College Azimuth

Research brief & institution hub

Valparaiso University

INMedium private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #677 nationally

Data snapshot Updated

Azimuth ranks Valparaiso University #677 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Who it’s a good fit for

Valparaiso University suits a student who wants a private nonprofit campus in Indiana with a health professions and engineering orientation. Return is well above average, while access and mobility sit modestly below average.

Graduates out-earn what predicts for students like them. The model attributes more of that gain to the factors it measures—field of study, enrollment, and the local labor market—than to what it cannot explain.

Aid recipients in the lowest income band pay well below the published cost, and the spread between the lowest and highest bands is wide. Pell students complete within a few points of the overall rate, so the gap is narrow even though access is modestly below average.

The admission rate is above the median for comparable schools, and most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study. A student drawn to the largest program, Nursing, should know that the best-paid one is a smaller program in Health Sciences.

Valparaiso University at a glance

Admissions and outcomes

Admission rate[1]
89.4%
Six-year completion[2]
70.4%
Four-year earnings[3]
$69,228

Cost and family borrowing

Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[6]
$15,279
Median student debt[4]
$26,942
Median Parent PLUS debt[7]
$28,500

Valparaiso University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[5]

Valparaiso University is a private nonprofit university in Valparaiso, Indiana, enrolling 2,083 undergraduates. Its composite standing in the Azimuth ranking sits near the middle of the field among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The four are spread out, with return as the strongest and access as the weakest. The university admits 89.4% of applicants, a rate above the median for comparable institutions of the same type and size, which is 71.2%.

Of students who start full time, 75.4% return for a second year, below the comparable median of 83.4%. The six-year graduation rate is 70.4%, slightly above the comparable median of 68.8%.

An estimated 16.0% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the six-year rate describes the first-time full-time cohort and not the full student body. The return pillar is the highest-scoring of the four, while access sits at the lowest.

Mobility and affordability fall between them. The shape is a private university where earnings outcomes are the strongest signal, and the other three pillars sit closer to the middle of the field.

Valparaiso University's strongest pillar is return on investment, where it sits in the 80th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That reflects graduates who earn about $7,268 more than the model expects for similar students, a result that places the university in the 77th percentile nationally for earnings beyond expectations.

The other pillars are more mixed. Mobility lands in the 38th percentile, and affordability in the 45th percentile.

Access is the weakest pillar, in the 28th percentile, which coincides with a Pell share of 27.3% of undergraduates.

27.3% of undergraduates at Valparaiso University receive Pell Grants. Enrolled students who submitted SAT scores posted a middle 50% band of 1,060 to 1,280.

The comparable ACT band was 23 to 31. Azimuth ranks the university #1,052 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Pell recipients complete at 67.3%, 3.1 percentage points below the overall six-year graduation rate (70.4%). Azimuth ranks the university #906 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $7,268 more than the model expects for similar students.

How value-added outcomes are assessed · How to interpret program rankings

Valparaiso University rankings in context
GeographyRank
National#677

Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group.

National pillar percentiles

Economic mobility
National percentile: 38
Access & reach
National percentile: 28
Affordability
National percentile: 45
Return on investment
National percentile: 80

01 / Valparaiso University briefing

Valparaiso University cost & financial aid[6][7]

Valparaiso University publishes a cost of attendance of $58,437, an average across living arrangements. Tuition and fees are $48,450 and room and board are $13,618.

After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients is $18,578, a savings of $39,859 against the sticker total. In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported that about 15.9% of full-time undergraduates pay more than the base tuition and fees.

That sits below the peer median of $27,371 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $8,793. Azimuth ranks the university #779 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

A net price below the peer median and a return pillar in the 80th percentile point the same way. The cost is lower than what comparable schools charge, and graduates' earnings are strong.

Valparaiso University publishes a cost of attendance of $58,437, an average across living arrangements. Tuition and fees are $48,450, and room and board are $13,618.

After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $11,043, rising to $15,279 for the $48,001–$75,000 band and $24,780 for families earning over $110,000. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $13,737, a difference of averages that reflects the university's aid structure.

Azimuth ranks the university #779 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Aid covers about 68% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, an offset of $39,859 against the sticker price.

The average net price across all aid recipients is $18,578, which sits below the peer median of $27,371 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $8,793. That gap means the typical aid package at Valparaiso brings the net cost below what students at similar private universities pay on average.

Among federal-loan borrowers who completed, the median federal student debt is $26,942. That median is above the peer median of $24,199 by $2,743, and 94.6% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans.

