Buena Vista University
Storm Lake, IA · Private · Town (remote) · BVU
Private institution in Storm Lake, IA · 1,378 undergraduates · 72% acceptance rate · $49,156 median earnings 10 years after entry.
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
- $18,321933rd cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $40,1901,656th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $40,1901,627th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $52,4901,551st cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $25,0001,246th lowest of 1,880 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $49,1561,121st highest of 1,969 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $43,572979th highest of 1,964 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 47.3%1,266th highest of 2,031 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 76.3%890th highest of 1,853 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 71.8%663rd most selective of 1,608 reporting
- Average SAT
- 1090706th highest of 1,024 reporting
- Median ACT
- 22605th highest of 954 reporting
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 1,3781,168th largest of 2,162 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 13.0:1993rd smallest of 2,159 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 42.5%611th highest of 2,140 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 184 mi (MSP)
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 51 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business/Commerce, GeneralBusiness | bachelors | $55,964 | — |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $41,789 | $47,494 |
| MarketingBusiness | bachelors | $40,821 | $35,416 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasEducation | bachelors | $40,621 | $39,369 |
| Human Resources Management and ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $40,089 | $43,426 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusiness | bachelors | $38,953 | $40,089 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $38,289 | $47,260 |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business OperationsBusiness | bachelors | $37,980 | $35,416 |
| Health and Physical Education/FitnessParks, Recreation & Fitness | bachelors | $37,208 | $39,009 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsEducation | bachelors | $36,647 | $37,819 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsHomeland Security & Law Enforcement | bachelors | $33,993 | $35,060 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, OtherMultidisciplinary Studies | bachelors | $31,650 | $30,047 |
Campus facts
- Religious affiliation: Presbyterian Church (USA)source
- Founded in 1891source
- Athletic nickname: "Beavers"source
- Competes in NCAA Division IIIsource
- School colors: Goldsource
- Mascot: Beaverssource
- Campus size: about 60 acressource
- Formerly known as "Buena Vista College" (1891–1995)source
- Fight song: ""Buena Vista Fight Song""source
Athletics — 11 sports
NCAA Division III with football · NCAA Division III
Athletic scholarships not allowed · Athletic aid $0 (M $0 · W $0)
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Football
- Golf
- Other Sports
- Soccer
- Softball
- Tennis
- Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
- Volleyball
- Wrestling
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.
Key links
- Official websitebvu.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 153001)
- Compare colleges in IARe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in IowaEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Showdown: Buena Vista University vs William Penn UniversityHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 11 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.