When a family starts looking at colleges, it almost always comes in through the wrong door: the name, the reputation someone mentioned at a party, a pretty photo of the campus. I prefer to come in through another door. The one with the data that the federal government requires every college to report, year after year, without embellishment. Those data do not tell you whether your child will be happy there. But they tell you, with a precision that no hallway conversation can provide, what kind of institution it is, what it really costs, whom it admits and whom it does not, and what happens to the students who have already gone through it.
This article does not decide anything for you. Nor does it claim to be the last word on Augustana University. It is one piece of the map. And like any piece of a map, it works best when you know exactly what ground it covers and what ground it does not.
What Kind of School It Is, in a Few Words
Let's start with the basics, because the basics are almost never explained well. Augustana University is a private, nonprofit institution offering programs of four years or more. That already tells you something important: it is not a public school with a state-subsidized price, and it is not a for-profit business. It is private, with the pricing model that implies, and without shareholders profiting from tuition.
The federal system that classifies colleges, known as Carnegie, places it in the category of a master's university with medium-sized programs. This does not mean that its offerings end there: the federal record indicates that a doctorate is the highest level the institution reports offering, although that is a general institutional fact and does not tell you whether the exact program your child is interested in goes through the master's level, the doctoral level, or stops at the bachelor's level. That must be asked program by program.
Carnegie also describes it, using data from several years ago, as a small, highly residential four-year school. "Highly residential" has a precise definition: it means that, at that time, at least half of degree-seeking undergraduate students lived in housing owned, controlled, or affiliated with the institution, and at least 80 out of every 100 attended full time. It is a historical profile, not a snapshot of today. And living on campus, even if it is the most common arrangement there, is not free: room and board are charged separately from the sticker price, and we will return to that.
One additional fact worth keeping in mind: in its undergraduate profile, Carnegie places Augustana among institutions attended by many transfer students. If your child is thinking about coming here after studying somewhere else, that label is a signal to investigate, not a guarantee. Before your child transfers, ask in writing which courses will be accepted and which will not. The label does not say how many credits people arrive with or how many they lose along the way.
And where exactly is it? In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, within Minnehaha County, in that city's metropolitan area. That tells you where it is, not how to get there or what living there is like. If your child is thinking about living at home while attending, do not rely on the map: drive the route yourself on a weekday at the time your child would have classes. The actual travel time is almost never what the app promises.
Finally, something many families ask without knowing how to phrase it: Augustana is not classified as a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 colleges in this national directory, 138 have one of those three designations; Augustana is not among them. That does not tell you which students it serves or how your child will feel there. If that question matters to you, the answer is not in a checked box: it is in asking which cultural centers and student organizations exist today and talking with someone who is already there.
Who Shares the Classroom With Your Child
This is where the numbers begin to portray a community, not just an institution.
Among undergraduates in the fall of 2023, 5 out of every 100 are Hispanic or Latino. It is a small minority. Compared with the 941 selective private four-year schools in this census that report this information, Augustana falls in the bottom quarter: three out of every four similar schools have a higher proportion of Latino students.
I want to be clear about this because it is easy to misinterpret: having few Latino students does not make the school bad, just as having many would not make it good. It is simply a fact about who is enrolled today. But if your child will be one of the few, it is worth knowing before your child arrives, not afterward. Ask what student groups exist, what support is available, and, if possible, speak with a Latino student who is already there. The number is for the entire school; your child's specific major may look different.
Other features of this community: there are almost no adult students—only 3 out of every 100 are between 25 and 64 years old—and there are more women than men: 61 out of every 100 undergraduate students are women. As for where newly entering students came from, the federal report simply does not provide that information for this school in this cycle. It is not there, and it should not be invented.
In terms of size: 2,158 students enrolled in the official fall count place it in the middle band, between 1,000 and 4,999, and in the middle of the pack among its selective private peers. Of that total, 1,871 are undergraduates and 287 are graduate students—it is primarily a bachelor's-level school. And here is something that applies to any college, not just this one: being medium-sized says nothing about the options or attention your child will receive. That must be asked by major, not inferred from the institution's total size.
