Students at Augustana College achieve strong long-term financial outcomes that place the institution among the top performers nationally for graduate earnings.
The college delivers particularly impressive results for low-income students while maintaining excellent affordability through generous financial aid across all income levels.
Augustana College delivers exceptional long-term value despite its higher sticker price, combining the personalized attention of a small liberal arts college with outcomes that rival much larger institutions. Located in Rock Island, Illinois, this private college serves about 2,500 students and maintains a selective admissions profile while achieving strong financial returns for graduates. The institution excels particularly in preparing students for careers in business, technology, and health-related fields.
What sets Augustana apart is its ability to generate strong earnings outcomes across diverse academic programs. Graduates earn a median of $62,971 ten years after enrollment, placing the college in the 80th percentile nationally for long-term earnings. This performance reflects both the quality of academic preparation and the strength of career services and alumni networks that help students transition successfully into their chosen fields.
As a "Selective Achievers" institution, Augustana combines academic rigor with practical career preparation. The college maintains high graduation rates and delivers particularly strong outcomes for students in STEM fields and business programs. While access is more limited than at public institutions, students who enroll benefit from small class sizes, close faculty mentorship, and comprehensive support systems that contribute to both academic success and career readiness.
Augustana College's academic programs demonstrate the institution's commitment to both liberal arts breadth and career-focused preparation. Biology dominates the program portfolio with 99 graduates, serving as the college's largest major and generating the highest aggregate economic return. This reflects Augustana's strength in pre-professional preparation, with many Biology graduates continuing to medical school, graduate programs, or research careers that build on their undergraduate foundation.
Computer Science, while smaller with 22 graduates, delivers the highest individual earnings at $54,748, demonstrating the program's alignment with high-demand technology careers. Business Administration, graduating 52 students with median earnings of $47,148, provides solid preparation for corporate and entrepreneurial roles. Psychology rounds out the major programs with 53 graduates, offering foundation skills for counseling, social work, and graduate study.
The college's program mix reflects a classic liberal arts approach that balances intellectual breadth with practical career preparation. Students benefit from small class sizes, close faculty mentorship, and comprehensive career services that help translate academic learning into professional success. This combination of personalized attention and career focus helps explain why Augustana graduates achieve strong earnings outcomes across diverse fields of study.
Augustana College graduates achieve strong long-term financial outcomes that justify the institution's higher upfront investment. Ten years after enrollment, graduates earn a median of $62,971, placing the college in the 80th percentile nationally for earnings performance. This solid earning power reflects the college's success in preparing students for competitive career paths and maintaining strong employer relationships across multiple industries.
The college's program mix drives much of this financial success. Computer Science stands out as the highest-earning major, with graduates earning $54,748 early in their careers, demonstrating the program's alignment with high-demand technology roles. Business Administration graduates earn $47,148, reflecting strong preparation for management and corporate positions. Even traditionally lower-earning fields like Biology show solid outcomes at $25,774, often serving as stepping stones to graduate school or professional programs in medicine and research.
Biology represents Augustana's largest program by total economic impact, graduating 99 students with strong aggregate returns that reflect both program scale and career preparation quality. Psychology, the second-largest program with 53 graduates, provides a foundation for careers in counseling, social work, and graduate study. The college's ability to deliver strong outcomes across this diverse program portfolio demonstrates the value of its liberal arts approach combined with practical career preparation.
Augustana College's affordability story varies significantly by family income, reflecting the institution's commitment to making education accessible across economic backgrounds. Low-income students pay approximately $15,549 annually after aid, while middle-income families see net costs around $17,567 per year. Surprisingly, high-income families often pay just $6,658 annually, suggesting merit-based aid that rewards academic achievement regardless of financial need.
The college's financial aid strategy appears designed to attract high-achieving students across income levels while maintaining accessibility for lower-income families. This approach helps explain why Augustana can maintain both academic selectivity and reasonable affordability for most students. The institution's strong endowment and alumni giving likely support this generous aid structure, allowing the college to compete effectively with both public universities and peer private institutions.
Debt levels reflect this balanced approach to pricing and aid. Students typically graduate with $27,000 in federal loans, a manageable amount given the strong earning outcomes. Parent PLUS borrowing averages $30,000, indicating that many families choose to invest directly in their students' education. With graduates earning nearly $63,000 ten years out, most borrowers can handle standard repayment comfortably while building long-term financial security.
Augustana College Hub Overview
Executive summary with admissions, cost, outcomes, and program analysis
