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University or college · Private nonprofit

Luther College

Decorah, IA

Luther College is a private nonprofit college in Decorah, IA, with about 1,463 students on campus.

Visit www.luther.edu ↗Directions
Students on campus
1,463
1,463 undergrad
Admission rate
72%
lower than at 61% of 4-year colleges
Net price a year
$23,097
higher than at 65% of 4-year colleges
Graduation rate
71%
higher than at 80% of 4-year colleges
Earnings, 10 yrs later
$59,850
higher than at 84% of U.S. colleges
In brief

What to know about Luther College

A graduation gap for lower-income students

58% of students with Pell grants finish, against 71% overall, a gap of 13 points. 20% of undergraduates get Pell grants. Outcomes ↓

Few families pay the sticker price

The full cost of a year is $65,461, but the average family on federal aid pays $23,097 after grants, about 65% less. What it costs ↓

A large share of international students

15% of undergraduates come from outside the U.S.. The students ↓

This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

★ What stands out · Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay off?

Graduate
71%
within 6 years · Pell students 58%
Come back for year two
77%
full-time first-year students
Earnings, 10 years later
$59,850
median, students on federal aid
Typical debt
$27,000
about $286 a month over 10 years

Debt vs. the paycheck

The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting

6.9%
0%10%: a common comfort line25%

$286 a month against about $4,128 a month in pay.

Paying back loans

Federal student loans, this college

83%

of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 97% of U.S. colleges.

Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).

Earnings by family background

Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment

Lower incomeunder $30k
$50k
Middle income$30–75k
$56k
Higher incomeover $75k
$63k
Getting in

How hard is it to get into Luther College?

72%

of applicants admitted

About 14 of every 20 applicants get in.

Test scores of admitted students

SAT reading
550–668
SAT math
528–738
ACT
22–29

The middle 50%: a quarter scored below the range and a quarter above it. Average SAT: 1218.

What it costs

The sticker price, and what families really pay

Sticker price: $65,461 a year

Before any grants

Tuition & fees $52,120Room & board $11,530Books & supplies $1,040Other costs $771

After grants, the average family on aid pays $23,097.

Your family’s price

Average net price after grants, by family income

$19,351

About $77,404 over 4 years · 70% off the sticker price

Under $30k$30–48k$48–75k$75–110kOver $110k
Majors

What students study, and what it pays

Share of degrees by field

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

Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates

And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).

Biology, General37 graduates a year · typical debt $26,391
$64k4 yrs out
Music33 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$51k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing31 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$78k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations31 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$69k4 yrs out
Research and Experimental Psychology23 graduates a year
—not reported
English Language and Literature, General22 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$46k4 yrs out
Information Science/Studies21 graduates a year
—not reported
Political Science and Government18 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$54k4 yrs out
Who goes there

The students

1,379 degree-seeking undergraduates.

By race and ethnicity

White 71%Hispanic 6%Black 4%Asian 1%International 15%

Women and men

Women 52%Men 48%
9 : 1
students per teacher
20%
get Pell grants (lower income)
65%
take federal loans
0%
undergrads 25 or older
1%
study part time
The town around it

Living in Decorah

23% of Decorah’s 7,417 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Decorah pages.

Decorah →
DecorahDecorah, IA
$853/momedian rent · 12% below the state$306Ktypical home valueA−Safety Grade8° / 82°January low / July high · 38" of snowAHealth GradeAll colleges in and near DecorahCompare prices, admissions and outcomes
Nearby

Other colleges within 30 miles

Straight-line distances from Luther College; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.

Northeast Iowa Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Calmar
10 mi3,477 students

Ask around

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

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Start the conversation

Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.