How the Academic Year Is Structured
Augustana reported a 4-1-4 calendar to the federal government: four courses over four months, one intensive month with a single course, and another four courses during the following four months. It is a fixed rhythm, the same for everyone.
It also reported that it accepts prior credit through two routes: AP examinations and what the federal system calls "credit for life experiences"—learning acquired through independent study, adult courses, work experience, portfolios, licenses, prior certifications, or military or professional opportunities, including through an examination program. In addition, it reports accepting credit for military training and enrolling high school students in college courses for credit through a formal dual-enrollment program.
All of this sounds like a way to save time and money. And it can be. But the school's reporting that these routes exist does not mean your child will automatically receive credit through them. Saying that it accepts AP does not tell you what scores it requires, how many credits it awards, or whether those credits count toward the specific major your child wants. Ask for the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not include those savings in the budget until they have been confirmed on paper.
As for degree offerings: in the most recent year reported, Augustana awarded 381 bachelor's degrees across 21 families of academic programs—what the government calls CIP families. The family awarding the most degrees was health professions, with 21 out of every 100 degrees awarded that year—a clear lead, but not a monopoly. No family accounted for 30 out of every 100 degrees. Compared with 942 selective private schools in this census, Augustana falls in the quarter with the most program families represented in its bachelor's-degree detail.
Here is an important clarification: 21 families with at least one row in the report do not mean 21 active majors or 21 families with actual degrees awarded—a row may report zero. A CIP family groups several distinct programs under the same umbrella. If your child has a major in mind, do not stop at "broad offerings": ask for the exact name of the program.
And something that matters greatly to families, even if they sometimes do not know how to name it: the ratio of students to instructional staff, with both counted as full-time equivalents, is 11 to 1 at Augustana. Compared with similar schools, it falls below the midpoint—a relatively low ratio. But take care: this figure is an institution-wide aggregate. It does not tell you the actual size of a first-year class or the exact method used to calculate it. It is a signal, not a promise of personalized attention.
The Academic Paths the Institution Reports
In addition to its bachelor's-degree programs, Augustana reports offering several structured paths: study abroad, teacher-certification preparation below the graduate level, the option to complete preparation in certain teacher-specialization areas at the institution itself, and state approval of its initial teacher-certification program.
If your child is interested in teaching or spending a semester abroad, these are doors the institution itself reports having open. Confirm the details directly with the school: the federal report confirms that they exist, not how they work in practice.
Getting Into Augustana: What They Require and What Helps
This is where many families feel that they are entering unfamiliar territory, so let's take it slowly.
Augustana does not have open admission. There are pieces it reviews before saying yes. Of the nine considerations recorded by the federal system—not counting standardized tests or legacy status—the university marked three as required: the high school transcript, the high school GPA, and an English-proficiency examination for applicants to whom it applies. If your child studied outside the United States or attended high school in Spanish, ask today whether your child must take that examination and what would qualify for an exemption. It is one of those things families discover late if they do not ask in time.
Other pieces are not required, but they are considered if submitted: class rank, whether the student completed the college-preparatory program recommended by the university, the personal essay, letters of recommendation, and work experience. The report does not allow us to say how much each one weighs in the final decision—only that, if submitted, it is considered.
One fact worth repeating twice: there is no undergraduate application fee. $0.
Now, the numbers showing how selective it is in practice. In the most recent cycle, 3,330 people applied for admission as first-time students. Of those, 1,973 received an offer of admission—59 out of every 100. Compared with 942 selective private schools in this census, Augustana is on the more demanding side: seven out of every ten similar schools, or more, accept a higher percentage of their applicants.
| Out of every 100 who applied | Outcome |
|---|---|
| 59 | Received an offer of admission |
| 41 | Did not receive an offer of admission |
Admission is not a sure thing, but neither is it a lottery. The application is genuinely reviewed.
But here comes a distinction that changes the picture completely: being admitted is not the same as enrolling. Out of every 100 admitted students, only 23 ultimately enrolled at Augustana that fall. The other 77 had a place there and did not take it.
Put another way: of every four young people who receive a yes from this school, roughly one decides to attend. Do not read that as a mark against the institution—the federal record does not explain why each person made the choice they did, and this proportion is among the most common at similar schools. What I can tell you very clearly is this: what others decided does not predict what your child will be offered. Wait for your child's letter with the net price—the real amount the year will cost—before deciding whether this school stays on the list.
