Viterbo University vs Buena Vista University

Viterbo University and Buena Vista University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Viterbo, a private Catholic university in La Crosse, Wisconsin, boasts a 90% acceptance rate and a diverse student body, with 43% male and 57% female students. Buena Vista, a private liberal arts university in Storm Lake, Iowa, has a slightly lower acceptance rate of 86% and a more balanced gender ratio, with 48% male and 52% female students. While Viterbo excels in nursing, education, and business, Buena Vista shines in business, education, and exercise science. Both universities offer a supportive learning environment with small class sizes, ensuring personalized attention for their students. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these universities' unique strengths and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Buena Vista University	Viterbo University
Overview
Location	Storm Lake, Iowa	La Crosse, Wisconsin
Campus setting	Town: Remote	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	4-1-4	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	73.0%	74.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation	Presbyterian	Catholic

Admission
Acceptance rate	66.0%	77.5%
Application fees
SAT range	963 - 1140	920 - 1290
ACT range	18 - 25	20 - 26
Students submitting SAT score	8.0%	3.0%
Students submitting ACT score	57.0%	48.0%
Total number of applicants	1,749	1,282
Total number of admissions given out	1,154	993
Admitted students who chose to enroll	237	261
Yield rate	20.5%	26.3%
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	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$53,162	$43,285
Average net price	$18,532	$20,512
Tuition	$37,518	$29,230
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,114 Meal plan: $5,256	Room/dormitory: $4,415 Meal plan: $5,450
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $31,137	100.0% Average amount $21,043
Students receiving federal student loan	72.0% Average amount $5,750	64.0% Average amount $5,588
Students taking out private loans	29.0% Average amount $5,551	9.0% Average amount $17,672

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,506 Men 36.5% Women 63.5%	1,660 Men 23.1% Women 76.9%
Graduate students	453 Men 16.3% Women 83.7%	860 Men 27.3% Women 72.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	39.4%	36.6%
International students	0.5%	1.6%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	836	753
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Iowa Texas Nebraska Minnesota Arizona	Wisconsin Minnesota Iowa Illinois California

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Business Psychology Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Computer and Information Science	Education Health Professions Business Liberal Arts Theology
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	11:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	62.8%	64.6%
Dropout rate	36.8%	35.4%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $58,501 Year 2: $58,943 Year 3: $61,003 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,278 Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $52,709 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $45,249 Year 2: $45,455 Year 3: $48,387 Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,936 Year 2: $43,426 Year 3: $46,768 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,901 Year 2: $47,494 Year 3: $46,501 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,530 Year 2: $35,416 Year 3: $45,327 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,042 Year 2: $40,089 Year 3: $45,181 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,301 Year 2: $39,369 Year 3: $44,742 Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,198 Year 2: $35,416 Year 3: $43,790 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,262 Year 2: $37,819 Year 3: $37,074	Educational Administration and Supervision (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $69,718 Year 2: $70,456 Year 3: $76,503 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $57,886 Year 2: $61,218 Year 3: $67,762 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,012 Year 2: $65,052 Year 3: $67,063 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $57,063 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $66,308 Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,085 Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $56,381 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $43,205 Year 2: $47,595 Year 3: $55,483 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $45,641 Year 2: $48,432 Year 3: $51,184 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $44,862 Year 2: $45,919 Year 3: $46,696 Social Work (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $41,937 Year 3: $45,656 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,093 Year 2: $36,848 Year 3: $37,394

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