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Is Buena Vista University worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Buena Vista, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Stretch
Buena Vista sits in the stretch band for a typical family. The long-run earnings picture at $49,156 helps, but median debt of $25,000 plus yearly net price of $18,846 creates a tighter path. For context, Buena Vista's net price is about 20% below the typical 4-year, private nonprofit school. It can work, but the financing plan has to be deliberate.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 1237 similar 4-year, private nonprofit schools
This school
$18,156
/yrAverage school like this
$22,837
/yrThis helps your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $4,681 less per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $19,000 in savings.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price sits in a range that leaves more room for family cash flow and lower borrowing.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data does not create enough margin to fully offset the cost.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$18,846
Median earnings 10 years out
$49,156
Median debt at graduation
$25,000
Graduation rate
54%
At Buena Vista, a typical graduate carries about $25,000 in student debt and earns roughly $49,156 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $284 per month, or 7% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
What this means for your family
Buena Vista is a private nonprofit four year school in Storm Lake, IA. Private pricing can swing more dramatically based on aid, so your personalized score matters more here than the national average view alone.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
Private nonprofit 4-year
Coe
Cedar Rapids, IA
Worth-It Score: 65/100
Median net price: $18,745
Private nonprofit 4-year
Graceland University-Lamoni
Lamoni, IA
Worth-It Score: 49/100
Median net price: $18,504
Private nonprofit 4-year
Waldorf
Forest City, IA
Worth-It Score: 49/100
Median net price: $19,693
Private nonprofit 4-year
Mount Mercy
Cedar Rapids, IA
Worth-It Score: 63/100
Median net price: $20,168
Private nonprofit 4-year
Grinnell
Grinnell, IA
Worth-It Score: 83/100
Median net price: $17,648
Common questions about Buena Vista
The median net price at Buena Vista is $18,846 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at private colleges options in Iowa? See the most affordable private colleges in Iowa →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →