Need-based aid friendly
Significant share of students receive Pell Grants.
Storm Lake, IA
Buena Vista University is a private university in Storm Lake, Iowa with 1,890 students (IPEDS, fall 2024 enrollment). It admitted 78% of applicants (IPEDS, applicants for fall 2024). Its published tuition is $41,798 (IPEDS, charges for academic year 2024-25); students who received federal aid paid an average net price of $18,846 a year after grants (College Scorecard, a prior cohort). 62% of students finish within the federal tracking window (IPEDS, Graduation Rates 2024 collection: 4-year cohort 2018, 2-year cohort 2021); 67% of students take federal loans, and borrowers leave with a median $25,000 (College Scorecard). By program, the highest graduate earnings four years after finishing are in Finance, bachelor's ($63,950) and Accounting, bachelor's ($63,454) (College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates).
Tuition
$41,798
2024-25
Acceptance
78%
Fall 2024 applicants
Students
1,890
Fall 2024
Type
University
Setting
Rural
In-State Tuition
$41,798
Out-of-State Tuition
$41,798
Avg On-Campus Living
$11,330
Avg Off-Campus Living
$15,133
Financial Aid & Outcomes
College Scorecard
What will it actually cost?
Most students pay the net price after financial aid, not the sticker price.
Net price by family income
Can federal loans cover it? (2026 limits)
At every income level reported here, the average net price is within the $25,500 a first-year dependent student and their parents can borrow from the federal government for loans made from 1 July 2026.
The ceiling is $5,500 in the student’s own Direct Loan plus up to $20,000 in Parent PLUS, which requires that the parent has no adverse credit history. Net prices are averages for a prior cohort of aid recipients, not a quote. Source: Federal Student Aid loan limits. Where this gap is largest.
After graduation
Earnings-to-debt ratio
Moderate · 2.0×Graduates earn about 2.0× their median debt every year.
Financial access
Pell Grants are federal aid for students from low-income families.
Share of students who borrowed to pay for school.
Some fields may not be reported by this institution. Verify final details with the school directly.
How does cost line up with outcomes across colleges? See our analysis of college cost vs. graduation and earnings, an association shaped by selectivity and sector, not proof a pricier college pays off.
FAFSA earnings check
: Not flaggedBuena Vista University does not trigger the FAFSA's "lower earnings" notice. Its graduates' median earnings four years after completing were $53,065, above the $36,709 median for high school graduates aged 25 to 34 in Iowa.
This is one figure for the whole institution, not for any program: earnings differ by credential and field. It covers graduates who completed in 2017-18 and 2018-19, received federal aid, and were working and not enrolled when earnings were measured in 2022 and 2023, in January 2026 dollars. The Department says the notice is informational only: it does not change aid eligibility. Source: U.S. Department of Education, FSA Data Center, March 2026 release. Which colleges are flagged, and what changed.
Student Outcomes
Graduation Rate
62%
Freshman Retention
76%
Source: IPEDS, charges for academic year 2024-25 (provisional release)
Final aid offers, scholarships, and net price vary per family. Always verify with the school's financial aid office.
Decision support · Cost & value
The strongest cost, aid, and value reasons to consider this school.
Significant share of students receive Pell Grants.
Affordability snapshot
Tuition
$41.8k
Net price
$18.8k
Pell
44%
above avg
Median debt
$25k
Earnings (10y)
$49.2k
“Avg” comparisons reference national IPEDS / College Scorecard averages (~2022–23); figures are directional and vary by school and year.
Acceptance rate
78%
SAT range
Institution does not report this
Institution does not report this
ACT range
19 - 26
Source: IPEDS, applicants for fall 2024 (provisional release)
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Institution does not report this
Storm Lake, IA 50588
Studying online: most students study entirely online
In Fall 2023, 1,151 of Buena Vista University's 1,951 students (59%) were enrolled entirely at a distance. A further 98 (5%) took at least one distance course alongside in-person study.
Distance-education figures count STUDENTS enrolled in Fall 2023, not programs on offer. "Exclusively at a distance" means a student took only distance courses that term. A college with few or no such students may still run online courses or an online degree, so a low figure is not evidence that online study is unavailable, and a high one is not a judgement of quality either way.
U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS Fall Enrollment (distance education status), Fall 2023
Fields of study
Buena Vista University reported conferring credentials in 44 different fields to the federal government. See which ones, and at what credential level.
Decision support
Worth a closer look if Buena Vista University caught your interest.
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Graduate earnings by program
Buena Vista University's bachelor's graduates in Teacher Education (by grade level) earned a median $45,573 four years after graduating, 4% below the $47,382 national median for the same program (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). One year after graduating, a later class (2018-20 graduates, measured 2020-21) earned a median $42,834; the two figures describe different graduates, not one class's growth. Graduates who borrowed took out a median $28,000 in federal loans at this college (about $297 a month on a 10-year plan), and had $41,996 in total federal debt including other colleges attended (same degree level).
