Bluffton University

Student body

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment

582

Graduate enrollment

63

Student–faculty ratio

11 : 1

Pell Grant recipients

45%

First-generation students

33%

Students over 25

3%

Median family income

$60,399

Avg faculty salary (academic year)

$51,201

Endowment

$25,920,590

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

Admissions

Admission rate

67.2%

Test scores

Considered but not required

SAT range (25th–75th %)

860–1130

SAT average

976

SAT reading

430–550

SAT math

430–580

ACT composite

16–22

Average GPA (estimated)

2.87

Cost

In-state tuition

$37,362

Room & board

$12,220

Books & supplies

$1,600

Total cost of attendance

$51,862

Average net price

$19,943

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)

50%

First-year retention

60%

Transferred to another college

33%

Median earnings, 6 years after entry

$41,940

Median earnings, 10 years after entry

$49,547

Median debt at graduation

$27,000

Students with federal loans

77%

Paying down their loans (1 year in)

60%

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

780

Dorm capacity vs undergrads

100%+

Housing charge (year)

$5,842

Meal plan (year)

$6,274

Application fee

Free

Athletics

NCAA Division III with football

Football conference

Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference

Varsity athletes

456 (326 men · 130 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 (9)

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

Campus safety

Safety grade

D

Reported offenses per 1,000 students

5.2 / year

Violent offenses (2022–2024)

10

Property offenses (2022–2024)

0

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (646 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.

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.

$18,469/year × about 4.1 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.