Private nonprofit · University

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois · Large suburb

73.6%
Admit rate
$24,185
Avg net price
70%
Graduation rate
$61,462
Median earnings

Elmhurst University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Elmhurst, Illinois (large suburb setting), enrolling 3,006 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). It has a United Church of Christ religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 3,006 undergradsLarge suburbAccessible · 74% admitNCAA Division III with football · College Conference of Illinois and WisconsinCold wintersSnowy

Will you get in?

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

Admit rate
73.6%
SAT (mid 50%)
990–1260
Avg GPA (est.)
3.32

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

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

About Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst is a city in DuPage and Cook counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, and a western suburb of Chicago. Around 1836, European-American immigrants settled on tracts of land along the same creek. At what would become Elmhurst City Centre, a native of Ohio named Gerry Bates established a community on a tract of "treeless land" in 1842. The Theatre Historical Society of America is focused on the preservation of dance, opera, and movie theaters and includes a collection of objects from many theaters that are no longer in existence. (Wikipedia)

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

How Elmhurst University compares

Selectivity73.6%

More selective than 57% · #26 most selective of 58 in Illinois

SAT average1151

Higher than 47%

Graduation rate70%

Higher than 78% · #12 of 58 in Illinois

First-year retention80%

Higher than 62%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$61,462

Higher than 70% · #25 of 66 in Illinois

Average net price$24,185

Cheaper than 31% · #44 cheapest of 57 in Illinois

Median debt at graduation$20,489

Lower than 73%

Student–faculty ratio15 : 1

Lower than 35%

Undergraduate enrollment3,006

Larger than 69%

Percentiles compare Elmhurst 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

3,790students
  • Undergraduate3,00679%
  • Graduate78421%

Undergraduates by gender

3,006undergrads
  • Women1,82661%
  • Men1,18039%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White44%
  • Black6.0%
  • Hispanic34%
  • Asian8.2%
  • Other or multiracial7.7%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
3,006
Graduate enrollment
784
Student–faculty ratio
15 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
37%
First-generation students
35%
Students over 25
10%
Median family income
$49,618
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$80,901
Endowment
$177,519,975

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

Admissions

Admission rate
73.6%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
990–1260
SAT average
1151
SAT reading
510–640
SAT math
480–620
ACT composite
23–30
Average GPA (estimated)
3.32

Cost

In-state tuition
$42,955
Room & board
$14,528
Books & supplies
$1,250
Total cost of attendance
$54,679
Average net price
$24,185

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)
70%
Graduated on time (4 years)
57%
First-year retention
80%
Transferred to another college
30%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$52,803
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$61,462
Median debt at graduation
$20,489
Students with federal loans
77%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
68%

About 13% 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
57%
Low-income (Pell)
64%
First-generation
63%

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
972
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
32%
Housing charge (year)
$6,848
Meal plan (year)
$5,010
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division III with football
Football conference
College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin
Varsity athletes
677 (382 men · 295 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)217
Football84
Soccer76
Lacrosse58
Wrestling47
Baseball41
Basketball41
Golf32
Softball29
Tennis22
Volleyball21
Bowling9

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
2.1 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
25
Property offenses (2022–2024)
0

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (3,997 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.

8.3reported offenses a year
8.3 violent a year0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Fondling
4.3
Rape
3.3
Aggravated assault
0.7

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
$17,892
$30–48k
$18,377
$48–75k
$23,098
$75–110k
$25,419
$110k+
$30,232

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
$99,024

$23,098/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.

99%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$23,492
average award, among those who get one

Elmhurst University discounts heavily: 99% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $23,492. 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 617 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)
$61,462
Typical debt at graduation
$20,489
Debt vs. one year's pay
33%
Out-earn a HS grad
74%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.3 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
$58,696
Men
$69,215

Men out-earn women by $10,519 (18%) 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 (6.8 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 Elmhurst University

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

Colleges near Elmhurst 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.