As for standardized tests: the SAT and ACT are not required at Augustana. If your child submits them, they are considered; if not, the application remains valid. In practice, very few students submit them: only 6 out of every 100 enrolled students submitted SAT scores, placing Augustana in the lowest quarter for submission rates among schools of its type. The available ranges—between 530 and 640 in reading and writing, and between 545 and 650 in mathematics for the middle half—come from just 28 students. With such a small sample, those numbers should not be treated as a threshold that must be reached or as a guarantee if exceeded.
And regarding transfers: of the cohort that entered in 2017 seeking a bachelor's degree, 14 out of every 100 transferred to another school without completing at Augustana. That is a low proportion compared with similar schools. Separately, in the fall of 2023, 80 new students arrived after having studied at another institution. If your child is considering transferring into or out of Augustana, none of these numbers tells you how many credits will be accepted. Ask for that in writing, using the exact list of courses, before your child transfers.
The Sticker Price and What Is Actually Paid
At Augustana University, among 35 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $20,552. Among 49 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $22,479; among 157 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $26,388. For dependent students, the band combines their parents' income with their own.
There is a difference of $5,836 between the average for the lowest-income band (35 students) and the average for the highest-income band (157 students). Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $25,280.
Even after grants and scholarships were deducted, the average net price for the lowest-income families was $20,552 in the 2022-23 academic year. If that number does not fit your budget, it is better to see it today than in August.
An average does not show how different the cases within that band were; these data do not support a claim that some families were far below or above the published figure. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average with grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships.
The Aid That Does Arrive, and the Aid That Does Not
The good news, stated with complete honesty: 98 out of every 100 degree-seeking students at Augustana receive some grant or scholarship aid that does not have to be repaid. Receiving something here is the norm, not the exception. Among those who receive it, the annual average is $26,961—although, like every average, it obscures the person who received much more and the person who received much less.
Now the part that must be examined carefully: the Pell Grant, federal aid reserved for low-income families with demonstrated need, reached only 17 out of every 100 students. That means at least 81 out of every 100 received aid from another source—from the institution itself, the state, or another source the report does not distinguish. The fact that "almost everyone receives aid" and the fact that "few receive Pell" are two different truths that coexist at the same school. No other family's aid letter predicts yours: when yours arrives, look at how much you would have to pay out of pocket, and compare that number across schools—not the size of the discount they offer you.
Regarding loans: in the 2022-23 school year, 52 out of every 100 Augustana undergraduate students received a federal loan, with an average of $6,335 per student that year. That is a common proportion among similar schools—neither among those generating the most debt nor among those generating the least.
If your child borrowed a similar amount in each of the program's four years, the total would be around $25,340, not counting interest. That calculation should be considered before the first signature, not at the end of the first semester. And an important clarification: this average covers only federal loans in the student's name for one year. It does not include PLUS loans that parents sometimes take out, bank debt, or credit cards. Nor is it the total debt with which someone graduates—that would require adding all four years, and that number does not appear in this report.
In addition to traditional financing, Augustana reports offering an installment tuition-payment plan and participation in a Promise program. Ask the financial aid office directly how they work and whether they apply to your family's circumstances.
Campus Life, Services, and Other Pieces of the Puzzle
Augustana has institution-owned housing and meal plans, with a fixed number of meals per week under the largest plan. Living there is not required for all full-time, first-time students—the institution explicitly confirmed that—although this does not rule out the possibility that a specific program may require it. The reported maximum capacity of institutional housing is 1,376 students. The existence of rooms does not guarantee that a bed will be available when your child needs one: ask in writing for the year's rate, the application deadline, and whether a place is guaranteed or your child will be placed on a waiting list.
Regarding ROTC: Augustana reported opportunities in two branches, Army and Air Force. The Navy is not marked. Its appearance in the report does not mean the training takes place on this campus—that must be asked by name, along with questions about available places, scholarships, and requirements, before building your child's plan around that option.
