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Wartburg College
Wartburg College says yes to 75.8% of applicants. Focus less on getting in and more on what's below — starting with the $56,201 median earnings.
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Wartburg College anchors the college town of Waverly, IA, where the private campus and town largely share a footprint. The school maintains its Evangelical Lutheran Church affiliation, which threads through campus life to a degree that varies by program.
Its highest-earning path is Accounting and Related Services, where graduates median $89,696 four years out. 22.1% of undergraduates carry Pell grants — a plain read on who the campus actually serves. With 1,452 undergraduates and a residential core, weekends happen on campus — and 75.7% of first-years come back for a second year.
Submitters admitted here typically landed between 978 and 1235 — near the IA middle for four-year schools. Put your own practice estimate on Wartburg College's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.
Admissions
In the Fall 2023 cycle, Wartburg College received 2,543 applications and admitted 2,528 (99.4%), with 424 enrolling.
Wartburg College is test-optional: scores are considered when submitted but not required. The 978–1235 range below describes admitted students who chose to submit — typically Wartburg College's stronger testers — so treat it as the higher end of what gets in.
| Score | 25th | 50th | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Reading & Writing | 490 | 515 | 605 |
| SAT Math | 488 | 530 | 630 |
| ACT Composite | 19 | 23 | 27 |
Percentiles are among students who submitted scores (Fall 2023 admissions cycle).
How Wartburg College compares
| Wartburg College | Iowa median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 75.8% | 80.1% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $26,250 | $36,684 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $56,201 | $55,396 | $53,781 |
Earnings data favors Wartburg College: $56,201 median at year ten, versus $55,396 across Iowa institutions.
Cost, size & completion
Tuition runs $26,250 regardless of where you're from. At Wartburg College, that sticker is a starting point for aid talks — not what the median family pays.
Enrollment sits at 1,452 — Wartburg College is one of the smaller campuses on this site.
64.3% graduate within six years. Roughly 36% don't — ask a Wartburg College tour guide what happens to them and watch the answer carefully.
Top majors by earnings at Wartburg College
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Accounting and Related Services | $89,696 |
| Engineering Science | $78,959 |
| Business/Commerce, General | $74,824 |
| Biology, General | $67,036 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $48,433 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | $48,074 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $47,698 |
| Psychology, General | $47,110 |
Median earnings for these 8 Wartburg College programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $56,201 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 34 additional Wartburg College programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for Wartburg College?
Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% scored 978–1235 on the SAT. There's no published GPA cutoff — pair these ranges with the 75.8% admission rate to judge your odds.
What is Wartburg College's acceptance rate?
99.4% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 2,528 admitted from 2,543 applicants.
How much does Wartburg College cost?
At Wartburg College, published tuition is $26,250 — net price after aid usually comes in lower. That number is Wartburg College's ceiling, not a quote.
What do Wartburg College graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $56,201 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in Iowa
- Waldorf University — 77% admitted
- St Luke's College — 80% admitted
- Saint Ambrose University — 77.3% admitted
- Northwestern College — 80.4% admitted
Run your own numbers
Data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Jun 2026), IPEDS ADM2023/HD2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01. Figures reflect the latest federal cohorts, which lag the current admissions cycle.