Private nonprofit · University

Graceland University-Lamoni

Lamoni, Iowa · Remote rural

#5 best value in Iowa
80.8%
Admit rate
$18,504
Avg net price
42%
Graduation rate
$47,361
Median earnings

Graceland University-Lamoni is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Lamoni, Iowa (remote rural setting), enrolling 798 undergraduates. It has a Other religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitSmall · 798 undergradsRemote ruralAccessible · 81% admitNAIA Division II · Heart of America Athletic ConferenceCold winters

About Lamoni, Iowa

Lamoni is a city in Decatur County, Iowa, United States. In 1851, refugees from the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 sought to settle the area and form the community of New Buda (named for a neighborhood of Budapest). Their efforts did not result in a significant settlement. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Remote rural
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To Great Lakes shore
336 miles
Nearest airport
65 miles to Des Moines (DSM) · major hub

How Graceland University-Lamoni compares

Selectivity80.8%

More selective than 43% · #16 most selective of 28 in Iowa

Graduation rate42%

Higher than 26% · #26 of 30 in Iowa

First-year retention55%

Higher than 9%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$47,361

Higher than 31% · #29 of 31 in Iowa

Average net price$18,504

Cheaper than 57% · #5 cheapest of 29 in Iowa

Median debt at graduation$21,212

Lower than 66%

Student–faculty ratio12 : 1

Lower than 59%

Undergraduate enrollment798

Larger than 31%

Percentiles compare Graceland University-Lamoni 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

1,102students
  • Undergraduate79872%
  • Graduate30428%

Undergraduates by gender

798undergrads
  • Women43755%
  • Men36145%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White45%
  • Black20%
  • Hispanic14%
  • Asian0.8%
  • Other or multiracial20%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
798
Graduate enrollment
304
Student–faculty ratio
12 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
49%
First-generation students
38%
Students over 25
12%
Median family income
$49,130
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$61,965
Endowment
$49,294,369

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 238 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Iowa18%
  • Other U.S. states65%
  • International17%

A national draw — only 18% of first-years come from Iowa; 64% arrive from other states.

17% 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
80.8%
Test scores
Not considered
SAT range (25th–75th %)
SAT average
SAT reading
SAT math
ACT composite

Cost

In-state tuition
$20,950
Room & board
$11,000
Books & supplies
$700
Total cost of attendance
$48,294
Average net price
$18,504

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)
42%
Graduated on time (4 years)
36%
First-year retention
55%
Transferred to another college
11%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$40,792
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$47,361
Median debt at graduation
$21,212
Students with federal loans
78%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
50%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
36%
Low-income (Pell)
46%
First-generation
48%

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
768
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
96%
Housing charge (year)
$4,090
Meal plan (year)
$6,450
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NAIA Division II
Football conference
Heart of America Athletic Conference
Varsity athletes
632 (408 men · 224 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 (13)

Football134
Soccer89
Volleyball63
Basketball61
Track and Field (Outdoor)58
Track and Field (Indoor)57
Baseball50
Wrestling35
Other Sports25
Softball21
Cross Country19
Golf17
Rodeo3

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
D
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
6.7 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
13
Property offenses (2022–2024)
9

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (1,102 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.

7.3reported offenses a year
4.3 violent a year3.0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
2.7
Fondling
1.7
Rape
1.3
Aggravated assault
1.3
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
$15,875
$30–48k
$16,390
$48–75k
$20,883
$75–110k
$18,345
$110k+
$21,560

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
$87,729

$20,883/year × about 4.2 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
$25,424
average award, among those who get one

Graceland University-Lamoni discounts heavily: 100% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $25,424. 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 202 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)
$47,361
Typical debt at graduation
$21,212
Debt vs. one year's pay
45%
Out-earn a HS grad
64%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.5 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
$44,905
Men
$49,958

Men out-earn women by $5,053 (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
87°F
Winter low
14°F
Annual rain
41″
Annual snow
26.7″

Average temperature

HighLow
0°50°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.03.05.9JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Lamoni, IA US station (0.7 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 Graceland University-Lamoni

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

Colleges near Graceland University-Lamoni

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.