Private nonprofit · University

William Penn University

Oskaloosa, Iowa · Remote town

#2 most selective in Iowa
51.9%
Admit rate
$22,601
Avg net price
33%
Graduation rate
$48,936
Median earnings

William Penn University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Oskaloosa, Iowa (remote town setting), enrolling 1,301 undergraduates. It has a Friends religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitSmall · 1,301 undergradsRemote townSelective · 52% admitNAIA Division I · Heart of America Athletic ConferenceCold winters

Will you get in?

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

Admit rate
51.9%
SAT (mid 50%)
880–1110
Avg GPA (est.)
2.92

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

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

About Oskaloosa, Iowa

Oskaloosa is a city in, and the county seat of, Mahaska County, Iowa. Oskaloosa derives its name from Ouscaloosa who, according to town lore, was a Creek princess who married Seminole chief Osceola. "Oskaloosa" in the Mvskoke-Creek language means "black rain", from the Mvskoke words "oske" (rain) and "lvste" (black). The Southern Iowa Fair is one of the largest traditional county fairs in Iowa and is held each July. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Remote town
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To Great Lakes shore
257 miles
Nearest airport
55 miles to Des Moines (DSM) · major hub

How William Penn University compares

Selectivity51.9%

More selective than 83% · #2 most selective of 28 in Iowa

SAT average984

Higher than 7%

Graduation rate33%

Higher than 14% · #29 of 30 in Iowa

First-year retention58%

Higher than 12%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$48,936

Higher than 36% · #28 of 31 in Iowa

Average net price$22,601

Cheaper than 37% · #16 cheapest of 29 in Iowa

Median debt at graduation$22,415

Lower than 57%

Student–faculty ratio15 : 1

Lower than 35%

Undergraduate enrollment1,301

Larger than 45%

Percentiles compare William Penn 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

1,378students
  • Undergraduate1,30194%
  • Graduate776%

Undergraduates by gender

1,301undergrads
  • Women53541%
  • Men76659%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White56%
  • Black18%
  • Hispanic9.4%
  • Other or multiracial16%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,301
Graduate enrollment
77
Student–faculty ratio
15 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
47%
First-generation students
38%
Students over 25
22%
Median family income
$38,157
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$57,546
Endowment
$8,830,882

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

Admissions

Admission rate
51.9%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
880–1110
SAT average
984
SAT reading
450–570
SAT math
430–540
ACT composite
16–22
Average GPA (estimated)
2.92

Cost

In-state tuition
$29,750
Room & board
$8,222
Books & supplies
$1,560
Total cost of attendance
$42,874
Average net price
$22,601

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)
33%
Graduated on time (4 years)
22%
First-year retention
58%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$40,189
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$48,936
Median debt at graduation
$22,415
Students with federal loans
88%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
43%

About 11% 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
22%
Low-income (Pell)
35%
First-generation
34%

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
834
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
64%
Housing charge (year)
$3,412
Meal plan (year)
$4,300
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NAIA Division I
Football conference
Heart of America Athletic Conference
Varsity athletes
913 (632 men · 281 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)

Football139
Soccer134
Basketball118
Other Sports73
Wrestling64
Volleyball63
Track and Field (Indoor)60
Baseball56
Track and Field (Outdoor)56
Bowling37
Softball36
Lacrosse32
Golf26
Cross Country19

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
4.0 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
8
Property offenses (2022–2024)
9

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (1,425 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.

5.7reported offenses a year
2.7 violent a year3.0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
3.0
Aggravated assault
1.7
Fondling
1.0

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
$20,608
$30–48k
$19,378
$48–75k
$20,560
$75–110k
$24,245
$110k+
$25,916

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
$92,290

$20,560/year × about 4.5 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
$14,317
average award, among those who get one

A meaningful share of freshmen — 100% — get grant money from William Penn University itself, averaging $14,317, 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 313 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)
$48,936
Typical debt at graduation
$22,415
Debt vs. one year's pay
46%
Out-earn a HS grad
59%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.6 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
$45,121
Men
$52,709

Men out-earn women by $7,588 (17%) 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
86°F
Winter low
12°F
Annual rain
38.7″
Annual snow
23.6″

Average temperature

HighLow
0°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.65.2JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Oskaloosa, IA US station (0.8 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 William Penn University

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

Colleges near William Penn 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.