Augustana University

Overview of Augustana University

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When Augustana students aren't hitting the books, they like to expand their education by exploring the abundant campus resources. For the active student, there are ample opportunities to participate in competitive sports at the intramural and club sport levels. Intramural sports include archery, badminton, pickleball, spikeball, and walleyball. For those who need more competition, sport clubs include those in ultimate frisbee, soccer, rugby, and even a bicycle club that is non-competitive, but which instills a sense of community among cyclists.

The hub of campus recreation is the Elmen Center which is home to a 25-yard swimming pool, two racquetball courts, loads of fitness equipment, and both basketball and volleyball courts. For students who are burning the midnight oil, there are late-night activities, too. Events include a haunted house at Halloween, carnival in November, miniature golf, and a block party in May. Schedules are subject to change, but the recreation services staff always has something creative to offer.

Top Rankings For Augustana University

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Augustana University Acceptance Rate and Admissions

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Augustana University Tuition Cost & Financial Aid

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Augustana University is a private, non-profit institution of higher education. As such, its tuition costs are not subsidized by the state of South Dakota. This results in higher costs, yet students receive a high value education in return. In fact, a year of courses at AU costs students and their families around $36,000. On top of this, students pay around $1,000 for books, supplies, and other academic fees. Once room, board, and other costs of living are tallied, a full year at AU for an on-campus student is $52,000. Off-campus students pay a bit more for their apartment living and thus face gross costs of $54,000.

However, the financial aid office is able to help ameliorate these gross educational costs. Once they help students find grants and scholarships, the net price goes down significantly. In fact, the financial aid office is able to produce an average net cost that is about half the gross price. The average net price at AU is thus $24,000. This means that the lowest income students face costs of around $19,000 per year while families who earn more than $110,000 pay $27,000.

Sticker Price

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Academics

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Augustana University's relatively small size does not translate into meager academics. On the contrary, this private, non-profit institution graduates some of South Dakota's top scholars. The school enjoys a glowing reputation and researchers have found that reputation has grounding in the school's educational statistics. AU's retention rate, graduation rate, and student-to-faculty ratio all point to strong academics and a lifetime of achievement for graduates.

A school's retention rate is a very important statistic. It measures how many first-time, full-time students return to campus for a second year. When a high number return, its assumed that those students and their families are all happy with the school's curricula, faculty, and campus resources. Since AU reports a stellar retention rate of 84%, it's easy to see that students place a high value on their time at AU.

This enthusiasm is also reflected in the graduation numbers. Naturally, the higher the graduation rate, the higher the school is esteemed by researchers. Since AU reports a 72% graduation rate, it's clear that students are happy with the academics. On top of this great number, AU reports a 21% transfer-out rate. Since students tend to transfer in order to find specific programs or for other academic reasons, these students often graduate from another institution. Thus, AU provides them a strong foundation for learning and success. At the end of the day, approximately 93% of incoming AU students will likely graduate either on the AU campus or elsewhere.

Student Population Total

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Outcome & Salary

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Augustana University's high value education produces well-trained minds that are primed to thrive in the working world. They also tend to be strong earners. Of those who report their entry-level earnings, the registered nursing students report the top median salary among AU's alumni. AU nurses start their careers earning around $58,000. At the lower end, special education and teacher trainee graduates start in schools earning $39,000. In the middle, business administration students start work earning $44,000 before their bonuses and benefits are tallied.

Photos & Videos

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