For a graduate at the median four-year earnings of $69,228, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $306 a month if repaid over ten years. Parents who take out Parent PLUS loans borrow a median of $28,500.

Your family income

Choose a household income range to see estimated net price.

Reported average annual net price · $48–75K$15,279

After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ.

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Borrowing and repayment at Valparaiso University

Borrowers who complete a degree at Valparaiso University leave with a median federal student debt of $26,942. 94.6% of federal aid recipients take federal loans.

That median is $2,743 above the $24,199 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Parent borrowers carry a median Parent PLUS loan of $28,500.

In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported that 66% of bachelor's graduates borrowed from any source, averaging $38,111 per borrower. 65% of graduates held federal loans averaging $23,755, including those who also took private loans. The private-loan share among all graduates was 19%, averaging $47,444.

The investment picture at Valparaiso University turns on a return that outpaces expectations, set against borrowing that runs a little above the peer median. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $69,228, in the 75th percentile nationally.

Graduates earn about $7,268 more than the model expects for similar students, an outcome at the 77th percentile. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, range from $51,926 in a downside case to $94,284 in an upside case, with $69,228 as the typical scenario.

Borrowers who finish carry a median of $26,942 in federal student loans, $2,743 above the $24,199 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $306 a month.

Median Parent PLUS borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $28,500. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $306.

How Financial GPS measures payment burden · The four risk-and-reward zones

Financial GPS

What does repayment look like?

Institution median student debt
$26,942
Institution Parent PLUS debt
$28,500

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

Estimated student payment · monthly
$306/mo
Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
$362/mo

Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.

Payment assumptions

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.

Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS
Read the full cost & aid brief

02 / Valparaiso University briefing

Valparaiso University career outcomes & earnings[3][8][9]

Valparaiso University's strongest pillar is return on investment, where Azimuth places the university in the 80th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Four years after completion, graduates earn a median of $69,228, in the 75th percentile.

That sits above the peer median of $68,250 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $978. Graduates earn about $7,268 more than the model expects for similar students, a result in the 77th percentile.

The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $6,242. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $1,026.

Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $3,446. A median that beats both the model and the peer set points to a return that holds up across comparisons.

Valparaiso University graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $69,228 four years after completion. The figure comes from 1,080 federally aided completers and places the median in the 75th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Graduates earn about $7,268 more than the model expects for similar students, a result that falls at the 77th percentile. The gap compares actual pay with what the model predicts for students from similar institutions and fields.

The earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix show how outcomes can vary by field. The downside scenario is $51,926, typical earnings are $69,228, and the upside scenario reaches $94,284.

An estimated 29.3% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix.

Four years after completion, Valparaiso University graduates earn a median of $69,228, which places the university in the 75th percentile nationally. That figure is above the peer median of $68,250 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $978.

Graduates earn about $7,268 more than the model expects for similar students, a result that sits in the 77th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $6,242.

The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $1,026. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $3,446.

Azimuth ranks the university #298 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix show a downside of $51,926 and an upside of $94,284.

The largest program, Nursing, awarded 147 degrees and shows median earnings of $81,278, which is 0.91x the national median for the field. Mechanical Engineering follows with 42 degrees awarded and earnings of $90,583.

The highest-earning program is Health Sciences, with 28 degrees awarded and median earnings of $115,095, 1.88x the national median for the field. Computer Engineering and Computer Science also rank among the top earners, with medians of $96,079 and $94,111 respectively.

The variation in earnings across Valparaiso University's 27 programs with published data is wide: earnings scenarios span from a downside of $51,926 to an upside of $94,284 four years after completion, with the typical scenario at $69,228. The highest-earning programs show the upper end of that spread.

Health Sciences completers earn a median of $115,095, Computer Engineering graduates reach $96,079, and Computer Science completers earn $94,111.

Graduates of Valparaiso University earn about $7,268 more than the model expects for similar students. That earnings strength coincides with a median federal student debt of $26,942 for borrowers who complete a degree.

That figure runs above the median of $24,199 for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, the estimated monthly payment on that debt is $306.

The average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $18,578, which is below the peer median of $27,371 by $8,793. Parent PLUS borrowers, a separate population, carry a median of $28,500.

Above-expected earnings and an average net price that undercuts the peer median point the same way. The return on investment pillar ranks in the 80th percentile nationally.

Borrowers who complete enter repayment with a debt load that is close to the peer norm despite the earnings advantage.

