Private Nonprofit Graduate Good 63/100

Dordt University

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

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Sioux Center, Iowa

About Dordt University

Thinking about Dordt University, a college in Iowa where more students graduate in Education 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.

Dordt University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Sioux Center, Iowa. It enrolls 1,597 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
68.5%
Graduation
64.3%
Net Price
$25,807
Median Earnings (10yr)
$52,559
Enrollment
1,597
Student : Faculty
14:1

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.

Good
63/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 76
Value 21
Affordability 23
Selectivity 63

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Dordt University admits 68.5% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.

Acceptance Rate
68.5%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1070 – 1330
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 Dordt University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Stable ↓ 4.3 pts since 2019
75.5%201971.8%202073.2%202187.7%202271.2%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 $25,807 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
$25,807
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
20%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
41%
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
$37,050
Room & Board (on-campus)
$11,770
Room & Board (off-campus)
$12,360
Books & Supplies
$1,080
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,500
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$4,510
Total Cost of Attendance
$51,733

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
    $22,597
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $21,083
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $24,079
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $25,113
  • Over $110,000
    $29,940

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.

$4,750
10% percentile
$8,750
25% percentile
$21,500
Median percentile
$27,000
75% percentile
$30,500
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 $18,794 ↓ $2,706
No Pell $15,750 ↓ $5,750
Female students $18,250 ↓ $3,250
Male students $17,500 ↓ $4,000
Pell recipients: 26.7% (5,748 students)No Pell: 22.4% (4,817 students)Female students: 26.0% (5,582 students)Male students: 24.9% (5,353 students)Overall Median$21,500
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,500, less than completers ($21,500), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

64% of students who start here finish within six years, and 85% 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
64%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
85%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $52,559 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$52,559
Earning > $25K
80%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

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

$50,000$51,000$51,500$52,000$53,0006 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
$32,100

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

Male graduates
$57,600

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


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$37,400

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

Family income (middle third)
$44,300

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

Family income (highest third)
$48,300

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

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $25,500, about 44% 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.

Stable ↑ 2.7 pts across 6 years
93.9%1yr96.8%3yr96.6%5yr
What this signals: Excellent. 97% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 1,597 students, a mid-sized community.

Total Enrolled
1,597
Part-Time
1%
First-Generation
12%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

GroupShareStudents
White 81.0% 1,294
International 9.0% 143
Hispanic 2.3% 36
Other 2.1% 34
Asian 0.9% 15
Black 0.6% 10
White: 81.0% (1,294 students)International: 9.0% (143 students)Hispanic: 2.3% (36 students)Other: 2.1% (34 students)Asian: 0.9% (15 students)Black: 0.6% (10 students)Total1,597

Student Life & Campus Culture

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

Setting
Town: Remote Sioux Center, Iowa
Housing
Strongly residential 1,509 beds for 1,597 students
Adult Learners
1% 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 Business graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Dordt University offers an extensive catalog of programs: 68 distinct programs across 24 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.

11 Programs
4 Programs
6 Programs
6 Programs
2 Programs
1 Program
2 Programs
2 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 14 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
14:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$191M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$63,904
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

98 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 50 51% $69,527
Associate Professors 15 15% $62,362
Assistant Professors 11 11% $57,999
Instructors 22 22% $55,126

Pros & Cons of Dordt University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Dordt University 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
  • Reasonable class sizes
  • Solid post-graduation earnings
CONS
  • Above-average net price
  • Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families

Frequently Asked Questions about Dordt University

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

Is Dordt University hard to get into?
Admissions at Dordt University are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 68.5%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Dordt University?
68.5% 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 Dordt University?
Aim for 1330 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1070 and 1330 (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 Dordt University?
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 Dordt University cost?
Budget around $25,807 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 Dordt University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $52,559 a year against a net price of $25,807, about 2.0 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 Dordt University known for?
Mostly Teacher Education (K-12), Educational Administration, Curriculum & Instruction. 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 Dordt University graduates earn?
About $52,559 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 Dordt University accredited?
Yes. Dordt University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Dordt University?
1,597 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Dordt University?
64% 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 Dordt University 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 Dordt University located?
Dordt University is located in Sioux Center, Iowa.
What programs does Dordt University offer?
68 different programs, most commonly Teacher Education (K-12), Educational Administration, Curriculum & Instruction. 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 Dordt University?
14 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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