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2009-0528-Decorah-downtownPhoto: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0
Colleges in and near Decorah

Decorah is a college town: 23 of every 100 residents are students

Luther College (1,463 students on campus) is inside the city. Across Iowa, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town23% of residents are studentsLuther College

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Decorah. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
2
4,940 students on campus
Nearest college
1.2 mi
Luther College
Residents in college
23%
Above IA (6%)
Nearest community college
9.7 mi
Northeast Iowa · $6,780 tuition
Nearest public university
64.2 mi
University of Northern Iowa · $9,936 in-state
Students on campus in Decorah
1,463
next to 7,417 residents

What stands out about college in Decorah

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town23 of every 100 Decorah residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.A college in DecorahLuther College has 1,463 students on campus in Decorah, 71% of whom graduate within six years.A community college 9.7 miles awayNortheast Iowa Community College in Calmar: tuition and fees $6,780 a year for Iowa residents.In-state price at University of Northern IowaLiving in Iowa, the University of Northern Iowa charges $9,936 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $21,712. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Decorah

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

23 of every 100 Decorah residents are in college (IA: 6).

1,463students on campus at Luther College, next to 7,417 residents (dorm students count as residents)
159college students live in Decorah households rather than dorms
39.5median age · IA 38.6
53%of residents are women · IA 50% (±2.1 points)
38%of homes rented · IA 28%
$853median rent · 12% below the state
DecorahDecorah, IA
Cost of living$853/mo median rentBSafetyCrime reported to the FBIA−HealthCDC estimatesAJobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundC+HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Decorah’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income C+

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 8.1% of Decorah residents are below the poverty line, 8.1% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 3 points either way). 8% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living B

The Cost grade counts the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent, leaving it out only where students are a quarter of residents or more. Here they are 23%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health A

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Decorah’s median age is 39.5 (Iowa 38.6), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety A−

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Decorah

One private college within 1.2 miles, and Northeast Iowa Community College 9.7 miles away. The nearest public four-year college, University of Northern Iowa, is 64.2 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miNortheast IowaLuther CollegeDecorah
University or collegeCommunity college
Luther CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,463 on campus · In Decorah72%admitted$23knet price71%graduate$60kearningsNortheast Iowa Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 3,477 on campus · 9.7 mi · Calmar$11knet price51%graduate$41kearningsTuition and fees: $6,780 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles and the nearest public four-year college. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $48–75k, where Decorah’s median household income ($64,366) falls.

Northeast Iowa Community College9.7 mi · Calmar · sticker $17,838 · tuition $6,780$12,225a year
University of Northern Iowa64.2 mi · Cedar Falls · sticker $22,278$14,099a year
Luther CollegeIn Decorah · sticker $65,461$19,351a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Luther CollegeNortheast IowaUniversity of Northern Iowa
University of Northern Iowa68% graduate$55k earnings$20k typical debt
Northeast Iowa Community College51% graduate$41k earnings$12k typical debt
Luther College71% graduate$60k earnings$27k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in Decorah

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Luther College, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Visual & performing arts 15%Health professions 15%Business 10%Biology 10%Computer science 7%Social sciences 7%Everything else 37%

Biggest programs

Biology, General37 graduates a year
$64k4 yrs out
Music33 graduates a year
$51k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing31 graduates a year
$78k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations31 graduates a year
$69k4 yrs out
English Language and Literature, General22 graduates a year
$46k4 yrs out
Political Science and Government18 graduates a year
$54k4 yrs out
Social Work14 graduates a year
$48k4 yrs out
Natural Resources Conservation and Research13 graduates a year
$52k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Decorah

Is Decorah a college town?

Yes. 23 of every 100 Decorah residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Iowa. Luther College has 1,463 students on campus, next to 7,417 residents.

What colleges are in Decorah?

Luther College is inside the city. Northeast Iowa Community College is 9.7 miles away in Calmar.

What is the closest community college to Decorah, and what does it cost?

Northeast Iowa Community College in Calmar, 9.7 miles away. Tuition and fees are $6,780 a year for Iowa residents; the federal net price, $11,272, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Luther College?

Luther College admitted 72% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,078–1,406 on the SAT.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Decorah. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →