Loras College is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Dubuque, Iowa. It enrolls 1,083 students (a small, tight-knit 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.
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
64/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes70
Value55
Affordability37
Selectivity0
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Loras College admits 99.9% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.
Acceptance Rate
99.9%
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test PolicyTest OptionalApplicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Loras College is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Becoming less selective ↑
16.5 pts
since 2019
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 $20,716 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.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$39,824
Room & Board (on-campus)
$11,000
Room & Board (off-campus)
$11,000
Books & Supplies
$600
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,250
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,250
Total Cost of Attendance
$50,537
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
$20,479
$30,001 – $48,000
$17,033
$48,001 – $75,000
$15,624
$75,001 – $110,000
$20,233
Over $110,000
$23,039
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.
$4,50010%percentile
$8,50025%percentile
$26,000Medianpercentile
$27,00075%percentile
$36,00090%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 $18,750
↓ $7,250
No Pell $20,127
↓ $5,873
Dependent students $20,000
↓ $6,000
Independent students $13,486
↓ $12,514
Female students $20,688
↓ $5,312
Male students $19,000
↓ $7,000
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $7,780, less than completers ($26,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
61% of students who start here finish within six years, and 83% 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
61%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
83%
Returning for their second year
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $58,289 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$58,289
Earning > $25K
89%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
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
$42,400
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$57,200
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$44,500
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$49,500
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$52,100
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $14,800, about 26% 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 ↑
10.5 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 95% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 1,083 students, a small, close-knit community.
Total Enrolled
1,083
Part-Time
2%
First-Generation
17%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 74.5%807
Hispanic 8.2%89
International 5.5%59
Black 4.2%45
Other 3.0%32
Asian 1.1%12
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Loras College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Loras College offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
40 distinct programs across
20 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.
There are 12 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.
Student : Faculty
12:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$53M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$61,604
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
84 instructional faculty across 5 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
22
26%
$67,522
Associate Professors
33
39%
$60,598
Assistant Professors
27
32%
$60,143
Instructors
1
1%
$34,680
Lecturers
1
1%
$31,000
Pros & Cons of Loras College
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Loras College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Best for:
Based on the data, Loras College is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about Loras College
The questions families ask most about Loras College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Loras College hard to get into?
Not especially. Loras College admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 99.9%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Loras College?
99.9% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does Loras College cost?
Budget around $20,716 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 Loras College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $58,289 a year against a net price of $20,716, 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 Loras College known for?
Mostly Kinesiology, Business Administration, 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 Loras College graduates earn?
About $58,289 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 Loras College accredited?
Yes. Loras College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Loras College?
1,083 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 Loras College?
61% 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 Loras 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 Loras College located?
Loras College is located in Dubuque, Iowa.
What programs does Loras College offer?
40 different programs, most commonly Kinesiology, Business Administration, 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 Loras College?
12 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Related Colleges in Iowa
Other colleges in Iowa share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
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