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Waverly iowaPhoto: Billwhittaker · CC BY-SA 3.0
Colleges in and near Waverly

Waverly is a college town: 16 of every 100 residents are students

Wartburg College (1,450 students on campus) is inside the city. Across Iowa, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town16% of residents are studentsWartburg 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 Waverly. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
3
9,625 students on campus
Nearest college
0.8 mi
Wartburg College
Residents in college
16%
Above IA (6%)
Nearest community college
21.4 mi
Hawkeye · $6,525 tuition
Nearest public university
14.3 mi
University of Northern Iowa · $9,936 in-state
Students on campus in Waverly
1,450
next to 10,561 residents

What stands out about college in Waverly

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

A college town16 of every 100 Waverly residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.A college in WaverlyWartburg College has 1,450 students on campus in Waverly, 64% of whom graduate within six years.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.A community college 21.4 miles awayHawkeye Community College in Waterloo: tuition and fees $6,525 a year for Iowa residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Waverly

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

16 of every 100 Waverly residents are in college (IA: 6).

1,450students on campus at Wartburg College, next to 10,561 residents (dorm students count as residents)
547college students live in Waverly households rather than dorms
32.8median age · IA 38.6
53%of residents are women · IA 50% (±1.9 points)
31%of homes rented · IA 28%
$1,057median rent · 9% above the state
WaverlyWaverly, IA
Cost of living$1,057/mo median rentB−SafetyCrime reported to the FBIC+HealthCDC estimatesB+Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundB−HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Waverly’s other numbers

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

Jobs & income B−

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 10.8% of Waverly residents are below the poverty line, 8.0% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 4 points either way). 53% 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 16%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health B+

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Waverly’s median age is 32.8 (Iowa 38.6), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety C+

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 Waverly

Two private colleges within 14.8 miles, and one public college within 14.3 miles.

5 mi10 mi15 miUniversity of Northern IowaWartburg CollegeAllen CollegeWaverly
University or collegeCommunity college
Wartburg CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,450 on campus · In Waverly76%admitted$33knet price64%graduate$56kearningsUniversity of Northern IowaUniversity or college · Public · 7,746 on campus · 14.3 mi · Cedar Falls93%admitted$16knet price68%graduate$55kearningsAllen CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 429 on campus · 14.8 mi · Waterloo$71kearnings

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. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $75–110k, where Waverly’s median household income ($80,284) falls.

University of Northern Iowa14.3 mi · Cedar Falls · sticker $22,278$17,740a year
Wartburg CollegeIn Waverly · sticker $64,359$28,873a 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 within 15 miles of Waverly: 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 →Wartburg CollegeUniversity of Northern Iowa
University of Northern Iowa68% graduate$55k earnings$20k typical debt
Wartburg College64% graduate$56k 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 Waverly

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

Business 22%Biology 15%Education 10%Parks & recreation 9%Social sciences 7%Engineering 6%Everything else 32%

Biggest programs

Business/Commerce, General57 graduates a year
$75k4 yrs out
Biology, General29 graduates a year
$67k4 yrs out
Psychology, General28 graduates a year
$47k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas27 graduates a year
$48k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods23 graduates a year
$48k4 yrs out
Communication and Media Studies14 graduates a year
$48k4 yrs out
Engineering Science14 graduates a year
$79k4 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 Waverly

Is Waverly a college town?

Yes. 16 of every 100 Waverly residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Iowa. Wartburg College has 1,450 students on campus, next to 10,561 residents.

What colleges are in Waverly?

Wartburg College is inside the city. Hawkeye Community College is 21.4 miles away in Waterloo.

Why is Waverly’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 10.8% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 8.0% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 4 points).

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

Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo, 21.4 miles away. Tuition and fees are $6,525 a year for Iowa residents; the federal net price, $9,649, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Wartburg College?

Wartburg College admitted 76% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 930–1,200 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 Waverly. 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 →