Private nonprofit · University

Valparaiso University

Valparaiso, Indiana · Small suburb

89.4%
Admit rate
$18,578
Avg net price
70%
Graduation rate
$63,191
Median earnings

Valparaiso University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Valparaiso, Indiana (small suburb setting), enrolling 2,083 undergraduates. It has a Lutheran Church in America religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 2,083 undergradsSmall suburbAccessible · 89% admitNCAA Division I-FCS · Pioneer Football LeagueCold wintersSnowy

Will you get in?

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

Admit rate
89.4%
SAT (mid 50%)
1060–1280
Avg GPA (est.)
3.36

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

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

About Valparaiso, Indiana

Valparaiso, colloquially Valpo, is a city in and the county seat of Porter County, Indiana, United States. Chiqua's town or Chipuaw was located a mile east of the current Courthouse along the Sauk Trail. Chiqua's town existed from or before 1830 until after 1832. The location is just north of the railroad crossing on State Route 2 and County Road 400 North. The Valparaiso Downtown Commercial District, Washington Street Historic District, and the Banta Neighborhood feature many historic homes; architectural designs include, Italianate, Arts & Crafts, and English/Cotswold. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Small suburb
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
42 miles to Chicago, IL
To Great Lakes shore
14 miles
Nearest airport
20 miles to Michigan City (MGC)

How Valparaiso University compares

Selectivity89.4%

More selective than 25% · #37 most selective of 42 in Indiana

SAT average1178

Higher than 51%

Graduation rate70%

Higher than 79% · #10 of 45 in Indiana

First-year retention75%

Higher than 46%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$63,191

Higher than 74% · #9 of 44 in Indiana

Average net price$18,578

Cheaper than 57% · #20 cheapest of 45 in Indiana

Median debt at graduation$26,942

Lower than 17%

Student–faculty ratio10 : 1

Lower than 76%

Undergraduate enrollment2,083

Larger than 58%

Percentiles compare Valparaiso University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Indiana.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

2,539students
  • Undergraduate2,08382%
  • Graduate45618%

Undergraduates by gender

2,083undergrads
  • Women1,18957%
  • Men89443%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White66%
  • Black6.3%
  • Hispanic14%
  • Asian3.7%
  • Other or multiracial9.8%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
2,083
Graduate enrollment
456
Student–faculty ratio
10 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
27%
First-generation students
29%
Students over 25
4%
Median family income
$70,535
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$73,143
Endowment
$311,933,000

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 596 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Indiana55%
  • Other U.S. states43%
  • International2.0%

A regional draw: about 55% of first-years come from Indiana, the rest from elsewhere.

2% 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
89.4%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1060–1280
SAT average
1178
SAT reading
540–640
SAT math
520–640
ACT composite
23–31
Average GPA (estimated)
3.36

Cost

In-state tuition
$48,450
Room & board
$13,618
Books & supplies
$1,200
Total cost of attendance
$58,437
Average net price
$18,578

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)
62%
First-year retention
75%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$55,216
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$63,191
Median debt at graduation
$26,942
Students with federal loans
52%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
69%

About 9% 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
62%
Low-income (Pell)
69%
First-generation
67%

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
1,660
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
80%
Housing charge (year)
$8,198
Meal plan (year)
$5,190
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FCS
Football conference
Pioneer Football League
Varsity athletes
521 (318 men · 203 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)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)157
Football132
Swimming52
Baseball37
Soccer33
Basketball31
Softball24
Volleyball18
Golf17
Bowling13
Tennis7

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

Campus safety

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

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (2,579 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.

4.0reported offenses a year
2.0 violent a year2.0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
1.7
Rape
1.3
Fondling
0.7
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
$11,043
$30–48k
$12,055
$48–75k
$15,279
$75–110k
$22,311
$110k+
$24,780

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
$63,917

$15,279/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.

99%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$30,671
average award, among those who get one

Valparaiso University discounts heavily: 99% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $30,671. 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 603 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)
$63,191
Typical debt at graduation
$26,942
Debt vs. one year's pay
43%
Out-earn a HS grad
68%

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
$56,812
Men
$71,465

Men out-earn women by $14,653 (26%) 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
18°F
Annual rain
33.4″
Annual snow
40″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.01.93.9JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Valparaiso Porter CO Muni AP, IN US station (1.9 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 Valparaiso University

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

Colleges near Valparaiso 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.