Waldorf University
Tuition, net price, acceptance rate, graduation rate, and graduate salary · Forest City, Iowa
Net price / year
$19,693
after grants & scholarships
lower than 69% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges
Acceptance rate
77%
Graduation rate
24%
within 150% of normal time
lower than 95% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges
Median earnings
$67,834
4 years after graduating
higher than 71% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges
Waldorf University at a glance
- What is the tuition at Waldorf University?
- Undergraduate tuition and fees are $25,978 for the 2024-25 academic year.
- What is the cost of attendance at Waldorf University?
- The average cost of attendance is $39,675 a year before financial aid (2023-24), counting tuition, books, housing and other living expenses.
- What is the net price at Waldorf University?
- The average net price is $19,693 a year after grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid (2023-24).
- What is the acceptance rate at Waldorf University?
- About 77% of applicants were admitted (fall 2024).
- Is Waldorf University test optional?
- Test policy reported to the federal government: Tests neither required nor recommended.
- What is the graduation rate at Waldorf University?
- 24% of first-time, full-time students finish within 150% of normal time, or 6 years (entering classes through fall 2018).
- How much do graduates of Waldorf University earn?
- The median graduate earns $67,834 four years after finishing, among graduates working and not enrolled (2024 dollars).
Key takeaways
- The earnings premium over a typical high-school graduate would cover the estimated net cost in about 2.6 years of work (not counting income forgone while studying).
- Graduates earn a median $67,834 four years after finishing, more than 71% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges.
- Families earning under $30,000 pay about $16,448 a year on average, versus $23,667 for families earning over $110,000.
- Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services is the largest field of study here, at 30% of the degrees and certificates awarded.
- About 63% of undergraduates are 25 or older.
Tuition and cost of attendance at Waldorf University
Average net price
$19,693 per year
Cost of attendance minus average grants and scholarships, for first-time full-time students receiving federal aid.
Estimate your own price with the Waldorf University net price calculator ↗
Estimated total net cost
$78,772
Net price × 4 years, at today's prices and assuming on-time completion. Your actual cost depends on your aid.
Net price by family income
Average yearly net price for students receiving federal aid.
- $0–30k $16,448
- $30–48k $18,378
- $48–75k $23,045
- $75–110k $21,244
- $110k+ $23,667
Where the sticker price goes· Cost of attendance $39,675
- Tuition & fees$25,978
- Books & supplies$1,286
- Room & board$9,920
- Other expenses$8,132
- Tuition & fees (in-state)
- $25,978
- Tuition & fees (out-of-state)
- $25,978
Waldorf University acceptance rate and admissions
Acceptance rate
Share of applicants admitted.
Test policy: Tests neither required nor recommended
Graduation rate and salary after graduating from Waldorf University
Graduation rate
24%
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time.
Retention rate
48%
Full-time first-years who return the next fall.
Typical monthly payment
$199
On a standard 10-year federal plan.
Years of earnings premium to cover cost
2.6 years
Net cost ÷ (graduate earnings − high-school graduate earnings). Excludes income forgone while studying and assumes today's earnings. A rough guide, not a prediction.
Earnings vs debt
Of graduates working and not enrolled, in 2024 dollars.
- Debt-to-earnings
- 0.3×Median debt divided by median earnings 4 years after graduating.
- Share of pay going to loans
- 3.5%
- 3-year loan default rate
- 0%
Outcomes by student group
The Scorecard reports some outcomes separately for groups of students. A group is left out when it is too small to report. These are school-level figures and say nothing about any individual student.
Completion within 150% of normal time, by group
Share of students who entered in 2018 and completed within 150% of normal time (six years at a four-year college, three at a two-year college).
All students, same entering cohort: 21%
Group rates and the all-student rate come from the same 2018 entering cohort, so they can be compared directly. Groups at small colleges can rest on very few students. Data period: Entering cohort 2018 (IPEDS).
Earnings ten years after entry
All students who entered this college, whether or not they graduated, in 2022 dollars, ten years after entry.
