WHY CHOOSE WARTBURG

College is about more than just a degree.
It is an investment in your future.
The liberal arts education you will receive at Wartburg allows you to not only gain the skills required from your chosen field of study, but also the critical thinking skills required to explore the ethics of decision-making and community engagement, effective communication, cultural competence, and collaboration. 

The Wartburg educational experience will let you:

Snorkeling

Take a journey of discovery.
Spend a May Term or summer at Wartburg West in Denver, Colorado. Volunteer for a service trip to an inner city or a rural area struck by natural disaster. Study abroad. Join a club or two. Or three, if it fits you. 

Handbell Choir

Embrace your passions. 
Our professors are not only experts in their fields, they have other enriching interests: brewing beer, organic farming, and foster parenting, to name a few. They live what they love and want to help students lead similarly rich lives.

wrestling

Unlock your potential. 
This transformation starts with a tight-knit community that helps each person develop self-worth. Wartburg faculty and staff are ready to mentor you. They get to know you and cheer you on. With their support, you discover your potential and find the opportunities to unlock it.

Sanah Munir in the lab

Realize your purpose. 
Serve your community as a doctor. Serve as an innovator in your field. Serve the world as an advocate for those without hope. Wherever you are headed, Wartburg will be with you to help you realize your purpose.

Wartburg students experience:

Direct Interaction with professors.  Small colleges have many big advantages.  The biggest advantage is personal access to your professors.  You will meet your professors in small classes and in on-campus activities.  Plus, your faculty advisor is a Wartburg professor.

A tighter networking community.  Wartburg College graduates have a stronger network of friends.  It’s all about connections.  Networking always works better when you really know the people in your network.

22,000 ALUMNI IN
50 STATES & 70 COUNTRIES

Leadership and service.  Employers value well-rounded graduates.  The Wartburg leadership program indicates to potential employers that you will be a leader at work and in your community.

A Wartburg education is WORTH IT. And so are YOU!
Use the resources below to see how we rank and compare to other institutions.

One of five colleges to receive the Washington Center’s inaugural Higher Education Civic Engagement Award for service-learning and community engagement.

Named eight consecutive times to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, three times “with distinction,” in recognition of volunteer efforts by Wartburg students.

Wartburg was ranked 17th in the nation for short-term study abroad in the 2018 Open Doors Report, conducted in partnership with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Save Time and Money at Wartburg - Compare our Net Price over four years to five or six at a state university

Why compare five years at state schools to four years at Wartburg?
The reality for many students is it will take five years or more to earn a degree at a state university, according to national statistics. At Wartburg, 93 percent of our graduates complete their degree in four years. The average starting salary for a Wartburg graduate, according to the College Scorecard, is $45,400. 

Ave. State U. Net Price x5 yrs - $125,820
Ave. Wartburg Net Price x4 yrs - $85,400

That’s over $40,000 in REAL VALUE!

The state university cost is calculated based on the average cost of attendance for ISU, UNI, and Iowa for five years (College Navigator) plus $45,400 in missed income, which is the average starting salary for Wartburg graduates.

Wartburg total calculated based on the average net price at Wartburg for four years.

What is a Graduation Rate?
This can be a very confusing concept. Basically, this is the percentage of students who actually complete a degree at the institution. Most reports online will show a 6-year graduation rate, which is the percentage of full-time students who have received their bachelor’s degree within six years from start to finish at the same institution. At many universities a five-year graduation rate has become the norm. This is NOT true at Wartburg College. 

How does Wartburg compare with the Iowa regent universities?

INSTITUTION
4 YR RATE
6 YR RATE
Wartburg College
66%
70%
University of Iowa
51%
72%
University of Northern Iowa
38%
68%
Iowa State University
41%
71%

How does Wartburg compare with other Iowa private colleges?

INSTITUTION
4 YR RATE
6 YR RATE
Luther College
69%
77%
Wartburg College
66%
70%
Simpson College
62%
68%
Coe College
60%
67%
Central College
60%
67%
Loras College
57%
70%
Buena Vista University
43%
51%

Information based on latest information available – 2009 cohort