Private nonprofit · University

Bethel University

Mishawaka, Indiana · Small city

97.7%
Admit rate
$18,610
Avg net price
53%
Graduation rate
$48,860
Median earnings

Bethel University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Mishawaka, Indiana (small city setting), enrolling 1,008 undergraduates. It has a Missionary Church Inc religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitSmall · 1,008 undergradsSmall cityAccessible · 98% admitNAIA Division IICold wintersSnowy

Will you get in?

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

Admit rate
97.7%
SAT (mid 50%)
900–1150
Avg GPA (est.)
2.91

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

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

About Mishawaka, Indiana

Mishawaka is a city on the St. Joseph River, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States. Mishawaka's recorded history began with the discovery of bog iron deposits at the beginning of the 1830s. Settlers arriving to mine the deposits founded the town of St. Joseph Iron Works in 1831. Old-fashioned neighborhoods are found across the city. Many of the newer residential subdivisions that have been developed within the city in recent years have adopted design guidelines to produce the "hometown" neighborhood feel and encourage community spirit. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Small city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To Great Lakes shore
27 miles
Nearest airport
7 miles to South Bend (SBN)

How Bethel University compares

Selectivity97.7%

More selective than 8% · #41 most selective of 42 in Indiana

SAT average1014

Higher than 9%

Graduation rate53%

Higher than 46% · #28 of 45 in Indiana

First-year retention72%

Higher than 38%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$48,860

Higher than 35% · #30 of 44 in Indiana

Average net price$18,610

Cheaper than 56% · #21 cheapest of 45 in Indiana

Median debt at graduation$25,000

Lower than 34%

Student–faculty ratio12 : 1

Lower than 59%

Undergraduate enrollment1,008

Larger than 38%

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

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

1,110students
  • Undergraduate1,00891%
  • Graduate1029%

Undergraduates by gender

1,008undergrads
  • Women66966%
  • Men33934%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White66%
  • Black5.8%
  • Hispanic12%
  • Asian1.3%
  • Other or multiracial15%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,008
Graduate enrollment
102
Student–faculty ratio
12 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
33%
First-generation students
32%
Students over 25
13%
Median family income
$45,226
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$57,618
Endowment
$11,719,776

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

Admissions

Admission rate
97.7%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
900–1150
SAT average
1014
SAT reading
460–580
SAT math
440–570
ACT composite
16–24
Average GPA (estimated)
2.91

Cost

In-state tuition
$34,600
Room & board
$11,140
Books & supplies
$1,230
Total cost of attendance
$43,885
Average net price
$18,610

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)
53%
Graduated on time (4 years)
41%
First-year retention
72%
Transferred to another college
33%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$44,271
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$48,860
Median debt at graduation
$25,000
Students with federal loans
46%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
56%

About 12% 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
41%
Low-income (Pell)
58%
First-generation
55%

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
723
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
72%
Housing charge (year)
$4,960
Meal plan (year)
$5,600
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NAIA Division II
Varsity athletes
650 (330 men · 320 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 (12)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)225
Soccer102
Basketball60
Volleyball51
Swimming48
Tennis35
Baseball27
Golf22
Softball21
Other Sports21
Lacrosse19
Bowling19

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
2.6 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
1
Property offenses (2022–2024)
8

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (1,167 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.

3.0reported offenses a year
0.3 violent a year2.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
2.3
Robbery
0.3
Motor vehicle theft
0.3

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
$17,580
$30–48k
$12,572
$48–75k
$12,673
$75–110k
$18,645
$110k+
$25,871

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
$54,900

$12,673/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.

94%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$18,474
average award, among those who get one

Bethel University discounts heavily: 94% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $18,474. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

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 247 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)
$48,860
Typical debt at graduation
$25,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
51%
Out-earn a HS grad
61%

Typical debt would take roughly 5.1 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
$44,180
Men
$59,393

Men out-earn women by $15,213 (34%) 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
83°F
Winter low
17°F
Annual rain
40.9″
Annual snow
64.5″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.14.3JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, S Bend, IN US station (3.2 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 Bethel University

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

Colleges near Bethel 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.