20 programs at Buena Vista University have federal earnings or debt figures, largest graduating classes first. Earnings: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, earnings measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. Debt: graduates of 2018-19 and 2019-20. The national median is the same measure for every program in that field and credential in the U.S.
| Program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after | National median | Federal debt borrowed at this college (median) | Payment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teacher Education (by grade level), Bachelor's | $45,573 | $47,382, −4% | $28,000 | $297/mo |
| Business Administration, Bachelor's | $58,440 | $68,257, −14% | $25,000 | $265/mo |
| Student Counseling, Master's | $58,059 | $60,111, −3% | $31,671 | $360/mo |
| Curriculum and Instruction, Master's | $68,691 | $63,399, +8% | — | — |
| Psychology, Bachelor's | $44,755 | $50,706, −12% | $22,500 | $239/mo |
| Business Administration, Master's | $61,710 | $103,485, −40% | $29,291 | $333/mo |
| Accounting, Bachelor's | $63,454 | $76,194, −17% | $23,270 | $247/mo |
| Teacher Education (by subject), Bachelor's | $48,048 | $51,389, −7% | $28,900 | $306/mo |
| Finance, Bachelor's | $63,950 | $83,343, −23% | $20,700 | $219/mo |
| Business, Bachelor's | — | $68,407 | — | — |
| Criminal Justice, Bachelor's | $53,736 | $55,378, −3% | $20,750 | $220/mo |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science, Bachelor's | $49,281 | $54,562, −10% | $27,000 | $286/mo |
What the job pays locally
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: everyone working in the job, every experience level, not only recent graduates.
| Program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after | National median | Federal debt borrowed at this college (median) | Payment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical and Counseling Psychology, Master's | $62,389 | $65,184, −4% | $60,404 | $687/mo |
| Marketing, Bachelor's | $55,330 | $69,303, −20% | $20,931 | $222/mo |
| Biology, Bachelor's | — | $57,214 | $26,918 | $285/mo |
| Education, Bachelor's | $50,997 | $49,808, about the same | $22,189 | $235/mo |
| Liberal Arts and General Studies, Bachelor's | $63,832 | $53,072, +20% | — | — |
| Interdisciplinary Studies, Bachelor's | $45,185 | $55,693, −19% | $23,826 | $253/mo |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations, Bachelor's | $58,540 | $61,027, −4% | $20,834 | $221/mo |
| Human Resources, Bachelor's | $56,329 | $68,069, −17% | $21,833 | $231/mo |
Median earnings of graduates who received federal student aid, worked, and were not enrolled in school; debt is the median federal loans borrowed at this college by graduates who borrowed (Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized and Grad PLUS; not Parent PLUS, private loans or interest). Programs with too few graduates are suppressed by the Department of Education. Monthly payment assumes a standard 10-year plan. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field-of-study data, 10 June 2026. Download every program (CSV). Same degree, different paycheck: what the national data show. Over the Cap: graduate programs where typical debt exceeds the federal loan limits in force since July 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Built from CampusPin profile data. Always verify final admissions, cost, financial aid, and program details with the institution before applying. See our data methodology and data dictionary.
Fields this college awarded credentials in
The 14 largest of 44 fields Buena Vista University reported, by credentials conferred in 2024-25, using the federal classification of each field. The level is the highest credential actually awarded, which is not always the one a field is best known for.
| Field | Awarded | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 95 | Graduate (2 graduate · 93 bachelor's) |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 72 | Graduate (26 graduate · 46 bachelor's) |
| Curriculum and Instruction | 61 | Graduate |
| Special Education and Teaching | 54 | Graduate (47 graduate · 7 bachelor's) |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | 47 | Graduate |
| Psychology, General | 30 | Bachelor's |
| Human Services, General | 28 | Bachelor's |
| Accounting and Related Services | 27 | Bachelor's |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | 27 | Graduate |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 24 | Bachelor's |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 22 | Bachelor's |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 21 | Bachelor's |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 20 | Bachelor's |
| Biology, General | 18 | Bachelor's |
Fields are as classified in the federal IPEDS completions collection, which records credentials already conferred. A field listed here was awarded in the reporting year; it does not confirm the program is currently admitting students, and a field CampusPin has no guide for is still shown under its official federal title. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Explore more
Always verify final admissions, cost, financial aid, and program details with Buena Vista University before applying.
Data sources & methodology
Facts on this profile of Buena Vista University are compiled from federal datasets and the institution's own published information.
Sources used across this page
Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.
IPEDS / NCES College Navigator
Federal enrollment, admissions, tuition, retention, and program data. Released annually with a 1–2 year lag.
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
Net price by income band, post-graduation earnings, and federal aid context.
Clery Act campus security reports
Annual campus security and fire-safety disclosures required of U.S. institutions.
Institutional websites
Each school's official admissions, registrar, and financial-aid pages are the authoritative source for current details.
Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.
Suggested citation
CampusPin. (2024). Buena Vista University, college profile. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/schools/buena-vista-university
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