Private nonprofit · University

Clarke University

Dubuque, Iowa · Small city

71.8%
Admit rate
$24,479
Avg net price
56%
Graduation rate
$55,396
Median earnings

Clarke University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Dubuque, Iowa (small city setting), enrolling 742 undergraduates. It has a Roman Catholic religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitSmall · 742 undergradsSmall cityAccessible · 72% admitNAIA Division I · Heart of America Athletic ConferenceCold wintersSnowy

Will you get in?

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

Admit rate
71.8%
SAT (mid 50%)
900–1160
Avg GPA (est.)
3.07

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

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

About Dubuque, Iowa

Dubuque is a city in Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. Spain gained control of the Louisiana Territory west of the Mississippi River following the 1763 defeat of the French; the British took over all territory to the east. Dubuque is culturally part of the Upper Midwest. The National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium is home to museum exhibits on the culture and history of America's rivers, as well as aquariums featuring wildlife found in the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Small city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To Great Lakes shore
146 miles
Nearest airport
7 miles to Dubuque (DBQ)

How Clarke University compares

Selectivity71.8%

More selective than 60% · #9 most selective of 28 in Iowa

SAT average1054

Higher than 17%

Graduation rate56%

Higher than 53% · #21 of 30 in Iowa

First-year retention67%

Higher than 25%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$55,396

Higher than 55% · #16 of 31 in Iowa

Average net price$24,479

Cheaper than 30% · #22 cheapest of 29 in Iowa

Median debt at graduation$26,717

Lower than 19%

Student–faculty ratio9 : 1

Lower than 83%

Undergraduate enrollment742

Larger than 29%

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

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

889students
  • Undergraduate74283%
  • Graduate14717%

Undergraduates by gender

742undergrads
  • Women45261%
  • Men29039%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White52%
  • Black13%
  • Hispanic12%
  • Asian1.8%
  • Other or multiracial21%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
742
Graduate enrollment
147
Student–faculty ratio
9 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
37%
First-generation students
29%
Students over 25
7%
Median family income
$66,479
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$61,578
Endowment
$32,726,988

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 199 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Iowa30%
  • Other U.S. states60%
  • International10%

A national draw — only 30% of first-years come from Iowa; 60% arrive from other states.

10% 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
71.8%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
900–1160
SAT average
1054
SAT reading
430–570
SAT math
470–590
ACT composite
16–24
Average GPA (estimated)
3.07

Cost

In-state tuition
$40,910
Room & board
$11,734
Books & supplies
$1,514
Total cost of attendance
$55,782
Average net price
$24,479

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)
56%
Graduated on time (4 years)
44%
First-year retention
67%
Transferred to another college
39%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$49,157
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$55,396
Median debt at graduation
$26,717
Students with federal loans
74%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
69%

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
44%
Low-income (Pell)
52%
First-generation
52%

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
616
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
83%
Housing charge (year)
$5,200
Meal plan (year)
$5,800
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NAIA Division I
Football conference
Heart of America Athletic Conference
Varsity athletes
644 (414 men · 230 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 (11)

Soccer132
Football124
Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)111
Baseball60
Basketball55
Volleyball53
Softball34
Other Sports26
Lacrosse24
Golf13
Bowling12

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
2.8 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
5
Property offenses (2022–2024)
3

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (962 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.

2.7reported offenses a year
1.7 violent a year1.0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
1.0
Burglary
1.0
Fondling
0.3
Aggravated assault
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
$23,405
$30–48k
$22,543
$48–75k
$22,645
$75–110k
$27,890
$110k+
$24,784

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
$97,680

$22,645/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.

100%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$23,601
average award, among those who get one

Clarke University discounts heavily: 100% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $23,601. 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 193 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)
$55,396
Typical debt at graduation
$26,717
Debt vs. one year's pay
48%
Out-earn a HS grad
72%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.8 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
$54,628
Men
$60,769

Men out-earn women by $6,141 (11%) 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
10°F
Annual rain
38.8″
Annual snow
36.1″

Average temperature

HighLow
0°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.85.6JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Dubuque L&D 11, IA US station (3.1 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 Clarke University

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

Colleges near Clarke 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.