Buena Vista University
Storm Lake, IA · Private
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See the full analysis — freeAdmission rate
Buena Vista University admitted 77.6% of applicants university-wide (1,078 of 1,389).
| Cohort | Admit rate | Admitted | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| University-wide | 77.6% | 1,078 | 1,389 |
| Men | 79.7% | 515 | 646 |
| Women | 77.5% | 527 | 680 |
Of 1,078 admitted students, 223 enrolled (20.7% yield).
Buena Vista University U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections C1–C2 · 2023 — Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.
Test scores and GPA of admitted students
- SAT (mid-50%)
- 1030–1220
- ACT (mid-50%)
- 19–26
- GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
- 3.00–3.74
Testing policy: Test-optional (considered if submitted)
Buena Vista University U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections C9–C12 · 2023 — Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.
Cost and financial aid
Published cost of attendance: $59,217/yr.
| Out-of-state tuition | $41,798 |
| Fees, housing, food, books & other | $17,419 |
| Sticker cost of attendance | $59,217/yr |
Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)
| Under $30k | $12,901 |
| $30k–48k | $14,838 |
| $48k–75k | $18,094 |
| $75k–110k | $19,571 |
| Over $110k | $24,967 |
US applicants
Need- and merit-based aid available.
- Presidential Scholarship — $25,000 per year (Presidential)
- Dean's Scholarship — $22,000 per year (Merit)
- Faculty Scholarship — $20,000 per year (Merit)
- Transfer Merit Scholarship — Up to $20,000 per year (Merit)
- Achievement Award — $18,000 per year (Merit)
- Transfer Achievement Award — Up to $16,000 per year (Merit)
- Trustee Scholarship — $16,000 per year (Trustee)
- Founder's Scholarship — $12,000 per year (Merit)
- Transfer Grant — Up to $12,000 per year (Merit)
- Academic Excellence Scholarship — $10,000 per year (Merit)
- University Grant — $10,000 per year (Merit)
- Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship — $1,000 per year (Merit)
International applicants
No need-based aid reported for internationals.
- International Student Scholarship — Up to $25,000 per year (International Aid)
- Presidential Scholarship — $25,000 per year (Presidential)
- Dean's Scholarship — $22,000 per year (Merit)
- Faculty Scholarship — $20,000 per year (Merit)
- Transfer Merit Scholarship — Up to $20,000 per year (Merit)
- Achievement Award — $18,000 per year (Merit)
- Transfer Achievement Award — Up to $16,000 per year (Merit)
- Trustee Scholarship — $16,000 per year (Trustee)
- Founder's Scholarship — $12,000 per year (Merit)
- Transfer Grant — Up to $12,000 per year (Merit)
- Academic Excellence Scholarship — $10,000 per year (Merit)
- University Grant — $10,000 per year (Merit)
Buena Vista University U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections G–H · 2023
Application requirements
US applicants
- Online Application or Common Application
- High School Transcript
- SAT or ACT Scores (optional)
International applicants
- Online Application or Common Application
- High School Transcript
- SAT or ACT Scores (optional)
- English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
- GPA credential conversion
- Predicted Class XII marksheet
- Financial documentation (I-20)
Buena Vista University · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025
Essay prompts
Buena Vista University requires no supplemental essays.
Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 3, 2026
Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings
- $49,156
- Median earnings · 10 years after entry
- Graduation rate
- 61.7%
- Within 150% of normal time
- First-year retention
- 76%
- Return for year two · CDS Section B
- Median debt
- $25,000
- At graduation
Buena Vista University · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023 — Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.
Academics and campus
Largest degree fields: Business & marketing (22%), Psychology (5%), Biological & life sciences (5%).
Student–faculty ratio: 13:1 · 54% of class sections have under 20 students.
Buena Vista University U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections E, F, I · 2023 — Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.