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CollegeRanker
Private nonprofit La Crosse, WI · Urban · Great Lakes · 100% data
B Earnings B- Graduation C+ Selectivity
Graduation Rate
67% B-
Solid completion rate — most students graduate
Earnings (10yr)
$55,660 B
Well above the typical college graduate
Net Price
$21,260 D+
24% more than the typical college
Acceptance Rate
72% C+
Accessible to most qualified applicants
Earnings +36% vs avg
Graduation +17% vs avg
Net Price 24% vs avg
Mobility Top 88%

Bottom line: A C overall grade — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges. 12.8× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $12.8 over 20 years. Ranked #1 in Best Nursing Colleges in Wisconsin.

12.8× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $12.8 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,006,016.

What The Data Says

  1. A C overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.

  2. Earnings 36% above the national college median.

  3. Every $1 invested returns $12.8 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Why Viterbo University Matters

Viterbo University is a private university in La Crosse, WI and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: graduate earnings well above the typical college.

Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Private University
Carnegie Class
Master's University
Enrollment
1,249
Setting
Urban
Designations
30
Primary Strengths
Health Professions, Business & Marketing, Education, Visual & Performing Arts

Why students choose Viterbo University

Influential alumni network
High cross-class social capital and reach
Strength in Health Professions
Its most-awarded field of study

CollegeRanker Report Card

Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.

C
Top 53% overall
B
Earnings
$55,660 median
C
Value
2.6× net price
D+
Affordability
$21,260/yr net
B-
Graduation
67% graduate
F
Social Mobility
0.8% climb Q1→Q5
C+
Selectivity
72% admit rate
D
Diversity
0.35 index

Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.

How we grade →

Overview

At Viterbo University, you'll find a welcoming environment, especially for those interested in fields like Health Professions, Education, Business & Marketing, and the Arts. With an acceptance rate of 72%, it’s a school that embraces a diverse range of students. The community here is supportive, making it a good fit for individuals who thrive in collaborative settings and are looking for a balance between academic rigor and personal growth.

After graduation, students can expect to earn around $55,660 within a decade of leaving Viterbo. This figure highlights the potential for upward mobility, particularly for those who enter high-demand fields like health and education. Affordability plays a crucial role in this journey, as many students benefit from financial aid, which can ease the burden of college expenses. It’s encouraging to see that, despite the financial challenges, graduates can find stable careers that support their financial well-being.

When considering the financial aspects, the average net price after aid is $21,260, and the median debt stands at $25,000. This level of debt is relatively manageable for graduates entering the job market in their chosen fields. Students who tend to thrive here are often those who are proactive, engaged with their studies, and ready to connect with their peers and faculty. In this nurturing environment, it’s possible to pave a successful path forward without being overwhelmed by financial strain.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective Viterbo University is — and how your numbers stack up.

Tool

Will I Be Accepted?

Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.

3.0
Test Score
1050
21

Academics & Admissions

Is It Hard to Get Into Viterbo University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Based in La Crosse, Wisconsin, Viterbo University admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 72%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,190. The graduation rate is roughly 67%.

Acceptance Rate
72%
Retention Rate
76%
SAT Average
1190
ACT Midpoint
23
ACT Range
22–26
Full-Time Faculty
44%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$7,309
Student–Faculty Ratio
12:1
Diversity Index
0.35
First-Gen Students
28%
Applicants
1,401
Admitted
1,014

Inside the Admissions Office

School-reported Common Data Set · 2025-26

The acceptance rate tells you how hard Viterbo University is to get into. Its Common Data Set tells you what happens once you are admitted: how many students say yes, how many arrived without test scores, and whether applying early tilts the odds. 15% of admitted students go on to enroll here, making it a school most admitted students ultimately pass on.

Yield Rate
15%
of admits enroll
Submitted SAT
2%
of enrolled freshmen
Submitted ACT
41%
of enrolled freshmen

Test-optional, in practice. Only about 43% of enrolled freshmen submitted an SAT or ACT score, so a strong application without test scores is genuinely competitive here, not a long shot.

Source: Viterbo University's Common Data Set, 2025-26 View the source document on collegedata.fyi →

Can I Afford It?

What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.

