Doctoral/ProfessionalPrivate nonprofitHSI

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Great Lakes·aurora.edu
6-yr Graduation
60%
-4.0pp vs Doctoral/Professional
Total enrollment
5,923
peer median 3,900
Avg net price
$18,838
-$2.5k vs Doctoral/Professional
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AboutAdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR OfficeCommon Data SetDocumentsGrants

About

Aurora University (AU) is a private university in Aurora, Illinois, United States. Established in 1893 as a seminary of the Advent Christian Church, the university has been independent since 1971. Approximately 6,200 students are enrolled in the university's undergraduate and graduate programs. It was a women's college from 1893 until 1960.

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

IPEDS
Applied
5,384
5,384 candidates competed
Admitted
4,353
80.9% acceptance rate
Enrolled
677
15.6% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
60%-4.0pp vs Doctoral/Professional
4-year graduation
50%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
60%
Full-time retention
77%

Pell equity

6.5pp gap
Pell recipients
57%214 of 375
Non-Pell (all)
63%245 of 386
Subsidized loan, no Pell
61%108 of 176
No Federal Aid
65%137 of 210

Non-Pell students graduate at a 6.5-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 65 Title IV programs, 25 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 40 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
65
Passing
25
38.5% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

65programs
  • Passing25 · 38.5%
  • No Data40 · 61.5%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
0
Safe
25
No data
40

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

25
Ethnic Cultural Minority Gender and Group Studies
Bachelor Degree · Area, Ethnic, Cultural, And Gender Studies
+28.7%
$44,786 vs $34,808
Business Administration Management and Operations
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+29.2%
$81,740 vs $63,250
Social Work
Master's Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
+33.7%
$61,710 vs $46,158
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
+33.9%
$46,609 vs $34,808
Accounting and Related Services
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+34.2%
$84,867 vs $63,250
Special Education and Teaching
Master's Degree · Education
+38.2%
$64,110 vs $46,391
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Bachelor Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
+42.1%
$49,471 vs $34,808
Communication and Media Studies
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
+43.9%
$50,079 vs $34,808

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

23
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Bachelor Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
54%
$26,759 debt · $49,471 earn
Special Education and Teaching
Master's Degree · Education
54%
$34,454 debt · $64,110 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
52%
$24,197 debt · $46,609 earn
Social Work
Master's Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
50%
$30,621 debt · $61,710 earn
Ethnic Cultural Minority Gender and Group Studies
Bachelor Degree · Area, Ethnic, Cultural, And Gender Studies
49%
$21,818 debt · $44,786 earn
Biology General
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
47%
$24,708 debt · $52,159 earn
Social Work
Bachelor Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
44%
$24,192 debt · $55,546 earn
Communication and Media Studies
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
43%
$21,581 debt · $50,079 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1938Next review Aug 2023

Programmatic accreditations · 5

Action history · 3

  1. Feb 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    Higher Learning Commission
  2. Apr 2020Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
  3. May 2018Loss of Accreditation or Preaccreditation: Voluntary Withdrawal
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the graduate degree levels

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$14,525
$30–48k$14,089
$48–75k$15,431
$75–110k$19,300
$110k+$24,595

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$18,838
-$2,485vs Doctoral/Professional median $21,323
Federal loans
47.4%
In-state tuition
$29,170
Out-of-state
$29,170

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 2,401 students received $13.7M in Pell grants, alongside $42.6M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
2,401
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$13.7M
$13,739,091 total
Direct Loans
$42.6M
5,490 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

2k
’20
2k
’21
2k
’22
2k
’23
2k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$7.3M
1,721 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$7.7M
1,853 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$22.2M
1,482 loan awards
Parent PLUS$3.7M
250 loan awards
Grad PLUS$1.6M
184 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 1,831 borrowers who entered repayment, 30 (1.6%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
1.6%
-0.7pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
1,831
Defaulted
30
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
4.8%
2017
4.4%
2018
4.2%
2019
1.6%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Aurora

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs49
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

2,153 total completions
01Public Admin
73534.1%
02Business
40919.0%
03Health Professions
33715.7%
04Education
28113.1%
05Psychology
1125.2%
06Security/Protective
894.1%
07Parks/Recreation
853.9%
08Computer Sciences
411.9%
09Biological Sciences
371.7%
10Communication
271.3%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
5,923
12-mo unduplicated
7,303
Undergraduate
4,629
Graduate
2,674

Gender split

Men
27%1,951
Women
73%5,352

Race / ethnicity composition

Hispanic
42.5%
White
38.7%
Black
6.3%
Unknown
5.3%
Asian
3.2%
Two or more
3.1%
Non-resident
0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
553
367 M · 186 W
Women athletes
33.6%
Athletic aid
$0
Total student aid
Budget
$6.2M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$0
$0
Recruiting expense
$68K
$45K
Head-coach salaries
$64K
$50K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 14

Football
138 M · —
$711K
Lacrosse
50 M · 24 W
$458K
Track and Field (Indoor)
37 M · 32 W
$169K
Track and Field (Outdoor)
36 M · 29 W
$169K
Soccer
39 M · 21 W
$299K
Volleyball
24 M · 26 W
$417K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
0.51
3 offenses · 5,935 students

3-year trend

0.162 yrs ago0.001 yr ago0.51Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
4
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
4
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

Rape
2
Fondling
1

By location

3total
  • On campus2
  • Non-campus1

Includes 2 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

3
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
0
Stalking
3 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs00
Liquor015

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
18.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
125

