That is what we are going to do here with Lindenwood University, in Saint Charles, Missouri. I am not going to sell you on this school or tear it down. I am going to show you what the official data actually say, piece by piece, so that when you finish reading, you know what kind of university you are looking at and what questions are still yours to ask.
Who This University Is and Where It Is Located
Lindenwood University is a private, nonprofit, four-year institution. It is not a community college or a technical school: it reports the doctorate as the highest level it offers, and the federal system classifies it as a degree-granting institution that is primarily at the bachelor's level or above. That does not mean every program goes through the doctoral level or that your child's major has that entire pathway: it means that the school, as a whole, operates within that range. If your child is interested in a specific connection between undergraduate and graduate study, that is a question to ask the school directly.
Carnegie—the system that organizes universities in the United States according to what they do—describes it, using 2019-20 data, as a medium-sized, highly residential four-year school: at that time, at least half of degree-seeking undergraduate students lived in housing owned, controlled, or affiliated with the institution, and at least 8 out of every 10 attended full time. Using more recent data, Carnegie also places it among institutions that receive many transfer students and classifies its graduate profile—based on degrees awarded in 2019-20—as research doctoral. That last fact is historical: it does not tell you what programs it offers today.
What does “highly residential” mean for your family? That living on campus is a normal part of the experience here, not the exception. But living on campus and paying tuition are two separate expenses: room and board are charged separately, and we will get to those numbers.
And if your child is thinking about transferring from another institution, there is something specific you can do now: ask in writing which courses will count and which will not. Carnegie places it in the branch of its category with the highest transfer-student inflow, but that label does not say how many credits each student brings in or how many are lost along the way.
As for location: the campus is in Saint Charles, Missouri, within St. Charles County, and that site is within the St. Louis metropolitan area. That does not mean it is in the center of that city. The census code places it within a city, which tells you where it is, not how to get there. If your child were considering living at home and commuting, drive the route yourself on a weekday at the time your child would have classes. The actual travel time is almost never what the map promises.
One point worth making clear: Lindenwood University is not listed as a Historically Black College or University (HBCU), a Tribal College or University, or a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 universities in this federal directory, 138 have at least one of those three designations; this one has none. That does not tell you which students it serves or how your child will feel on that campus. The absence of those labels does not mean there is no community for that particular student; nor does it mean the opposite. Ask directly what cultural centers and student organizations exist today and—if possible—speak with someone who already attends the school.
The School's Size and Who Makes Up Its Community
In the official fall count, Lindenwood had 7,288 enrolled students. It is neither a very small nor a huge school: it falls within the official band of between 5,000 and 9,999 students, and compared with the 941 selective-admission, private four-year schools in this census that report the figure, it is on the larger side—between one and three out of every ten have more students than Lindenwood.
But that total of 7,288 hides something important: it is divided into 4,933 undergraduate students and 2,355 graduate students. A substantial portion of the school community has already completed a degree and returned for more education. If your child is now entering a bachelor's program, the number that truly matters is not the total of 7,288 but the 4,933: that is your child's actual universe of undergraduate peers.
Within that undergraduate population, who are the students? Out of every 100 students, 58 are women. There is also a mix of ages: 18 out of every 100 are between 25 and 64 years old, so your child will share classrooms with adults who are already working or who have returned to school, not only with classmates who have just left high school.
And here is a fact worth stating plainly: among the undergraduate students reported in fall 2023, only 5 out of every 100 are Hispanic or Latino. It is a small minority. Compared with the 941 selective-admission, private four-year schools in this census that reported this figure, it falls in the bottom quarter: three out of every four similar schools reported a larger share of Latino students.
I am not telling you this to rule out the school or portray it as a problem. A low number of Latino students does not make a university bad, just as a high number does not automatically make it good. What I am telling you is that if your child will be among the few, it is worth asking during the visit what Latino student group exists, whether there is a cultural center, whether anyone in the office speaks Spanish, and—if you can—speaking with a Latino student who already attends before deciding. The figure covers the entire school; your child's particular experience within a major may look different.
One more detail about this same census: we do not know where entering students came from in terms of state or country of origin, because IPEDS does not report that line for this school in this cycle. The data are not there, and they should not be invented.
