Private Nonprofit Graduate Strong 70/100

Augustana College

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Rock Island, Illinois

About Augustana College

Thinking about Augustana College, a college in Illinois where more students graduate in Business than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Augustana College is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Rock Island, Illinois. It enrolls 2,490 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
62.7%
Graduation
67.8%
Net Price
$22,736
Median Earnings (10yr)
$62,971
Enrollment
2,490
Student : Faculty
11:1

Accreditor Higher Learning Commission
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Strong
70/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 75
Value 53
Affordability 32
Selectivity 61

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Augustana College admits 62.7% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.

Acceptance Rate
62.7%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1030 – 1270
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
21 – 29
Cumulative composite
Test Policy Not Considered Standardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.

5-Year Admission Trend

Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Augustana College is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Becoming less selective ↑ 11.0 pts since 2019
56.6%201957.4%202069.1%202161.2%202267.6%2023

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $22,736 a year on average, it sits in line with what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. Plan for the gap between that and what you can pay without borrowing. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$22,736
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
24%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
55%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees
$51,598
Room & Board (on-campus)
$12,502
Room & Board (off-campus)
$12,502
Books & Supplies
$1,000
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$2,529
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$2,529
Total Cost of Attendance
$63,553

Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $15,787
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $16,525
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $16,865
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $22,405
  • Over $110,000
    $28,086

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$5,500
10% percentile
$12,610
25% percentile
$27,000
Median percentile
$27,000
75% percentile
$35,000
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $25,532 ↓ $1,468
No Pell $26,000 ↓ $1,000
Female students $26,000 ↓ $1,000
Male students $26,000 ↓ $1,000
Pell recipients: 24.7% (6,658 students)No Pell: 25.1% (6,781 students)Female students: 25.1% (6,781 students)Male students: 25.1% (6,781 students)Overall Median$27,000
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $6,625, less than completers ($27,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

68% of students who start here finish within six years, and 82% come back after first year. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
68%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
82%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $62,971 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$62,971
Earning > $25K
88%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$48,000$52,000$56,000$61,000$65,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$52,400

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$61,500

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$56,600

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$56,500

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$56,300

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $9,100, about 15% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 10.9 pts across 6 years
82.4%1yr83.8%3yr90.9%5yr93.3%7yr
What this signals: Excellent. 93% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 2,490 students, a mid-sized community.

Total Enrolled
2,490
Part-Time
1%
First-Generation
22%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 54.0% 1,345
International 20.0% 498
Hispanic 12.9% 321
Black 4.7% 116
Other 4.0% 100
Asian 2.6% 65
White: 54.0% (1,345 students)International: 20.0% (498 students)Hispanic: 12.9% (321 students)Black: 4.7% (116 students)Other: 4.0% (100 students)Asian: 2.6% (65 students)Total2,490

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Augustana College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Small City Rock Island, Illinois
Housing
Mostly residential 1,730 beds on campus
Adult Learners
2% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure
Designation
Religiously affiliated

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Biology graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Augustana College offers an extensive catalog of programs: 46 distinct programs across 19 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

6 Programs
4 Programs
4 Programs
2 Programs
3 Programs
4 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 11 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
11:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$353M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$72,715
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

193 instructional faculty across 4 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Full Professors 72 37% $91,878
Associate Professors 42 22% $69,192
Assistant Professors 27 14% $65,647
Instructors 52 27% $52,697

Pros & Cons of Augustana College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Augustana College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
  • Above-average graduation rate
  • Solid post-graduation earnings
CONS
  • Above-average net price
  • High published cost of attendance before aid
  • Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families

Frequently Asked Questions about Augustana College

The questions families ask most about Augustana College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Augustana College hard to get into?
Admissions at Augustana College are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 62.7%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Augustana College?
62.7% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Augustana College?
Aim for 1270 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1030 and 1270 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Augustana College?
Aim for 29 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 21 and 29 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Augustana College cost?
Budget around $22,736 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Augustana College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $62,971 a year against a net price of $22,736, about 2.8 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Augustana College known for?
Mostly Biology, Psychology, Accounting. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Augustana College graduates earn?
About $62,971 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Augustana College accredited?
Yes. Augustana College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Augustana College?
2,490 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Augustana College?
68% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Augustana College a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Augustana College located?
Augustana College is located in Rock Island, Illinois.
What programs does Augustana College offer?
46 different programs, most commonly Biology, Psychology, Accounting. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Augustana College?
11 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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