In sports, Augustana competes at the intercollegiate level and is affiliated with the NCAA—it reports membership for football, basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. That affiliation belongs to the institution; it is not a promise to your child. If your child is interested in playing, write directly to the coach of the specific sport, ask whether there is a place, which division they compete in, and whether that sport awards scholarships—and get it in writing.
Regarding distance learning: Augustana offers online courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels and even reports having at least one complete program that can be taken entirely at a distance. But in the most recent count, no undergraduate student took an entire course load that way—every student took at least one in-person class. This does not mean the option does not exist; it means that today no one is using it exclusively at the undergraduate level. Confirm the exact level and program if this is relevant to your family.
The library has employed staff, annual spending above the threshold recorded by the government, physical and digital collections, and interlibrary loan. And among the support services the institution reports are combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, job-placement services for graduates, on-campus child care, participation in the Yellow Ribbon program for veterans, a dedicated point of contact for military families, and a webpage of services for people with disabilities. None of these entries measures quality or effectiveness—it only confirms that the institution reports having them. It is worth asking in writing how they work in practice.
The Students Who Came Before: What Happened to Them
And now we reach the part that should matter most to you, because it is not about promises: it is about what has already happened.
Of the cohort that entered in the fall of 2022 as full-time bachelor's-degree-seeking students, 84 out of every 100 were still enrolled at Augustana one year later or had already graduated. That is a high proportion compared with similar selective private schools—among the best in that group. But the remaining 16 does not reveal their outcomes: it may include both students who transferred and are still studying elsewhere and students who left school. This number does not distinguish between the two cases.
As for graduation, the data are solid: of the cohort that started in 2017, 76 out of every 100 had their degrees in hand six years later. That figure places Augustana in the top quarter among its selective private peers.
But there is a gap worth facing directly: after four years—the period most families have budgeted for—only 60 out of every 100 had finished. There is a difference of 16 points between year four and year six.
| Time period | With a degree |
|---|---|
| 4 years | 60 out of every 100 |
| 6 years | 76 out of every 100 |
The data do not say how many semesters each person attended and do not report tuition, rent, or wages. Before signing anything, ask in writing how long the program your child is interested in usually takes in practice, how its required courses are scheduled, and how the total cost changes if the path takes longer.
For that same cohort of 480 students, the exact breakdown is: 363 completed bachelor's degrees there, 66 transferred without finishing at Augustana (and later enrolled at another eligible institution), 2 remained enrolled without completing within the time period, and 49 fell into the federal category of "no longer enrolled" at the reporting cutoff—a category that does not explain why and may include people who earned degrees after the measured period.
There is a longer-term figure that is harder to read but honest: following a cohort that entered between 2015 and 2016—combining first-time students and those with prior college experience, both full-time and part-time—71 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from Augustana eight years later. That proportion is above the median among similar schools.
But within that same group, among students who received a Pell Grant, only 57 out of every 100 earned the credential within those eight years—18 points below those who did not receive Pell. It is a real gap, and it deserves a real question: if your family would qualify for Pell today, ask the school directly what specifically exists for those students—an assigned counselor, emergency aid, and whether the institutional grant or scholarship is renewed each year. And ask for the answer in writing. A family's qualifying for Pell today does not determine your child's individual outcome; but knowing the historical gap gives you a better question to ask before deciding.
What Comes After This Article
You now know, with the precision federal data allow, one complete piece of what Augustana University really is: its size, its community, its actual cost, the way it admits students, and what happened to the cohorts that have already passed through it. It is solid, verifiable information and—I hope—clearer than what you hear in a brochure or a hallway conversation.
But it is only one piece. You still need to consider what your child wants to study, the life your child imagines living during those four years, and how much your family can and is willing to pay without compromising what comes afterward. Neither of those two pieces lives in a federal report. They live in your home, in the conversations you and your child have, and in the real numbers of your own budget.
Put them together. From that combination—what the university is, what your child wants, and what the family can sustain—comes a real plan. Not a guarantee of an outcome, but something better: the certainty of having reached the door knowing exactly what was on the other side.
Note on sources: the information in this article comes from data reported by Augustana University to the United States Department of Education's IPEDS system, corresponding primarily to the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles, depending on the indicator. Best College Aid does not represent Augustana University or any government agency; this article organizes public information to help families understand it.