Cost & Financial Aid

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Viterbo University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Viterbo University is $34,250, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $21,260. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $13,657 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $25,000 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$34,250
Out-of-State
$34,250
Avg Net Price
$21,260
Median Debt
$25,000
Pell Grant Rate
26%
Federal Loan Rate
58%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$13,657
Family Income $30K–$48K
$16,927
Family Income $48K–$75K
$16,463
Family Income $110K+
$26,365

What Happens After?

Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.

Students Like You

Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Viterbo University — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.

Compare schools in the full simulator →Sources: College Scorecard, Common Data Set, Opportunity Insights · today's dollars (CPI-adjusted) · descriptive, not predictive

Graduate Outcomes

Is Viterbo University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Viterbo University earn a median of $55,660, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.

6 Years After Entry
$56,804
8 Years
$57,601
10 Years
$55,660
Debt-to-Earnings
0.45x
Earning > $25K
72%

Earnings Trajectory

$56,804 6yr $57,601 8yr $55,660 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (162)
52%
100% (162)
52%
100% (162)
52%
100% (162)
52%

How Viterbo Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation67%Earnings 10yr$56KNet Price$21KRetention76%Median Debt$25KPell Grant Rate26%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$14K$0-30K$17K$30-48K$16K$48-75K$26K$110K+

The Mobility Equation

Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?

ACCESS% from bottom 20%6.0%SUCCESS% who reach top 20%13.3%MOBILITY0.80%

College ROI Calculator

Is Viterbo University Worth It?

A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.

Yes — for most students, Viterbo University delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $21,260/year ($85,040 total). Graduates earn $55,660 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,091,056 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,006,016 (12.8× your investment). The median debt is $25,000, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 67% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$85,040
Projected 20yr Earnings
$1,091,056
Net Return
$1,006,016
ROI Multiple
12.8×
Cost Per Year
$21,260
Median Debt
$25,000
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
67%

Does It Change Lives?

Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?

Social Mobility

Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records

Does Viterbo University Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Viterbo University is a measurable contributor to upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 0.80%, in line with strong performers nationally. About 6% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 13.3% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $78,200, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

Mobility Rate
0.80%
Bottom 20% → Top 20%
Success Rate
13.3%
If bottom 20% get in
From Bottom 20%
6.0%
Share of students
Parent Median Income
$106,246
today's $ (2015 cohort data)

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is Viterbo University? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Viterbo University. Its economic connectedness score is 1.70, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 6% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
1.70
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
-0.01
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
6.5%
Support Ratio
1.00
Community support

Research Note

267%
Low-income students at colleges in the top quartile of economic connectedness are 267% more likely to reach the top income quintile than peers at the least-connected schools.
Data from CollegeRanker’s review of 5,745 U.S. colleges (n=1,503). Quartile comparison of mean bottom-quintile success rate, split by economic connectedness (Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas × Mobility Report Card).

Institutional Finances

Data: NCES IPEDS

Federal Grants
$4,052,728
Investment Income
$-7,396,080

Top Programs

The fields Viterbo University awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.

Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Hard to Get Into Viterbo University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Based in La Crosse, Wisconsin, Viterbo University admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 72%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,190. The graduation rate is roughly 67%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Viterbo University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Viterbo University is $34,250, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $21,260. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $13,657 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $25,000 in federal student loans.

Is Viterbo University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Viterbo University earn a median of $55,660, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.

Does Viterbo University Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Viterbo University is a measurable contributor to upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 0.80%, in line with strong performers nationally. About 6% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 13.3% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $78,200, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

How Connected Is Viterbo University? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Viterbo University. Its economic connectedness score is 1.70, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 6% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Does Viterbo University offer Early Decision?

No. Viterbo University does not report a binding Early Decision plan (2025-26 Common Data Set).

Is Viterbo University really test-optional?

In practice, yes. Only about 43% of enrolled first-year students submitted an SAT or ACT score, so a strong application without test scores is genuinely competitive at Viterbo University (2025-26 Common Data Set).

What percentage of admitted students enroll at Viterbo University?

About 15% of admitted students choose to enroll at Viterbo University — its yield rate (2025-26 Common Data Set). Yield reflects how often a school wins when applicants weigh competing offers.

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The State of American Higher Education Outcomes for 2026 — report cover Download PDF

The 2026 Annual Report

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes

Every state graded on what graduates earn, how far they climb, and what college really costs — the hidden geography of economic mobility, in one report.

Free · 21 pages · 5,745 institutions · 100% federal data, no surveys