Private Nonprofit Bachelor's Strong 78/100

Emmaus Bible College

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

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Dubuque, Iowa

About Emmaus Bible College

Thinking about Emmaus Bible College, a college in Iowa where more students graduate in Theology 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.

Emmaus Bible College is a private nonprofit institution offering bachelor's degrees based in Dubuque, Iowa. It enrolls 224 students (a very small, intimate 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
59.8%
Graduation
58%
Net Price
$13,186
Median Earnings (10yr)
$42,631
Enrollment
224
Student : Faculty
8:1

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
78/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 71
Value 67
Affordability 78
Selectivity 58

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Emmaus Bible College admits 59.8% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.

Acceptance Rate
59.8%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1120 – 1320
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
21 – 30
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 Emmaus Bible College is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Stable ↑ 3.9 pts since 2019
93.8%201992.1%202099.1%2021100%202297.7%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 $13,186 a year on average, it sits below what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. 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
$13,186
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
43%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
27%
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
$20,800
Room & Board (on-campus)
$9,600
Room & Board (off-campus)
$5,400
Books & Supplies
$600
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$1,650
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$1,380
Total Cost of Attendance
$30,971

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
    $11,199
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $10,179
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $10,844
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $11,741
  • Over $110,000
    $23,888

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
25% percentile
$15,750
Median percentile
$17,750
75% 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 $12,000 ↓ $3,750
No Pell $5,500 ↓ $10,250
Female students $12,999 ↓ $2,751
Male students $7,775 ↓ $7,975
Pell recipients: 31.4% (4,938 students)No Pell: 14.4% (2,263 students)Female students: 34.0% (5,349 students)Male students: 20.3% (3,199 students)Overall Median$15,750
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,500, less than completers ($15,750), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

58% of students who start here finish within six years, and 77% 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
58%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
77%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $42,631 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)
$42,631
Earning > $25K
68%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

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

$33,000$36,000$39,000$41,000$44,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs
What this means: Solid return on investment. Every dollar of net annual cost is matched by ~$3.2 of median earnings 10 years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 224 students, an intimate, close-knit community.

Total Enrolled
224
Part-Time
10%
First-Generation
—

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

GroupShareStudents
White 71.9% 161
Other 9.4% 21
International 5.8% 13
Hispanic 4.9% 11
Black 2.2% 5
Asian 2.2% 5
White: 71.9% (161 students)Other: 9.4% (21 students)International: 5.8% (13 students)Hispanic: 4.9% (11 students)Black: 2.2% (5 students)Asian: 2.2% (5 students)Total224

Student Life & Campus Culture

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

Setting
Small City Dubuque, Iowa
Housing
Strongly residential 245 beds for 224 students
Adult Learners
10% 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 Psychology graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Emmaus Bible College offers a varied set of programs: 12 distinct programs across 6 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.

4 Programs
2 Programs
1 Program
1 Program

Faculty & Resources

There are 8 students for every instructor here: small classes, and staff who are likely to know your name.

Student : Faculty
8:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$11M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$46,130
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

18 instructional faculty across 1 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
No Rank 18 100% $46,130

Pros & Cons of Emmaus Bible College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Emmaus Bible 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
  • Below-average net price
  • Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
  • Tight-knit, close community feel
  • Wide reach of need-based federal aid
CONS
  • Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
  • Modest first-year retention
  • No graduate programs offered at this institution
  • Narrow program catalog compared to mid-sized peers
Best for: Based on the data, Emmaus Bible College is a fit for students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.

Frequently Asked Questions about Emmaus Bible College

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

Is Emmaus Bible College hard to get into?
Admissions at Emmaus Bible College are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 59.8%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Emmaus Bible College?
59.8% of applicants are admitted. Around half get in, so a solid application has a real chance. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Emmaus Bible College?
Aim for 1320 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1120 and 1320 (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 Emmaus Bible College?
Aim for 30 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 21 and 30 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Emmaus Bible College cost?
Budget around $13,186 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 Emmaus Bible College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $42,631 a year against a net price of $13,186, about 3.2 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 Emmaus Bible College known for?
Mostly Bible/Biblical Studies, Bible/Biblical Studies, Counseling Psychology. 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 Emmaus Bible College graduates earn?
About $42,631 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 Emmaus Bible College accredited?
Yes. Emmaus Bible College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Emmaus Bible College?
224 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 Emmaus Bible College?
58% 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 Emmaus Bible 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 Emmaus Bible College located?
Emmaus Bible College is located in Dubuque, Iowa.
What programs does Emmaus Bible College offer?
12 different programs, most commonly Bible/Biblical Studies, Bible/Biblical Studies, Counseling Psychology. 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 Emmaus Bible College?
8 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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