Private nonprofit · College

Wisconsin Lutheran College

Milwaukee, Wisconsin · Large city

78.2%
Admit rate
$23,245
Avg net price
64%
Graduation rate
$54,664
Median earnings

Wisconsin Lutheran College is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (large city setting), enrolling 943 undergraduates. It has a Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitSmall · 943 undergradsLarge cityAccessible · 78% admitNCAA Division III with football · Northern Athletics Collegiate ConferenceCold wintersSnowy

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Wisconsin Lutheran College's admitted students.

Admit rate
78.2%
SAT (mid 50%)
970–1230
Avg GPA (est.)
3.51

Enter a test score to see where you land against Wisconsin Lutheran College's admitted students.

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

About Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The etymological origin of the name Milwaukee is disputed. Wisconsin academic Virgil J. Vogel has said, "the name [...] Milwaukee is not difficult to explain, yet there are a number of conflicting claims made concerning it." Milwaukee is a popular location for sailing, boating, and kayaking on Lake Michigan, ethnic dining, and cultural festivals. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
6 miles to Milwaukee, WI
To Great Lakes shore
6 miles
Nearest airport
9 miles to General Mitchell (MKE) · major hub

How Wisconsin Lutheran College compares

Selectivity78.2%

More selective than 48% · #14 most selective of 34 in Wisconsin

SAT average1239

Higher than 68%

Graduation rate64%

Higher than 66% · #15 of 33 in Wisconsin

First-year retention73%

Higher than 38%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$54,664

Higher than 52% · #23 of 36 in Wisconsin

Average net price$23,245

Cheaper than 35% · #23 cheapest of 33 in Wisconsin

Median debt at graduation$26,000

Lower than 24%

Student–faculty ratio11 : 1

Lower than 68%

Undergraduate enrollment943

Larger than 36%

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

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

1,013students
  • Undergraduate94393%
  • Graduate707%

Undergraduates by gender

943undergrads
  • Women51955%
  • Men42445%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White76%
  • Black4.7%
  • Hispanic10.0%
  • Asian1.9%
  • Other or multiracial7.6%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
943
Graduate enrollment
70
Student–faculty ratio
11 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
29%
First-generation students
29%
Students over 25
3%
Median family income
$68,509
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$67,572
Endowment
$49,450,647

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 251 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Wisconsin69%
  • Other U.S. states32%

A regional draw: about 69% of first-years come from Wisconsin, the rest from elsewhere.

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
78.2%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
970–1230
SAT average
1239
SAT reading
530–640
SAT math
440–590
ACT composite
23–29
Average GPA (estimated)
3.51

Cost

In-state tuition
$36,110
Room & board
$12,250
Books & supplies
$800
Total cost of attendance
$48,785
Average net price
$23,245

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)
64%
Graduated on time (4 years)
52%
First-year retention
73%
Transferred to another college
27%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$49,095
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$54,664
Median debt at graduation
$26,000
Students with federal loans
68%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
72%

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
52%
Low-income (Pell)
55%
First-generation
50%

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
769
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
82%
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division III with football
Football conference
Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference
Varsity athletes
495 (311 men · 184 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)

Football90
Soccer69
Track and Field (Indoor)57
Track and Field (Outdoor)57
Basketball45
Baseball39
Volleyball37
Softball31
Cross Country31
Golf26
Tennis13

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
2.6 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
5
Property offenses (2022–2024)
3

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (1,027 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.

2.7reported offenses a year
1.7 violent a year1.0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Fondling
1.0
Burglary
0.7
Rape
0.3
Aggravated assault
0.3
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
$18,190
$30–48k
$15,913
$48–75k
$20,519
$75–110k
$20,475
$110k+
$28,019

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
$87,566

$20,519/year × about 4.3 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
$21,203
average award, among those who get one

Wisconsin Lutheran College discounts heavily: 100% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $21,203. 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 309 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)
$54,664
Typical debt at graduation
$26,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
48%
Out-earn a HS grad
71%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.8 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
$48,802
Men
$62,490

Men out-earn women by $13,688 (28%) 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
15°F
Annual rain
39.4″
Annual snow
52.3″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.55.0JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, West Allis, WI US station (1.7 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 Wisconsin Lutheran College

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Wisconsin Lutheran College side by side →

Colleges near Wisconsin Lutheran College

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.