How the Academic Year Is Structured
In its most recent report, Lindenwood declared a 4-1-4 calendar: four courses during four months, then an intensive month with a single course, followed by another four courses during the next four months. It is a calendar with the same dates for all students.
Regarding prior credit, the school checked both available boxes: it accepts credit for AP exams, as well as what the federal report calls “credit for life experience”—learning acquired through independent study, noncredit adult courses, work experience, a portfolio, prior licenses or certifications, or military, governmental, or professional opportunities, including through an examination program. It also reports accepting credit for military training. And it stated that it enrolls high school students in college courses for credit, both within and outside a formal dual-enrollment program.
Here is a truth I cannot soften: the school's reporting of these two pathways does not mean your child's AP credits or prior experience will automatically be recognized. It does not say what exam score is required, how many credits are awarded, or whether those credits count specifically toward the major your child wants. Before making any calculations about saving time or money through prior credit, request a written equivalency evaluation.
As for what is studied here: between July 2022 and June 2023, the school awarded 1,001 bachelor's degrees across 21 academic program families. The family with the most degrees, by a wide margin, was business and management: 308 of the 1,001, or 31 out of every 100 degrees awarded that year. Compared with 942 similar schools in this census, Lindenwood is in the quarter with the most program families represented in its bachelor's-degree detail—a broad offering on paper, although a row with zero degrees also counts as “present.” Twenty-one families with reported rows are not twenty-one active majors or twenty-one families with graduating students; one family groups several different programs together. If your child is interested in a specific program, that exact name is what must be verified, not the general category.
Regarding group size: the official ratio is 13 full-time students for every full-time-equivalent faculty member. That sounds low, and on the general scale it is. But compared with schools of the same type, it is above the median—not in the highest quarter, but above the midpoint. Both interpretations are true at the same time and independently. What this figure does not tell you is the actual size of your child's classes or the precise method the school used to calculate it. A ratio of 13 to 1 does not guarantee small classrooms in every course.
What the School Offers Beyond the Classroom
Lindenwood reports several structured academic pathways worth keeping on your radar if your child has particular interests: study abroad, undergraduate research outside the regular classroom, a complete program that can be taken only during evenings or weekends, noncredit developmental education for students who need to strengthen foundational skills, preparation for teacher certification below the college level, the ability to complete preparation here in certain teaching specialization areas, and state approval of its program for initial teacher certification. If any of these options connects with what your child wants to do, that is the starting point for asking the school directly for details.
How Admission Works: Requirements, Possibilities, and What Actually Happens
Let us begin with the policy: Lindenwood does not have open admission. It reviews certain elements before saying yes. Of the admission considerations recorded by the federal report, it marked two as required: the high school GPA and an English proficiency exam when applicable to the applicant. Other elements are not required but are considered if submitted: the complete high school record, your child's class rank, whether your child completed the college-preparatory course sequence the university requests, the personal essay, and letters of recommendation. The report does not allow us to say how much weight each carries in the final decision.
One practical detail worth its weight in gold: the published undergraduate application fee is $0.
And a specific warning, not a generic one: if your child studied outside the United States or completed high school in Spanish, ask now whether the English proficiency exam applies and what would qualify your child for an exemption. This school marked it as required when applicable, and it is exactly the kind of requirement families discover late, when there is no longer enough time to handle it comfortably.
Now, the numbers showing how selective the school is in practice. In the 2023 cycle, Lindenwood received 6,743 first-time applications. Of those applicants, 4,441 were offered admission: that is 66 out of every 100. Compared with the 942 selective-admission, private four-year schools in this census, that percentage is typical—it is near the middle of the rankings, slightly below the group's midpoint. In other words, this is not a school that rejects almost everyone, but it does not automatically accept everyone either. The application is reviewed.
But here is one of the most revealing figures in this entire article, and I want you to read it twice: out of every 100 admitted students, only 20 ultimately enrolled. The other 80 had an acceptance in hand and did not use it that fall. Compared with similar schools, that proportion is also typical—neither especially high nor especially low.
