Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Valparaiso University, Augustana University, Taylor University. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | Valparaiso UniversityValparaiso, IN | Augustana UniversitySioux Falls, SD | Taylor UniversityUpland, IN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 89.4% | 67.8% | 73.5% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1060–1280 | 1150–1370 | 1070–1330 |
| Average net price | $18,57827.3% on Pell grants | $23,89417.8% on Pell grants | $24,86513.5% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $48,450Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $40,160Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $40,490Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 70.4% | 73.0% | 73.8% |
| First-year retention | 75.4% | 86.1% | 89.3% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 27.3% | 17.8% | 13.5% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $63,191 | $59,217 | $52,198 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $26,942 | $25,000 | $20,500 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 11:1 | 11:1 | 14:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,083 | 1,965 | 2,025 |
| Consensus percentile | 50Lower is better | 49Lower is better | 48Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 50 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 81 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 84 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Valparaiso University | Augustana University | Taylor University |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #198 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #13 of 165Regional univ. (Midwest)Regional Universities (Midwest) · 2026 | #3 of 94Regional colleges (Midwest)Regional Colleges (Midwest) · 2026 |
| Forbes | #323 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #443 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #392 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | #991 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #1026 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #866 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | #283 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #360 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #434 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #419 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #268 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #407 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Listed |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
Students comparing Valparaiso University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Augustana University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Taylor University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
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