Valparaiso, IN · Private · 2,083 undergraduates · suburban
Valparaiso University
Less selective
Christ College, the university’s honors college, gives high-achieving students a distinctive liberal-arts seminar experience within a comprehensive university.
Institutional profile
Established Solid in mobility, and solid in career outcomes.- Admission
- 92.2% admitted
- Price by income
- Varies across five income ranges
- Completion
- 72.5%
6,133 applicants in the reported year
Compare recent average annual costs by household income
$63,191 median earnings 10 years after enrollment
What sets Valparaiso University apart
Academic design
The undergraduate curriculum balances major study with a broad core, while Christ College provides an intensive honors-college option for students seeking discussion-heavy interdisciplinary work. Professional programs sit alongside humanities, sciences and the arts.
Campus pattern
The campus is in the small city of Valparaiso, about an hour from Chicago and within reach of the Lake Michigan shoreline. Student life is largely campus-centered, with faith, service, athletics and organizations playing visible roles.
Defining feature
Christ College, the university’s honors college, gives high-achieving students a distinctive liberal-arts seminar experience within a comprehensive university.
Can I get in?
92.2% admitted
Start with academic preparation, then show why this particular academic and campus environment fits you.
Recent applicant pool
6,133About 92 in every 100 applicants were admitted.
Academic range
Of admitted students, 27% submitted an SAT, and 6% submitted an ACT. Treat the ACT range as a guide to the students who submitted that test, not to everyone admitted.
In the season card
Where your GPA sits in the entering class
The full entering-class GPA distribution for Valparaiso University, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.
See where I landIn the season card
What Valparaiso University weighs when it reads a file
See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.
- Course rigor
- GPA
- Test scores
- Essay
- Recommendations
- Extracurriculars
- Demonstrated interest
What moves the application
The evidence that separates a strong file
Show preparation for this curriculum
The undergraduate curriculum balances major study with a broad core, while Christ College provides an intensive honors-college option for students seeking discussion-heavy interdisciplinary work. Professional programs sit alongside humanities, sciences and the arts.
Make the fit specific
Christ College, the university’s honors college, gives high-achieving students a distinctive liberal-arts seminar experience within a comprehensive university.
Account for the tradeoff
Keep academic direction and school-specific choices coherent across the application.
How to apply
Rounds, route, and required materials
Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and make the school-specific case concrete.
Check eligibility for a fee waiver
Major and program admission
Some fields have their own entry path.
The college admit rate above covers the university as a whole. These requirements apply only to the named program.
NursingAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
Can I afford it?
Compare annual cost by household income.
Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.
In the season card
Average annual cost by household income at Valparaiso University
Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.
- $0–30k
- $30–48k
- $48–75k
- $75–110k
- $110k+
Is it worth it?
Completion, debt, and earnings
Christ College, the university’s honors college, gives high-achieving students a distinctive liberal-arts seminar experience within a comprehensive university.
Degree completion across the reported entering cohort
First-year students who return for year two
And what that comes to against what they earn.
Reported 10 years after enrollment
Academic portfolio
Largest bachelor’s fields
How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Admits separately
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General
Psychology, General
Mechanical Engineering
Biology, General
What is campus life like?
Valparaiso University beyond the classroom
The campus is in the small city of Valparaiso, about an hour from Chicago and within reach of the Lake Michigan shoreline. Student life is largely campus-centered, with faith, service, athletics and organizations playing visible roles.
A defining academic feature
The undergraduate curriculum balances major study with a broad core, while Christ College provides an intensive honors-college option for students seeking discussion-heavy interdisciplinary work. Professional programs sit alongside humanities, sciences and the arts.
What shapes an ordinary week
The campus is in the small city of Valparaiso, about an hour from Chicago and within reach of the Lake Michigan shoreline. Student life is largely campus-centered, with faith, service, athletics and organizations playing visible roles.
What changes the experience
Christ College, the university’s honors college, gives high-achieving students a distinctive liberal-arts seminar experience within a comprehensive university.