Do not read that as a mark against the school. The fact that most admitted students chose another place does not mean Lindenwood is bad; the federal record does not explain why each family made its decision. And most importantly, what other families chose does not tell you what the school will offer you. What truly matters is your own financial aid letter, with the actual net price. With that number in hand, you can decide whether this school stays on your list.
Regarding standardized tests: the SAT and ACT are not required here. If your child submits them, they are considered; if your child does not, the application remains active just the same. Fewer than 1 out of every 100 enrolled students submitted an SAT score. There are data for the ACT among those who submitted it: the median was 22. The fact that almost no one submits the SAT does not tell you whether the school uses it for admission, scholarships, or class placement—those are separate questions that this figure does not answer.
And regarding transfers, one figure carries weight: Lindenwood tracked the cohort of first-time, full-time, bachelor's-degree-seeking students who entered in 2017. Within the expected time, 277 of them transferred to another institution without completing a degree here: that is 30 out of every 100, a large share. Compared with similar schools, Lindenwood is on the high side among those that see students leave. At the same time, in fall 2023, 597 undergraduate students entered Lindenwood for the first time after studying at another institution—a sizable inflow as well.
Here is something almost no family knows but should keep in mind: a student who transfers out does not count as a graduate of this school, even if that student finishes the degree somewhere else. Remember this when you compare graduation rates later in this same article. And the fact that many students transfer does not mean they did poorly—the report counts the movement, not each person's outcome.
The Sticker Price and What Each Family Actually Ends Up Paying
At Lindenwood University, among 103 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 $14,581. Among 88 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $17,960; among 262 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $20,715. For dependent students, the band combines their parents' income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band (103 students) and the average for the highest-income band (262 students) is $6,134. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $18,698.
Among the 937 schools of the same type and control included in this census that reported this figure with the same time coverage, Lindenwood falls within the least expensive quarter for the lowest-income families, after scholarships and grants are subtracted. That does not mean it is inexpensive for your family. It is a meaningful figure when you build the list of schools to which your child will apply.
None of these figures is a price quote for your child. 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 figure that matters is the aid letter you receive. In the meantime, use the net price calculator on the school's website.
Financial Aid and Payment Options
Out of every 100 degree- or certificate-seeking students here, 88 received some form of grant or scholarship aid that does not have to be repaid. Among those who did receive it, the average for the year was $11,490—that average is not distributed across all students; it describes only those who received something.
The Pell Grant—federal aid for families with demonstrated financial need—reached 30 out of every 100 students. That is a significant gap compared with the 88 out of every 100 who received some form of aid: the difference may include state, institutional, or other sources of aid, and the report itself does not allow it to be attributed specifically to any one program. It is worth asking the school which specific programs make up that difference.
As for loans: 52 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal student loan during the 2022-23 academic year. Among those who borrowed, the average was $6,864 that year. Compared with similar schools, that proportion is typical, neither among those financing the most through debt nor among those financing the least. If your child borrowed a similar amount each year during the four years of the degree, the total would be around $27,456, not counting interest—and that is a calculation worth making before the first signature, not afterward.
This percentage describes other families, not yours. And this average covers only federal loans in the student's name during one year: it does not include loans that parents sometimes sign for, debt owed to banks or credit cards, or the total debt with which someone graduates after several years. That number is not in this report.
As a specific option for managing payment, the institution reports offering an installment tuition payment plan.
Campus Life, Learning Format, and Available Support
Lindenwood does have institution-controlled housing, and it responded that not all first-time, full-time students are required to live there—that rules out a universal requirement, but does not say that no individual program has that requirement. It also offers meal plans, with a fixed number of meals per week in the largest plan. The reported maximum housing capacity is 2,541 students, on or off campus. The existence of housing does not guarantee an assured place: ask in writing for the year's rate, the housing application deadline, and whether you are guaranteed a place or placed on a waiting list.
Regarding ROTC: the school indicated that an opportunity is available in two branches—Army and Air Force. The Navy branch is not marked. The fact that it is marked does not mean the program is offered specifically on this campus; ask about it by name before building a plan around this pathway.
