Private nonprofit · University
Waldorf University
Forest City, Iowa · Remote rural
- 77.0%
- Admit rate
- $19,693
- Avg net price
- 21%
- Graduation rate
- $51,165
- Median earnings
Waldorf University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Forest City, Iowa (remote rural setting), enrolling 1,827 undergraduates. It has a Evangelical Lutheran Church religious affiliation.
About Forest City, Iowa
Forest City is a city in Hancock County and Winnebago County in the U.S. state of Iowa, and the county seat of Winnebago County. Forest City was officially founded in 1855. Formerly known as “Puckerbrush”, Robert Clark the official founder/surveyor deemed it “Forest City” because it was cut right out of the trees. It was then platted in 1856, and later incorporated on June 14, 1878. There are three bike trails located in Forest City. The Hanson Trail (9.0 miles), Hynes Spur (2.0 miles) and The Pilot Knob Loop (4.0 miles). (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Remote rural
- Highest degree offered
- Graduate
- Nearest big city
- 116 miles to Des Moines, IA
- To Great Lakes shore
- 251 miles
- Nearest airport
- 17 miles to Mason City (MCW)
How Waldorf University compares
More selective than 51% · #11 most selective of 28 in Iowa
Higher than 6% · #30 of 30 in Iowa
Higher than 4%
Higher than 42% · #25 of 31 in Iowa
Cheaper than 51% · #9 cheapest of 29 in Iowa
Lower than 81%
Lower than 6%
Larger than 55%
Percentiles compare Waldorf University 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
- Undergraduate1,82782%
- Graduate39118%
Undergraduates by gender
- Women81144%
- Men1,01656%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White57%
- Black16%
- Hispanic3.6%
- Asian1.6%
- Other or multiracial21%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 1,827
- Graduate enrollment
- 391
- Student–faculty ratio
- 22 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 36%
- First-generation students
- 46%
- Students over 25
- 63%
- Median family income
- $40,142
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $51,894
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Admissions
- Admission rate
- 77.0%
- Test scores
- Not considered
- SAT range (25th–75th %)
- —
- SAT average
- —
- SAT reading
- —
- SAT math
- —
- ACT composite
- —
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $25,978
- Room & board
- $9,920
- Books & supplies
- $1,286
- Total cost of attendance
- $39,675
- Average net price
- $19,693
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)
- 21%
- Graduated on time (4 years)
- 21%
- First-year retention
- 44%
- Transferred to another college
- 0%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $50,515
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $51,165
- Median debt at graduation
- $18,752
- Students with federal loans
- 39%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 47%
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
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
- 588
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 32%
- Application fee
- Free
- Athletics
- NAIA Division I
- Football conference
- Great Plains Athletic Conference
- Varsity athletes
- 496 (344 men · 152 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)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- D
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 7.0 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 18
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 29
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (2,225 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.
By offense type, per year
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.
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.
$23,045/year × about 4.0 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.
A meaningful share of freshmen — 90% — get grant money from Waldorf University itself, averaging $13,471, which softens the sticker price.
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 151 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)
- $51,165
- Typical debt at graduation
- $18,752
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 37%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 59%
Typical debt would take roughly 3.7 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
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.
Men out-earn women by $16,082 (38%) 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
- 81°F
- Winter low
- 6°F
- Annual rain
- 35.9″
- Annual snow
- 44.4″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Forest City 2 Nne, IA US station (1.6 mi from campus).
What Waldorf University graduates study — and earn
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 Waldorf University
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Waldorf University side by side →
University of Evansville
Evansville, Indiana · Midsize city · 2 mi to Evansville
- Students
- 1,539
- Admission
- 78%
- Net price
- $18k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $54k
Ashland University
Ashland, Ohio · Fringe town · 45 mi to Akron
- Students
- 2,199
- Admission
- 76%
- Net price
- $22k
- SAT
- 1120
- GPA
- 3.2
- Earnings
- $53k
John Brown University
Siloam Springs, Arkansas · Distant town · 24 mi to Fayetteville
- Students
- 1,471
- Admission
- 76%
- Net price
- $20k
- SAT
- 1195
- GPA
- 3.4
- Earnings
- $54k
Buena Vista University
Storm Lake, Iowa · Remote town · 99 mi to Sioux Falls
- Students
- 1,366
- Admission
- 78%
- Net price
- $19k
- SAT
- 1120
- GPA
- 3.2
- Earnings
- $49k
Seton Hill University
Greensburg, Pennsylvania · Large suburb · 25 mi to Pittsburgh
- Students
- 1,492
- Admission
- 80%
- Net price
- $22k
- SAT
- 1117
- GPA
- 3.2
- Earnings
- $52k
Gardner-Webb University
Boiling Springs, North Carolina · Distant rural · 47 mi to Charlotte
- Students
- 1,856
- Admission
- 77%
- Net price
- $18k
- SAT
- 1113
- GPA
- 3.2
- Earnings
- $48k
Colleges near Waldorf University
La James College of Hairstyling and Cosmetology
Mason City, IA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 56 students
North Iowa Area Community College
Mason City, IA · Public · Certificate · 1,320 students
Riverland Community College
Austin, MN · Public · Certificate · 2,003 students
Ellsworth Community College
Iowa Falls, IA · Public · Associate · 499 students
La James International College-Ft Dodge
Fort Dodge, IA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 22 students
Iowa Central Community College
Fort Dodge, IA · Public · Associate · 3,103 students
Iowa Lakes Community College
Estherville, IA · Public · Associate · 941 students
Minnesota State University-Mankato
Mankato, MN · Public · Bachelor's · 11,703 students
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.














