Private nonprofit · University

University of Dubuque

Dubuque, Iowa · Small city

88.6%
Admit rate
$23,386
Avg net price
40%
Graduation rate
$51,190
Median earnings

University of Dubuque is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Dubuque, Iowa (small city setting), enrolling 1,440 undergraduates. It has a Presbyterian Church (USA) religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitSmall · 1,440 undergradsSmall cityAccessible · 89% admitNCAA Division III with football · American Rivers ConferenceCold wintersSnowy

Will you get in?

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

Admit rate
88.6%
SAT (mid 50%)
980–1220
Avg GPA (est.)
3.18

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

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and University of Dubuque'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 University of Dubuque compares

Selectivity88.6%

More selective than 27% · #21 most selective of 28 in Iowa

SAT average1110

Higher than 33%

Graduation rate40%

Higher than 23% · #27 of 30 in Iowa

First-year retention77%

Higher than 51%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$51,190

Higher than 42% · #24 of 31 in Iowa

Average net price$23,386

Cheaper than 34% · #19 cheapest of 29 in Iowa

Median debt at graduation$25,750

Lower than 27%

Student–faculty ratio10 : 1

Lower than 76%

Undergraduate enrollment1,440

Larger than 48%

Percentiles compare University of Dubuque 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

1,757students
  • Undergraduate1,44082%
  • Graduate31718%

Undergraduates by gender

1,440undergrads
  • Women61142%
  • Men82958%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White71%
  • Black9.0%
  • Hispanic3.8%
  • Asian1.4%
  • Other or multiracial15%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,440
Graduate enrollment
317
Student–faculty ratio
10 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
40%
First-generation students
36%
Students over 25
15%
Median family income
$41,836
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$68,031
Endowment
$281,638,321

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

Admissions

Admission rate
88.6%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
980–1220
SAT average
1110
SAT reading
490–610
SAT math
490–610
ACT composite
18–24
Average GPA (estimated)
3.18

Cost

In-state tuition
$42,095
Room & board
$12,150
Total cost of attendance
$53,806
Average net price
$23,386

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)
40%
Graduated on time (4 years)
30%
First-year retention
77%
Transferred to another college
45%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$44,960
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$51,190
Median debt at graduation
$25,750
Students with federal loans
70%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
55%

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
30%
Low-income (Pell)
36%
First-generation
38%

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
911
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
63%
Housing charge (year)
$5,790
Meal plan (year)
$5,680
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division III with football
Football conference
American Rivers Conference
Varsity athletes
747 (498 men · 249 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 (14)

Football123
Track and Field (Indoor)99
Track and Field (Outdoor)96
Soccer64
Ice Hockey63
Basketball47
Wrestling45
Baseball43
Lacrosse36
Cross Country33
Volleyball33
Golf25
Tennis21
Softball19

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
D
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
8.9 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
21
Property offenses (2022–2024)
26

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 5 campuses (1,757 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.

16reported offenses a year
7.0 violent a year8.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
8.0
Rape
4.0
Aggravated assault
2.7
Arson
0.7
Fondling
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
$18,106
$30–48k
$19,318
$48–75k
$19,480
$75–110k
$24,660
$110k+
$25,908

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
$85,225

$19,480/year × about 4.4 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.

98%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$22,952
average award, among those who get one

University of Dubuque discounts heavily: 98% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $22,952. 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 316 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)
$51,190
Typical debt at graduation
$25,750
Debt vs. one year's pay
50%
Out-earn a HS grad
66%

Typical debt would take roughly 5.0 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
$48,280
Men
$53,193

Men out-earn women by $4,913 (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
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 (3.8 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 University of Dubuque

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

Colleges near University of Dubuque

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.