Bluffton University
Bluffton, OH · Private · Rural (distant)
Private institution in Bluffton, OH · 595 undergraduates · 61% acceptance rate · $49,547 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 20%Student-faculty ratio
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- $17,430855th cheapest of 1,969 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $36,2981,526th cheapest of 2,024 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $36,2981,479th cheapest of 2,024 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $50,5791,487th cheapest of 1,969 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $27,0001,593rd lowest of 1,865 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $49,5471,092nd highest of 1,954 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $41,9401,095th highest of 1,950 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 49.5%1,171st highest of 2,014 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 67.3%1,363rd highest of 1,837 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 61.2%421st most selective of 1,596 reporting
- Average SAT
- 1020895th highest of 1,022 reporting
- Median ACT
- —
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 5951,622nd largest of 2,144 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 10.0:1427th smallest of 2,141 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 37.4%818th highest of 2,122 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 96 mi (DTW)
On 1 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Applying
- Common App member
- Yes
- Application fee
- Free
- Personal essay
- Optional / not required
- Writing supplement
- No
Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 46 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human Resources Management and ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $43,240 | $38,289 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $42,682 | $38,289 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusiness | bachelors | $41,286 | $39,153 |
| MathematicsMathematics & Statistics | bachelors | $41,193 | — |
| Social WorkPublic Administration | bachelors | $36,131 | $33,637 |
| Special Education and TeachingEducation | bachelors | $35,060 | $35,060 |
| Health and Physical Education/FitnessParks, Recreation & Fitness | bachelors | $31,851 | $36,077 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsEducation | bachelors | $31,795 | $28,598 |
| Bible/Biblical StudiesTheology | bachelors | — | — |
| Biology, GeneralBiological Sciences | bachelors | — | — |
| ChemistryPhysical Sciences | bachelors | — | — |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and ServicesHealth Professions | bachelors | — | — |
Campus facts
- Religious affiliation: Mennonite Churchsource
- Founded in 1899source
- Athletic nickname: "Beavers"source
- Competes in NCAA Division IIIsource
- School colors: Whitesource
- Mascot: J. Denny and Jenny Beaversource
- Motto: "The Truth Makes Free"source
- Campus size: about 234 acressource
- Formerly known as "Central Mennonite College" (1899–1913)source
- Formerly known as "Bluffton College" (1913–2004)source
- Notable alum: Arthur Holly Comptonsource
- Notable alum: Phyllis Dillersource
Athletics — 9 sports
NCAA Division III with football · NCAA Division III
Athletic scholarships not allowed · Athletic aid $0 (M $0 · W $0)
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Football
- Golf
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming and Diving (combined)
- Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
- Volleyball
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport. Athletic scholarships are not allowed by association rule; non-athletic merit or need-based aid may still be available.
Similar-size colleges
Nearest undergraduate enrollment to Bluffton University’s 595 (College Scorecard UGDS, compiled 2026-10-24). Size only — not a judgment of similarity or quality.
In OH
- Wilberforce UniversityWilberforce, OH · 602 undergrads
- Mount Carmel College of NursingColumbus, OH · 573 undergrads
- Cleveland Institute of ArtCleveland, OH · 560 undergrads
- Ursuline CollegePepper Pike, OH · 630 undergrads
- Kettering CollegeKettering, OH · 543 undergrads
- Lourdes UniversitySylvania, OH · 668 undergrads
Elsewhere
Key links
- Official websitebluffton.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 201371)
- Compare colleges in OHRe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in OhioEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Compare with Wilberforce UniversitySide by side on every Scorecard measure — closest in-state school by enrollment
- Showdown: Bluffton University vs Wilberforce UniversityHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 9 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.