What explains value-added earnings?
Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.
+$6,242
Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.
+$1,026
Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.
+$7,268

These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

Read the full outcomes brief

03 / Valparaiso University briefing

Valparaiso University acceptance rate & admissions[1][10][11]

Valparaiso University admits 89.4% of applicants, a rate that sits well above the median of 71.2% for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported 5,906 applicants, 5,288 admitted students, and 517 enrolled first-year students.

SAT: approximate enrolled-student range
Admission rate
89.4%
Approximate lower endpoint
1060
Reported average
1178
Approximate upper endpoint
1280

Enrolled students who submitted scores. This range is not an admission cutoff. The endpoints add section percentiles; they are not verified composite-score percentiles. A separate SAT-equivalent average is not plotted as a median. Source: College Scorecard; sum of section 25th/75th percentiles; enrolled score-submitters.

Read the full admissions brief

04 / Valparaiso University briefing

What are the largest majors at Valparaiso University?[12]

Valparaiso University's program mix spans fields with sharply different earnings four years after completion, and the highest-earning programs are not always the largest. Health Sciences, the fifth-largest program with 28 degrees awarded, leads the university at $115,095.

Computer Engineering and Computer Science follow at $96,079 and $94,111, with 10 and 22 degrees awarded respectively. The largest program, Nursing, awarded 147 degrees and shows median earnings of $81,278, which sits below the engineering and computing fields.

Psychology lands at $58,104 on 39 degrees awarded. Biology reaches $61,072 on 36 degrees awarded.

The spread between these moderate-earning fields and the highest-earning field shows the earnings range across program choices.

Valparaiso University's strongest return on investment reflects a program mix where health professions and engineering account for more than four in ten bachelor's degrees. The largest program, Nursing, awarded 147 degrees and its completers earn a median of $81,278 four years after completion.

Mechanical Engineering follows with 42 degrees awarded and a median of $90,583, while Psychology awarded 39 degrees and shows a median of $58,104. The highest earnings come from Health Sciences, which awarded 28 degrees and shows a median of $115,095.

Computer Engineering awarded 10 degrees and its completers earn a median of $96,079. Computer Science awarded 22 degrees and shows a median of $94,111. The university publishes earnings data for 27 bachelor's programs.

With 147 degrees awarded a year, Nursing is the largest bachelor's program at Valparaiso University, followed by Mechanical Engineering at 42 and Psychology at 39. The university publishes four-year earnings data for 27 bachelor's programs, and 30.8% of degrees awarded are in STEM fields.

The broader family mix is led by Health Professions at 27.9% of degrees awarded, with Engineering at 14.4% and Business at 13.8%. Health Sciences graduates report the highest four-year earnings, at $115,095 from 28 degrees awarded a year, which is 1.88x the national median for its field.

Computer Engineering is next at $96,079, with 10 degrees awarded, and Computer Science at $94,111 from 22 degrees awarded. Mechanical Engineering earns $90,583 four years after completion, which is 0.98x the national median for its field.

Electrical Engineering follows at $87,944 from 12 degrees awarded. The highest earnings are concentrated in health sciences and engineering, while the largest program by volume, Nursing, sits below the national median for its field at 0.91x.

Four-year figures for fields where graduates often continue to graduate study may understate later trajectories.

Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 147 degrees awarded
$81,278
Mechanical Engineering 42 degrees awarded
$90,583
Psychology, General 39 degrees awarded
$58,104
Biology, General 36 degrees awarded
$61,072
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods 28 degrees awarded
$53,495
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General 28 degrees awarded
$115,095

Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings.

Read the full majors brief

05 / Valparaiso University briefing

How does Valparaiso University serve students from different backgrounds?

Valparaiso University's six-year graduation rate for the first-time full-time cohort is 70.4%, which exceeds the peer median of 68.8%—the midpoint among comparable institutions. Pell recipients in that cohort complete at 67.3%, a figure that sits below the overall rate by 3.1 percentage points.

The mobility pillar sits in the 38th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $7,268 more than the model expects for similar students, placing the earnings beyond expectations measure in the 77th percentile.

A graduation rate above the peer median and above-expected earnings point the same way for this university.

Valparaiso University, a private nonprofit university in Valparaiso, Indiana, admits 89.4% of applicants, a rate that runs well above the peer median of 71.2%—the midpoint among comparable institutions. Its 2,083 undergraduates include an estimated 16.0% who enter as transfers or part-time students, and Pell Grant recipients make up 27.3% of the student body.

