Private nonprofit · University

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois · Large suburb

90.3%
Admit rate
$11,745
Avg net price
55%
Graduation rate
$60,327
Median earnings

Dominican University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in River Forest, Illinois (large suburb setting), enrolling 2,561 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). It has a Roman Catholic religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 2,561 undergradsLarge suburbAccessible · 90% admitNCAA Division III without footballCold wintersSnowy

Will you get in?

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

Admit rate
90.3%
SAT (mid 50%)
880–1100
Avg GPA (est.)
2.89

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

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

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
10 miles to Chicago, IL
To Great Lakes shore
9 miles
Nearest airport
7 miles to Chicago O'Hare (ORD) · major hub

How Dominican University compares

Selectivity90.3%

More selective than 23% · #47 most selective of 58 in Illinois

SAT average1002

Higher than 8%

Graduation rate55%

Higher than 51% · #34 of 58 in Illinois

First-year retention78%

Higher than 56%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$60,327

Higher than 68% · #26 of 66 in Illinois

Average net price$11,745

Cheaper than 86% · #6 cheapest of 57 in Illinois

Median debt at graduation$24,411

Lower than 42%

Student–faculty ratio12 : 1

Lower than 59%

Undergraduate enrollment2,561

Larger than 64%

Percentiles compare Dominican 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

3,674students
  • Undergraduate2,56170%
  • Graduate1,11330%

Undergraduates by gender

2,561undergrads
  • Women1,78670%
  • Men77530%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White18%
  • Black5.9%
  • Hispanic69%
  • Asian3.0%
  • Other or multiracial3.7%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
2,561
Graduate enrollment
1,113
Student–faculty ratio
12 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
52%
First-generation students
51%
Students over 25
6%
Median family income
$38,451
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$72,261
Endowment
$55,388,935

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 651 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Illinois90%
  • Other U.S. states10%

Most first-years stay in state — Dominican University draws overwhelmingly from Illinois.

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
90.3%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
880–1100
SAT average
1002
SAT reading
460–560
SAT math
420–540
ACT composite
16–26
Average GPA (estimated)
2.89

Cost

In-state tuition
$38,978
Room & board
$12,716
Books & supplies
$1,200
Total cost of attendance
$43,891
Average net price
$11,745

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)
55%
Graduated on time (4 years)
45%
First-year retention
78%
Transferred to another college
31%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$47,907
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$60,327
Median debt at graduation
$24,411
Students with federal loans
50%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
59%

About 10% 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
45%
Low-income (Pell)
51%
First-generation
51%

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
520
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
20%
Housing charge (year)
$7,080
Meal plan (year)
$5,472
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division III without football
Varsity athletes
309 (161 men · 148 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)

Soccer74
Baseball42
Track and Field (Indoor)37
Track and Field (Outdoor)36
Basketball34
Volleyball33
Softball29
Cross Country16
Golf8

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
0.6 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
6
Property offenses (2022–2024)
1

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (3,803 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.

2.3reported offenses a year
2.0 violent a year0.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Fondling
1.3
Rape
0.3
Aggravated assault
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
$9,759
$30–48k
$9,014
$48–75k
$11,891
$75–110k
$16,851
$110k+
$17,963

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
$50,885

$11,891/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
$20,333
average award, among those who get one

Dominican University discounts heavily: 100% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $20,333. 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 598 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)
$60,327
Typical debt at graduation
$24,411
Debt vs. one year's pay
40%
Out-earn a HS grad
68%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.0 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
$57,912
Men
$63,818

Men out-earn women by $5,906 (10%) 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
19°F
Annual rain
37.9″
Annual snow
38.4″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.34.5JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Chicago Ohare Intl AP, IL US station (8.5 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 Dominican University

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

Colleges near Dominican 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.