Bethany College vs Waldorf University

Bethany Lutheran College and Waldorf University, both located in Minnesota, offer distinct educational experiences for prospective students. Bethany Lutheran, a private liberal arts college, boasts a higher acceptance rate (85%) compared to Waldorf's 68%. While Bethany's student body is predominantly female (60%), Waldorf's is more evenly balanced with 52% female and 48% male students. Both institutions offer a range of popular majors, including nursing, business, and education, but Bethany has a higher graduation rate (62%) than Waldorf (48%). Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more key differences between these two institutions and make an informed decision about your higher education journey.
Bethany Lutheran College logo

Bethany Lutheran College

Waldorf University logo

Waldorf University

Overview

Location Mankato, Minnesota Forest City, Iowa
Campus setting City: Small Town: Remote
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (For Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 73.0% 46.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 61.5% 72.3%
Application fees $40
SAT range N/A N/A
ACT range N/A N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants 714 1,097
Total number of admissions given out 439 793
Admitted students who chose to enroll 199 192
Yield rate 45.3% 24.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $39,490 $36,380
Average net price $17,640 $21,483
Tuition $27,980 $22,434
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $3,840

Meal plan: $4,280
$8,062
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

100.0%
Average amount $21,117
95.0%
Average amount $14,314
Students receiving federal student loan 49.0%
Average amount $5,283
73.0%
Average amount $5,263
Students taking out private loans 15.0%
Average amount $9,790
10.0%
Average amount $10,090

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 781
Men 44.7% Women 55.3%
2,088
Men 61.5% Women 38.5%
Graduate students 17
Men 64.7% Women 35.3%
432
Men 62.3% Women 37.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students 38.9% N/A
International students 16.8% 2.0%
Campus local/setting City: Small Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity 547 591
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Minnesota Wisconsin Arizona South Dakota Florida N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Law Enforcement and Firefighting
  • Engineering Technologies
  • Health Professions
  • Psychology
Students to faculty ratio 12:1 24:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 62.7% 31.2%
Dropout rate 16.4% 62.3%
Transferred out 20.9% 6.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,098
  • Year 2: $38,289
  • Year 3: $41,290
Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $27,488
  • Year 3: $27,943
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $29,685
  • Year 3: N/A
Visual and Performing Arts, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $26,353
  • Year 3: N/A
Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $25,194
  • Year 3: N/A
Fire Protection (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,071
  • Year 2: $74,200
  • Year 3: $77,816
Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $44,915
  • Year 2: $37,208
  • Year 3: $46,542
Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $30,024
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $41,470
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $65,975
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $31,432
  • Year 2: $35,954
  • Year 3: N/A
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $50,817
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Fire Protection (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,267
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Homeland Security (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $54,510
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $52,459
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A

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