Azimuth places the access pillar in the 28th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

06 / Valparaiso University briefing

What colleges are similar to Valparaiso University?[15]

Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. How matching works.

A shortlist for different decisions

Choose a row to compare the figures with Valparaiso University.

Admissions peerAndrews University81.9% admitted
Comparison with Valparaiso University
MeasureValparaiso UniversityAndrews University
Peer earnings · 4 years$69,228$60,517-$8,711 vs Valparaiso University
Average annual net price$18,578$12,547-$6,031 vs Valparaiso University · lower cost
Admission rate89.4%81.9%
Higher-admission alternativeAmerican International College99.6% admitted
Comparison with Valparaiso University
MeasureValparaiso UniversityAmerican International College
Peer earnings · 4 years$69,228$71,565+$2,337 vs Valparaiso University
Average annual net price$18,578$23,274+$4,696 vs Valparaiso University · higher cost
Admission rate89.4%99.6%
Nearby alternativeSaint Mary's CollegeNearby option · IN
Comparison with Valparaiso University
MeasureValparaiso UniversitySaint Mary's College
Peer earnings · 4 years$69,228$69,406+$178 vs Valparaiso University
Average annual net price$18,578$25,292+$6,714 vs Valparaiso University · higher cost
Admission rate89.4%76.0%
Explore Saint Mary's College →
Higher-earnings alternativeCal Poly Maritime Academy$108,757 earnings
Comparison with Valparaiso University
MeasureValparaiso UniversityCal Poly Maritime Academy
Peer earnings · 4 years$69,228$108,757+$39,529 vs Valparaiso University
Average annual net price$18,578$20,555+$1,977 vs Valparaiso University · higher cost
Admission rate89.4%95.0%
Explore Cal Poly Maritime Academy →
Lower-cost alternativePurdue University Northwest$6,079 average net price
Comparison with Valparaiso University
MeasureValparaiso UniversityPurdue University Northwest
Peer earnings · 4 years$69,228$73,337+$4,109 vs Valparaiso University
Average annual net price$18,578$6,079-$12,499 vs Valparaiso University · lower cost
Admission rate89.4%72.4%
Explore Purdue University Northwest →
Similar profileIndiana Wesleyan University-MarionMatched across several measures
Comparison with Valparaiso University
MeasureValparaiso UniversityIndiana Wesleyan University-Marion
Peer earnings · 4 years$69,228$68,838-$390 vs Valparaiso University
Average annual net price$18,578$22,866+$4,288 vs Valparaiso University · higher cost
Admission rate89.4%88.9%
Explore Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion →

Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable.

Read the full similar schools brief

Data scope & methodology

Structured payloads generated Governed hub narrative Governed spoke corpus

Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection.

Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them.

Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects.

Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.

Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations · About College Azimuth

Read the analysis behind value-added earnings and the change to four-year graduate earnings. These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com.

Data notes & source fields

Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation; notes with a different source link it below.

  1. Admission rate. Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability.

    Source fields: ADM_RATE

  2. Six-year completion. First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree.

    Source fields: C150_4

  3. Four-year institutional earnings. Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion.

    Source fields: MD_EARN_WNE_4YR

  4. Median federal student debt. Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students.

    Source fields: GRAD_DEBT_MDN

  5. National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks. Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ.

    Source fields: Azimuth rankings

    College Azimuth · Ranking methodology

  6. Annual net price by family income. Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers.

    Source fields: NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV

  7. Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration. Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance is 150% of the federal poverty guideline for one person, for the year the API serves. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. The parent table is the 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS as a share of household income above 200% of the guideline for a household of three: under 6% Safe, 6–10% Caution, over 10% High pressure. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations.

    Source fields: PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations

    College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology

  8. Downside and upside earnings; yellow band. The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median.

    Source fields: Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios

    College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology

  9. Value added and its components. Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

    Source fields: Azimuth statistical model

    College Azimuth · Value-added methodology

  10. SAT score range and reported midpoint. Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range.

    Source fields: SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG

  11. First-year retention. Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions.

    Source fields: RET_FT4

  12. Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots. Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity.

    Source fields: EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE

    College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation

  13. Pell recipients. Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year.

    Source fields: PCTPELL

  14. Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group. This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns.

    Source fields: 1 − PFTFTUG1_EF

  15. Peer earnings and signed differences. Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure.

    Source fields: Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR

    College Azimuth · Comparison methodology

How to interpret program rankings