Doctoral/ProfessionalPrivate nonprofit

Bethel University

Saint Paul, Minnesota·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Plains·bethel.edu
6-yr Graduation
71%
+2.0pp vs Doctoral/Professional
Total enrollment
3,603
peer median 3,756
Avg net price
$28,556
+$4.8k vs Doctoral/Professional
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AdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR OfficeCommon Data Set

Admissions & acceptance rate

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

IPEDS
Applied
1,754
1,754 candidates competed
Admitted
1,540
87.8% acceptance rate
Enrolled
415
26.9% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

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

IPEDS
Overall completion
71%+2.0pp vs Doctoral/Professional
4-year graduation
63%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
71%
Full-time retention
86%

Pell equity

18.7pp gap
Pell recipients
57%78 of 138
Non-Pell (all)
76%356 of 470
Subsidized loan, no Pell
73%164 of 226
No Federal Aid
79%192 of 244

Non-Pell students graduate at a 18.7-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 82 Title IV programs, 24 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 1 fails. 57 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
82
Passing
24
29.3% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
1
1.2% of portfolio
Fail rate
1.2%
+0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

82programs
  • Passing24 · 29.3%
  • No Data57 · 69.5%
  • Failing1 · 1.2%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
1
Recoverable
0
At Risk
1
Watch
1
Safe
22
No data
57

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
Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries
Master's Degree · Theology And Religious Vocations
-13.0%
$38,749 vs $44,535
Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology
Master's Degree · Psychology
+8.8%
$52,936 vs $48,653
Theological and Ministerial Studies
Master's Degree · Theology And Religious Vocations
+22.1%
$54,390 vs $44,535
Education General
Master's Degree · Education
+28.8%
$59,738 vs $46,391
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
+30.3%
$47,556 vs $36,491
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Subject Areas
Bachelor Degree · Education
+42.1%
$51,866 vs $36,491
Social Sciences General
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
+45.0%
$52,907 vs $36,491
Special Education and Teaching
Master's Degree · Education
+45.7%
$67,614 vs $46,391

Debt vs earnings

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

20
Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries
Master's Degree · Theology And Religious Vocations
125%
$48,437 debt · $38,749 earn
Theological and Ministerial Studies
Master's Degree · Theology And Religious Vocations
88%
$47,832 debt · $54,390 earn
Allied Health Diagnostic Intervention and Treatment Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
62%
$77,432 debt · $124,673 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
49%
$23,482 debt · $47,556 earn
Special Education and Teaching
Master's Degree · Education
49%
$33,341 debt · $67,614 earn
Social Sciences General
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
47%
$25,000 debt · $52,907 earn
Social Work
Bachelor Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
47%
$25,500 debt · $54,448 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Subject Areas
Bachelor Degree · Education
45%
$23,250 debt · $51,866 earn

Accreditation status & history

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

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1959Next review Aug 2030

Programmatic accreditations · 7

Action history · 7

  1. Jul 2023Loss of Accreditation or Preaccreditation: Voluntary Withdrawal
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNDNP) - Nursing education programs at the doctorate degree levels
  2. Feb 2022Renewal of Accreditation
    Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education · Nurse Midwifery (MIDWF) - Basic certificate and graduate nurse-midwifery education programs for registered nurses
  3. Jun 2020Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools · Theology (THEOL) - Freestanding schools, as well as programs affiliated with larger institutions, offering graduate professional education for ministry and graduate study of theology
  4. Dec 2019Renewal of Accreditation
    Higher Learning Commission
  5. Apr 2016Renewal of Accreditation
    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$22,218
$30–48k$22,279
$48–75k$20,071
$75–110k$24,963
$110k+$33,155

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

Avg net price (private)
$28,556
+$4,751vs Doctoral/Professional median $23,805
Federal loans
43.9%
In-state tuition
$44,226
Out-of-state
$44,226

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, 609 students received $3.2M in Pell grants, alongside $19.1M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
609
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$3.2M
$3,177,154 total
Direct Loans
$19.1M
2,434 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

1k
’20
1k
’21
1k
’22
1k
’23
1k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$3.3M
782 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$4.2M
980 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$7.3M
464 loan awards
Parent PLUS$2.8M
148 loan awards
Grad PLUS$1.5M
60 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 1,214 borrowers who entered repayment, 14 (1.1%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
1.1%
-1.2pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
1,214
Defaulted
14
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
2.4%
2017
3.0%
2018
1.9%
2019
1.1%
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 Bethel

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs75
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

798 total completions
01Business
19123.9%
02Health Professions
17221.6%
03Education
14217.8%
04Theology
8210.3%
05Biological Sciences
445.5%
06Psychology
384.8%
07Parks/Recreation
364.5%
08Liberal Arts
334.1%
09Physical Sciences
313.9%
10Public Admin
293.6%