Aurora vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Aurora selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectAurora University
60%—5,923$18,838Doctoral/Professional
Benedictine University
50%95.2%2,917$22,313Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Bradley University
76%76.8%4,777$22,719Doctoral/Professional
Carroll University
71%66.8%3,138$15,193Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Carthage College
64%87.1%2,844$26,565Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Concordia University-Chicago
36%92.8%4,770$18,436Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Concordia University-Wisconsin
69%78.2%5,253$36,201Doctoral/Professional
Dominican University
55%90.3%3,803$11,745Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Elmhurst University
70%73.6%3,997$24,185Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Lewis University
67%71.3%7,011$17,028Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Marian University
67%95.5%3,486$24,018Doctoral/Professional
North Central College
64%77.3%3,003$21,044Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Saint Xavier University
57%84.3%3,485$10,970Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
University of Indianapolis
56%66.5%5,000$21,602Doctoral/Professional
Peer group median64%78.2%3,900$21,323

Institutions like Aurora

Explore the federal data for institutions in Aurora's comparison group.

IPEDS

Aurora Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Decision Support
Phone
630-892-6431
Address
347 S. Gladstone Ave. Aurora, Illinois 60506-4892

The Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Decision Support coordinates the university’s institutional effectiveness evaluation and assessment processes; supports institutional data literacy; directs institutional research; and provides university analytics and reporting.

Visit IR office page

Common Data Set

Aurora's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.

Acceptance rate
80.8%
Accessible
Yield
15.6%
of admitted students enroll
Total enrollment
5,923
4,106 UG · 1,817 grad
6-yr graduation rate
60%
First-year retention
77%
Student–faculty ratio
18 to 1
Est. net price (aided)
$8,541
after avg need-based grant
01

Selectivity & Admissions

Admissions funnel

C1
Applied
5,381
Admitted
4,351
Enrolled
678

5,381 applied → 4,351 admitted (80.8%) → 678 enrolled.

Selectivity

C1
Acceptance rate
80.8%

Accessible — 80.8% acceptance rate.

Admit rate by gender

C1
men79.8%
women81.6%
another gender76.7%

Admit rate varies by gender.

SAT range (middle 50%)

C9
25th
900
Median
1045
75th
1160

Middle 50% SAT 900–1160 (median 1045).

ACT range (middle 50%)

C9
25th
21
Median
26
75th
29

Middle 50% ACT 21–29 (median 26).

What matters in admission

C7
Very Important2
Rigor of secondary school recordAcademic GPA
Considered3
Class rankApplication EssayRecommendation(s)
Not Considered1
Standardized test scores

Relative importance of each admission factor.

02

Affordability & Value

Cost of attendance

G
Total$33,114
Tuition
$29,60089%
Fees
$3701%
Books
$1,2004%
Other
$1,9446%

Total sticker cost of attendance is $33,114 (2025-2026).

Sticker vs. net price

G+H
Sticker COA
$33,114
Net (aided)
$8,541
Avg need grant
$24,573

Sticker $33,114 → about $8,541 net for aided students after the average need-based grant ($24,573); 88% of demonstrated need is met.

Where grant aid comes from

H1
Institutional52.6%
State25.8%
Federal20.8%
External0.9%

53% of need-based grant dollars come from the institution itself.

Graduate debt

H4/H5
Grads with debt
64%
Avg debt
$24,250

64% of graduates borrowed; those who did owed $24,250 on average.

03

Outcomes & Equity

Graduation & retention

B
6-yr grad rate
60%
Retention
77%

6-year graduation rate 60%; first-year retention 77%.

Equity: Pell graduation gap

B4
All students60%
Pell recipients57%

Pell-grant recipients graduate 3 pts below the overall rate (57% vs 60%).

04

Academic Experience

Class-size distribution

I3
2-9 students33
10-19 students97
20-29 students177
30-39 students94
40-49 students30
50-99 students19
100+ students0

29% of classes have under 20 students; 4% have 50+.

Faculty profile

I
Student–faculty ratio
18 to 1
Women faculty
69%

Key faculty indicators.

Degrees by discipline

J
Business/marketing24.6%
Health professions and related programs22.9%
Public administration and social services15.4%
Psychology7.1%
Education5.2%
Parks and recreation5.1%
Homeland Security, law enforcement, firefighting, and protective services4.8%
Computer and information sciences2.7%

STEM-dominant: ~5% of bachelor's degrees are in computing, engineering, math & sciences.

05

Student Body & Diversity

Undergraduate race/ethnicity

B2
hispanic42.5%
white38.7%
black6.3%
unknown5.2%
asian3.2%
two_or_more_races3.1%
nonresident0.8%
american_indian0.1%
native_hawaiian0.1%

Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity.

International students

B2
International UG
32
Share
1%

1% of undergraduates are international (nonresident).

Undergrad vs graduate

B1
Undergraduate
4,10669%
Graduate
1,81731%

4,106 undergraduates and 1,817 graduate students.

06

Transfer Path

Transfer admissions

D1
Applied
1,049
Admitted
1,016
Enrolled
591

1,049 transfer applicants → 1,016 admitted (96.9%) → 591 enrolled

Source publications

Reports & documents (1)

Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.

Grants & funding (1)

Federal grant awards and open funding opportunities awarded to this institution.

USA Spending

Frequently asked questions about Aurora University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Aurora.

What is the graduation rate at Aurora University?

Aurora University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 60% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Aurora University?

Aurora University reports a total enrollment of 5,923 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Aurora University?

The average net price at Aurora University is $18,838 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Aurora University?

Aurora University's yield rate is 15.6%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Aurora University located?

Aurora University is located in Aurora, Illinois 60506-4892.

Who runs Institutional Research at Aurora University?

Aurora University's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Decision Support.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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