athletes
736 (465 men · 271 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (14)

Football138
Lacrosse74
Track and Field (Indoor)69
Track and Field (Outdoor)65
Soccer60
Volleyball50
Basketball49
Ice Hockey48
Wrestling40
Baseball39
Softball38
Golf32
Cross Country26
Bowling8

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
A
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
0.2 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
3
Property offenses (2022–2024)
0

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (5,923 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

1.0reported offenses a year
1.0 violent a year0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
1.0

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$14,525
$30–48k
$14,089
$48–75k
$15,431
$75–110k
$19,300
$110k+
$24,595

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$65,861

$15,431/year × about 4.3 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

99%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$13,405
average award, among those who get one

A meaningful share of freshmen — 99% — get grant money from Aurora University itself, averaging $13,405, which softens the sticker price.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 669 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$58,709
Typical debt at graduation
$20,318
Debt vs. one year's pay
35%
Out-earn a HS grad
71%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.5 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$55,642
Men
$66,433

Men out-earn women by $10,791 (19%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
84°F
Winter low
16°F
Annual rain
39.5″
Annual snow
27.9″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.54.9JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Aurora, IL US station (2.8 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Aurora University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Aurora University side by side →

Colleges near Aurora University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.