Typical range: middle half of students
25th percentile $31,771 · median $51,165 · 75th percentile $79,077
Median by family income
Median by sex
This is not the same as the graduates' earnings shown above. It covers everyone who entered, including students who left without a degree, ten years after entry and in 2022 dollars. The graduates' figure covers only completers, four years after finishing, in 2024 dollars. Do not compare the two directly.
Data period: Students who entered in academic years 2009-10 and 2010-11 (pooled), earnings measured in 2020 and 2021, 2022 dollars (Treasury).
Median federal student debt, by group
Median federal loan debt of students who borrowed, when they left school, by group.
By Pell Grant status
By first-generation status
By family income
By gender
Data period: Loans in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (pooled, NSLDS).
Programs and majors at Waldorf University ranked by earnings
| Program | Earnings, 4 yrs after | Earnings over time | Compared with the U.S. median for this field | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fire Protection Bachelor's · Graduates: 85 | $100,060 | 1 yr$97,7314 yrs$100,0605 yrs$100,301 | U.S. median $86,436 U.S. middle half $62.7K–$114.2K · Above the U.S. median | $18,750 |
| Human Resources Management and Services Bachelor's · Graduates: 38 | $94,822 | 1 yr$77,8974 yrs$94,8225 yrs$75,847 | U.S. median $68,069 U.S. middle half $50.2K–$90.6K · Above the U.S. median | $28,125 |
| Fire Protection Associate · Graduates: 39 | $90,602 | 1 yr$76,0324 yrs$90,6025 yrs$79,231 | U.S. median $73,589 U.S. middle half $54.5K–$96.8K · Above the U.S. median | $11,200 |
| Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians Bachelor's · Graduates: 98 | $83,151 | 1 yr$65,9084 yrs$83,151 | U.S. median $86,525 U.S. middle half $66.5K–$106.9K · Below the U.S. median | $18,699 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 55 | $76,520 | 1 yr$66,4464 yrs$76,520 | U.S. median $70,193 U.S. middle half $51.2K–$95.4K · Above the U.S. median | $22,000 |
| Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians Associate · Graduates: 30 | $71,592 | 1 yr$65,3814 yrs$71,592 | U.S. median $77,094 U.S. middle half $49.1K–$104.3K · Below the U.S. median | $18,248 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 106 | $63,357 | 1 yr$51,9544 yrs$63,3575 yrs$56,963 | U.S. median $68,407 U.S. middle half $48.2K–$94.6K · Below the U.S. median | $21,535 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections Bachelor's · Graduates: 44 | $54,289 | 1 yr$42,7354 yrs$54,2895 yrs$53,890 | U.S. median $55,378 U.S. middle half $40.2K–$74.4K · Below the U.S. median | $25,500 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations Associate · Graduates: 16 Small sample | $53,549 | — | U.S. median $48,733 U.S. middle half $31.7K–$67.6K · Above the U.S. median | $20,062 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 59 | $50,184 | 1 yr$41,1934 yrs$50,1845 yrs$47,938 | U.S. median $50,706 U.S. middle half $35.7K–$67.2K · Below the U.S. median | $20,637 |
Show all 12 programs
| Communication and Media Studies Bachelor's · Graduates: 20 Small sample | $49,473 | — | U.S. median $56,359 U.S. middle half $39.6K–$76.1K · Below the U.S. median | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods Bachelor's · Graduates: 17 Small sample | $49,228 | — | U.S. median $47,382 U.S. middle half $38.4K–$56.1K · Above the U.S. median | — |
Earnings are for graduates working and not enrolled, 4 years after completing, in 2024 dollars.
The U.S. median and middle half (25th to 75th percentile) are for graduates of the same field and credential level at all colleges, 4 years after completing.
The 1-year, 4-year and 5-year figures come from different graduating cohorts and dollar years (1-year: AY2018-19 and AY2019-20 graduates, 2022 dollars; 4-year: AY2017-18 and AY2018-19 graduates, 2024 dollars; 5-year: AY2014-15 and AY2015-16 graduates, 2022 dollars), so read them as three separate measures, not a single career path.
Small samples are noisy: the Scorecard adds privacy noise to program figures and some rows are based on only a handful of graduates, so rows marked “small sample” can move a lot from year to year.
What students study
The largest fields among the degrees and certificates this college awarded, grouped by two-digit CIP code (the federal Classification of Instructional Programs). Fields under 1% are left out.
