Private nonprofit · University

Concordia University-Chicago

River Forest, Illinois · Large suburb

92.8%
Admit rate
$18,436
Avg net price
36%
Graduation rate
$54,089
Median earnings

Concordia University-Chicago is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in River Forest, Illinois (large suburb setting), enrolling 1,323 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). It has a Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitSmall · 1,323 undergradsLarge suburbAccessible · 93% admitNCAA Division III with football · Northern Athletics Collegiate ConferenceCold wintersSnowy

About River Forest, Illinois

River Forest is a suburban village adjacent to Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The Menominees would eventually be driven out by the Potowatomi Nation in 1810. The Potawatomi were in turn pushed west of the Mississippi by the Treaty of Chicago of 1833. (Wikipedia)

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

How Concordia University-Chicago compares

Selectivity92.8%

More selective than 18% · #49 most selective of 58 in Illinois

Graduation rate36%

Higher than 18% · #50 of 58 in Illinois

First-year retention61%

Higher than 14%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$54,089

Higher than 51% · #44 of 66 in Illinois

Average net price$18,436

Cheaper than 58% · #25 cheapest of 57 in Illinois

Median debt at graduation$23,000

Lower than 53%

Student–faculty ratio13 : 1

Lower than 50%

Undergraduate enrollment1,323

Larger than 46%

Percentiles compare Concordia University-Chicago 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

4,725students
  • Undergraduate1,32328%
  • Graduate3,40272%

Undergraduates by gender

1,323undergrads
  • Women75757%
  • Men56643%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White40%
  • Black13%
  • Hispanic38%
  • Asian2.0%
  • Other or multiracial6.8%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,323
Graduate enrollment
3,402
Student–faculty ratio
13 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
46%
First-generation students
39%
Students over 25
21%
Median family income
$46,286
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$60,831
Endowment
$32,445,226

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 327 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Illinois67%
  • Other U.S. states32%
  • International0.9%

A regional draw: about 67% of first-years come from Illinois, the rest from elsewhere.

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
92.8%
Test scores
Not considered
SAT range (25th–75th %)
SAT average
SAT reading
SAT math
ACT composite

Cost

In-state tuition
$37,488
Room & board
$11,510
Books & supplies
$1,200
Total cost of attendance
$45,383
Average net price
$18,436

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)
36%
Graduated on time (4 years)
29%
First-year retention
61%
Transferred to another college
30%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$44,405
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$54,089
Median debt at graduation
$23,000
Students with federal loans
57%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
53%

About 8% 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
29%
Low-income (Pell)
38%
First-generation
43%

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
651
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
49%
Housing charge (year)
$6,550
Meal plan (year)
$4,590
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division III with football
Football conference
Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference
Varsity athletes
473 (304 men · 169 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)

Football84
Soccer69
Track and Field (Indoor)57
Track and Field (Outdoor)57
Baseball42
Basketball39
Volleyball34
Other Sports34
Softball23
Tennis18
Cross Country16

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
2.0 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
21
Property offenses (2022–2024)
8

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (4,770 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.

9.7reported offenses a year
7.0 violent a year2.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Aggravated assault
5.0
Burglary
2.3
Rape
1.3
Fondling
0.3
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
$16,795
$30–48k
$16,397
$48–75k
$15,768
$75–110k
$20,046
$110k+
$23,907

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
$68,164

$15,768/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
$20,532
average award, among those who get one

Concordia University-Chicago discounts heavily: 100% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $20,532. 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 267 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)
$54,089
Typical debt at graduation
$23,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
43%
Out-earn a HS grad
66%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.3 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
$49,728
Men
$59,967

Men out-earn women by $10,239 (21%) 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
85°F
Winter low
19°F
Annual rain
34.4″
Annual snow
38.4″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.04.1JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Chicago Midway AP, IL US station (8.3 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 Concordia University-Chicago

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

Colleges near Concordia University-Chicago

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.