In sports: Lindenwood competes in intercollegiate athletics and is affiliated with the NCAA. It reports membership for football, basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. The affiliation belongs to the school, not to your child—if your child is interested in playing, write directly to the coach of that sport and ask about roster availability, division, and the possibility of an athletic scholarship.
Regarding distance learning: the school offers online education at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Among undergraduates, 26 out of every 100 students were taking all their classes at a distance—a proportion that places it in the highest quarter among similar schools. But this figure describes the entire undergraduate population together, not your child's specific major: one major may be offered almost entirely online while the one next to it is almost entirely in person.
The library operates with paid staff, and its annual expenditures exceed the $100,000 threshold recorded by the federal government. It has physical and digital collections and participates in interlibrary lending. Exceeding that threshold does not guarantee that the specific databases for your child's major are available—that must be asked by program name.
Finally, the reported services and support include combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, placement services for graduates, participation in the Yellow Ribbon program, a dedicated point of contact for veterans and service members, a student veterans organization, and a published web address for disability services. The fact that these services are reported does not say how effective they are or how easily they can be accessed—that is experienced and verified in person.
How Many Stay, How Many Finish, and What That Means
Here we reach the numbers that carry the most weight when imagining your child's future at this school—and also those most likely to be misunderstood if they are not explained carefully.
Retention: of the cohort of first-time, full-time, bachelor's-degree-seeking students who entered in fall 2022—865 students—632 met the official retention criterion one year later: 73 out of every 100. That criterion means they were still enrolled here or had already completed the bachelor's degree. Compared with similar schools, that proportion falls slightly below the group's midpoint. What this figure does not separate is how many of those 632 are still studying and how many have already graduated; nor does it explain what happened to the rest. And there is something essential to understand: not returning is not the same as dropping out. A student who transferred to another university and continues studying there counts the same in this figure as someone who left higher education entirely.
Six-year graduation: of the 934 first-time, full-time students who entered a bachelor's-degree program in 2017, 470 had a degree from this school six years later. That is exactly half: 50 out of every 100. At four years, the figure changes to 37 out of every 100—a difference of 13 points between waiting two more years and not waiting. Compared with similar schools, this six-year rate falls below the group's midpoint.
Put plainly: of that cohort that entered in 2017, half had a bachelor's degree from Lindenwood six years later, and half did not. The report counts outcomes; it does not explain each person's reasons. And remember what we saw earlier about transfers: someone who left for another school and completed a degree there does not appear in this figure as a Lindenwood graduate, even if that person did graduate somewhere.
There is a broader eight-year measure that combines a different cohort: 2,785 undergraduate students who entered between July 2015 and June 2016, including both first-time students and those with prior college experience, whether full time or part time. As of August 2023, 58 out of every 100 had a degree or certificate from this school. Another 22 out of every 100 appear in the indicator for students who had not received a credential from this institution—although, because of how the definition is constructed, that number does not allow us to say with certainty how many were still enrolled on that exact date, nor does it rule out that some had already graduated elsewhere.
Within that same eight-year cohort, the report separately identifies students who received a Pell Grant: 53 out of every 100 had a degree or certificate from this school, 8 points below the group that did not receive Pell. Compared with similar schools, this eight-year rate also falls below the group's midpoint.
A family's qualifying for Pell today does not determine its child's individual outcome. But if your situation resembles that of those students, it is worth asking specifically whether there is an assigned counselor, whether emergency assistance is available, and whether the institutional scholarship is renewed every year—and getting the answers in writing.
What You Already Know and What Remains Yours to Decide
That is what the university, on its own, can show you through these reports.
But this piece alone does not create the complete plan. What is missing is what your child wants to study, what your child has built so far, and how far from home your child—or your family—is willing for your child to live while studying. What is also missing is what you can and want to pay once you have the actual aid letter in hand, not the sticker price.
From those three pieces together—the university, the student, and the family—comes a plan that can truly work for you. The numbers you have just read do not decide for you. They give you something with which to decide. And when it comes to a decision of this magnitude, that is already much more than most families have when they begin this journey.
Source note: the information in this article comes from data reported by the institution itself to the United States Department of Education's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), in different cycles and reports as indicated in each section. Best College Aid does not represent Lindenwood University or any government agency, and this article does not constitute personalized admission advice.