Share of degrees and certificates awarded, by field
A large share means many awards, not necessarily many students or higher earnings. Data period: Awards in academic year 2024-25 (IPEDS).
Who attends
A snapshot of the undergraduate student body as this college reported it to the federal government. Shares are shown as published; they can differ slightly from 100% because of rounding.
Race and ethnicity
- White 57.3%
- Black or African American 16.3%
- Hispanic or Latino 3.6%
- Asian 1.6%
- American Indian or Alaska Native 1%
- Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 1.1%
- Two or more races 3.6%
- U.S. nonresident 0.3%
- Race and ethnicity unknown 15.3%
Federal reporting categories. Students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents are counted as nonresident, and students who did not report are counted as unknown. Data period: Fall 2024 (IPEDS).
Gender
- Men 62.9%
- Women 37.1%
Federal reporting uses two categories. Data period: Fall 2024 (IPEDS).
Students aged 25 or older
63%
of undergraduates
Many adult students work or have families while enrolled. Data period: Fall 2023 (IPEDS).
Students and campus
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 1,827
- Part-time students
- 31%
- Receive Pell Grants
- 36%
- Receive federal loans
- 39%
- Students per faculty member
- 22 : 1
- Setting
- Rural
Similar colleges
Schools of a similar type, price, size and outcomes.
-
Saint Ambrose University
Davenport, IA
Net price $24,691Earnings $67,026
-
Mount Mercy University
Cedar Rapids, IA
Net price $20,168Earnings $61,330
-
Upper Iowa University
Fayette, IA
Net price $20,942Earnings $58,837
-
Grinnell College
Grinnell, IA
Net price $17,648Earnings $58,955
-
Vanguard University of Southern California
Costa Mesa, CA
Net price $21,241Earnings $65,874
-
Oklahoma Christian University
Edmond, OK
Net price $21,872Earnings $67,575
Guides worth reading
Plain-language explainers that help you read the numbers on this page.
More in Iowa
Frequently asked questions
How much is tuition at Waldorf University?
For the 2024-25 academic year, Waldorf University reported undergraduate tuition and fees of $25,978. This is the published price before grants and scholarships; what you pay depends on your aid.
What is the cost of attendance and net price at Waldorf University?
The average cost of attendance at Waldorf University is $39,675 a year (2023-24), counting tuition, books, housing and other living expenses. After grants and scholarships, the average net price is $19,693 a year. That is around the middle of private nonprofit 4-year colleges.
How much financial aid do students at Waldorf University get?
36% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. 39% receive federal loans. The average net price runs from $16,448 a year for families earning under $30,000 to $23,667 for families earning over $110,000 (2023-24).
What is the acceptance rate at Waldorf University?
Waldorf University admitted about 77% of applicants in fall 2024. That means most applicants are admitted.
What are the graduation rate and retention rate at Waldorf University?
24% of first-time, full-time students at Waldorf University finish within 150% of normal time. 48% of full-time first-years return the next fall.
How much do Waldorf University graduates earn after graduation?
The median graduate earns $67,834 four years after finishing, among graduates working and not enrolled in further study (2024 dollars). One year after finishing, the median is $57,654.
Is Waldorf University worth it?
There is no single answer: it depends on your major, your aid and whether you finish. For Waldorf University, the data shows this. The earnings premium over a typical high-school graduate would cover the estimated net cost in about 2.6 years of work. Graduates who borrowed have a median debt of $18,752, about 0.3 times their median earnings four years after finishing. 24% of first-time, full-time students finish within 150% of normal time. These are averages, not predictions, and they do not count income forgone while studying.
How much debt do Waldorf University graduates have?
Graduates who borrowed have a median federal-loan debt of $18,752, or about $199 a month on a 10-year plan.
Sources and data periods
All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (June 2026 release). Periods differ by measure:
- Average net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Acceptance rate: Fall 2024, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation rate: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25 pooled with previous years (# of total pooled years found in POOLYRS)
- Median earnings: Treasury AY2017-18, AY2018-19 pooled cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Median graduate debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
Some figures are blank because the school did not report them or the group was too small to publish. How we calculate things