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Is Dordt University worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Dordt, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Stretch
Dordt sits in the stretch band for a typical family. The long-run earnings picture at $52,559 helps, but median debt of $21,500 plus yearly net price of $25,807 creates a tighter path. For context, Dordt's net price runs about 22% above 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
$27,925
/yrAverage school like this
$22,837
/yrThis weighs on your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $5,088 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $20,000 in extra cost.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price is manageable, but it makes the aid offer matter a lot.
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
$25,807
Median earnings 10 years out
$52,559
Median debt at graduation
$21,500
Graduation rate
68%
At Dordt, a typical graduate carries about $21,500 in student debt and earns roughly $52,559 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $244 per month, or 6% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
How earnings compare to a high school diploma
Graduates earn $10,759 more than the typical high school graduate ($41,800) ten years after entering this school. A federal rule finalized in July 2026 ties undergraduate student-loan eligibility to a comparison like this one, with the first calculations expected in 2027.
80% of former students here out-earned that benchmark ten years after entry, per College Scorecard.
Context, not a federal determination: the official test will use earnings measured four years after completion and thresholds the Department of Education has not yet published, which may vary by state. Our figure is College Scorecard median earnings ten years after entry. How this works
What this means for your family
Dordt is a private nonprofit four year school in Sioux Center, 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
Northwestern
Orange City, IA
Worth-It Score: 50/100
Median net price: $25,907
Private nonprofit 4-year
Mercy College of Health Sciences
Des Moines, IA
Worth-It Score: 55/100
Median net price: $26,924
Private nonprofit 4-year
Saint Ambrose
Davenport, IA
Worth-It Score: 59/100
Median net price: $24,691
Private nonprofit 4-year
Clarke
Dubuque, IA
Worth-It Score: 53/100
Median net price: $24,479
Private nonprofit 4-year
Briar Cliff
Sioux City, IA
Worth-It Score: 49/100
Median net price: $23,907
Common questions about Dordt
The median net price at Dordt is $25,807 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 →
Now work out how to pay for it, cheapest money first.
A Worth-It Score tells you whether the price is justified. The 2026-27 funding guide covers the borrowing order, what changed on July 1, 2026, and the current limits.
Open the 2026-27 funding guide →