Enrollment trends & demographics

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

IPEDS
Fall total
3,603
12-mo unduplicated
4,506
Undergraduate
3,248
Graduate
1,258

Gender split

Men
39%1,768
Women
61%2,738

Race / ethnicity composition

White
76.6%
Hispanic
7.2%
Black
6.3%
Asian
5.0%
Two or more
3.4%
Unknown
0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.2%
Non-resident
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

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

EADA
Athletes
472
303 M · 169 W
Women athletes
35.8%
Athletic aid
$0
Total student aid
Budget
$4.7M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$0
$0
Recruiting expense
$21K
$8K
Head-coach salaries
$42K
$36K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 12

Track and Field (Indoor)
65 M · 48 W
$196K
Track and Field (Outdoor)
61 M · 46 W
$196K
Football
98 M · —
$538K
Baseball
53 M · —
$210K
Ice Hockey
27 M · 24 W
$430K
Soccer
27 M · 18 W
$226K

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
1.70
6 offenses · 3,521 students

3-year trend

2.412 yrs ago1.691 yr ago1.70Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
21
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
7
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
3

Criminal offenses by type

Rape
2
Burglary
2
Fondling
2

By location

6total
  • On campus6

Includes 4 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
2
Stalking
2 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs04
Liquor02

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Data quality: 1 report was later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
14.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
142

Bethel vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Bethel 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
SubjectBethel University
71%—3,603$28,556Doctoral/Professional
St Catherine University
61%91.8%3,651$19,764Doctoral/Professional
The College of Saint Scholastica
71%93.0%2,930$27,846Doctoral/Professional
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
66%92.8%4,505$11,704Doctoral/Professional
University of St Thomas
77%85.4%9,410$29,155Doctoral/Professional
University of Mary
67%75.3%3,861$17,770Doctoral/Professional
Peer group median69%91.8%3,756$23,805

Institutions like Bethel

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

IPEDS

Bethel Institutional Research office

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

Office
Office of Institutional Data and Research
Phone
651.638.6400
Address
3900 Bethel Drive, St. Paul, MN 55112

The purpose of the Office of Institutional Data and Research is to assist campus decision-making and planning in areas such as admissions, financial aid, enrollment management, staffing, student life, finance, academic affairs, and alumni relations. We support the Bethel University vision through the collection and interpretation of institutional data and creation of strategic reports across the university.

Visit IR office page
Team
3 members
  • Jeffrey Olson
    Chief Institutional Data and Research Officer
  • Stefanie Holm
    Institutional Data and Research Senior Lead
  • Joel Frederickson, Ph.D.
    Associate Dean of Institutional Assessment & Accreditation

Common Data Set

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

Total enrollment
5,439
3,392 UG · 2,047 grad
6-yr graduation rate
76%
First-year retention
85%
Student–faculty ratio
11.96 to 1
01

Affordability & Value

Where grant aid comes from

H1
Total Scholarships/Grants28.2%
Institutional20.3%
Total Self-Help19.3%
Student Loans17.7%
State3.6%
Federal3.2%
Parent Loans3.0%
Tuition Waivers2.0%
External1.1%
State and other work-study1.0%
Federal Work-Study0.6%

20% of need-based grant dollars come from the institution itself.

Graduate debt

H4/H5
Grads with debt
75%
Avg debt
$30,747

75% of graduates borrowed; those who did owed $30,747 on average.

02

Outcomes & Equity

Graduation & retention

B
6-yr grad rate
76%
Retention
85%

6-year graduation rate 76%; first-year retention 85%.

03

Academic Experience

Faculty profile

I
Student–faculty ratio
11.96 to 1
Faculty with terminal degree
29%
Women faculty
57%

Key faculty indicators.

04

Student Body & Diversity

Undergraduate race/ethnicity

B2
White, non-Hispanic86.9%
Race/ethnicity unknown4.4%
Black, non-Hispanic4.2%
Asian or Pacific Islander2.4%
Hispanic1.5%
Nonresident aliens0.4%
American Indian or Alaska Native0.2%

Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity.

International students

B2
International UG
13
Share
0%

0% of undergraduates are international (nonresident).

Undergrad vs graduate

B1
Undergraduate
3,39262%
Graduate
2,04738%

3,392 undergraduates and 2,047 graduate students.

05

Transfer Path

Transfer admissions

D1
Applied
310
Admitted
248
Enrolled
144

310 transfer applicants → 248 admitted (80.0%) → 144 enrolled

Source publications

Frequently asked questions about Bethel University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Bethel.

What is the graduation rate at Bethel University?

Bethel University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 71% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Bethel University?

Bethel University reports a total enrollment of 3,603 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Bethel University?

The average net price at Bethel University is $28,556 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Bethel University?

Bethel University's yield rate is 26.9%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Bethel University located?

Bethel University is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota 55112.

Who runs Institutional Research at Bethel University?

Bethel University's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Data and Research.

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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