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).
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
More selective than 43% · #34 most selective of 58 in Illinois
Higher than 21%
Higher than 61% · #27 of 58 in Illinois
Higher than 52%
Higher than 64% · #31 of 66 in Illinois
Cheaper than 55% · #28 cheapest of 57 in Illinois
Lower than 73%
Lower than 18%
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
- Undergraduate3,97469%
- Graduate1,81731%
Undergraduates by gender
- 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)
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)
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.
By offense type, per year
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.
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.
$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.
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.
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.
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
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Aurora, IL US station (2.8 mi from campus).
What Aurora University graduates study — and earn
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 →
Houston Christian University
Houston, Texas · Large city · 10 mi to Houston
- Students
- 2,886
- Admission
- 84%
- Net price
- $21k
- SAT
- 1084
- GPA
- 3.1
- Earnings
- $56k
University of St Thomas
Houston, Texas · Large city · 2 mi to Houston
- Students
- 3,220
- Admission
- 90%
- Net price
- $19k
- SAT
- 1090
- GPA
- 3.1
- Earnings
- $59k
University of Mount Saint Vincent
Bronx, New York · Large city · 15 mi to New York
- Students
- 2,692
- Admission
- 85%
- Net price
- $22k
- SAT
- 1090
- GPA
- 3.1
- Earnings
- $66k
University of La Verne
La Verne, California · Large suburb · 24 mi to Riverside
- Students
- 3,050
- Admission
- 71%
- Net price
- $20k
- SAT
- 1083
- GPA
- 3.1
- Earnings
- $65k
Saint Ambrose University
Davenport, Iowa · Midsize city · 64 mi to Cedar Rapids
- Students
- 1,916
- Admission
- 77%
- Net price
- $25k
- SAT
- 1093
- GPA
- 3.2
- Earnings
- $60k
Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion
Marion, Indiana · Distant town · 48 mi to Fort Wayne
- Students
- 1,974
- Admission
- 89%
- Net price
- $23k
- SAT
- 1082
- GPA
- 3.1
- Earnings
- $60k
Colleges near Aurora University
Hair Professionals School of Cosmetology
Oswego, IL · Private for-profit · Certificate · 136 students
Waubonsee Community College
Sugar Grove, IL · Public · Associate · 5,721 students
North Central College
Naperville, IL · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 2,428 students
DeVry University-Illinois
Lisle, IL · Private for-profit · Certificate · 27,825 students
Benedictine University
Lisle, IL · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,942 students
Universal Technical Institute of Illinois Inc
Lisle, IL · Private for-profit · Certificate · 1,156 students
Wheaton College
Wheaton, IL · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 2,121 students
College of DuPage
Glen Ellyn, IL · Public · Associate · 16,114 students
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.












