Augustana University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
Augustana University, a private college in South Dakota, reports a 68% acceptance rate and sits in the moderately selective band. In practice that means it admits more applicants than it rejects, so a strong application is judged against an applicant pool that is already self-selected.
Use this page to see what Augustana University weighs, where it ranks among South Dakota schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1280, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at Augustana University?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into Augustana University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Augustana University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Augustana University?
Your odds at Augustana University are not the same as its 68% acceptance rate. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Augustana University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Augustana University hard to get into?
Augustana University is moderately selective: it admits more applicants than it rejects, with about a 68% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
What GPA do you need to get into Augustana University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Augustana University, but admitted students often present roughly a 3.2 to 3.7 GPA. Augustana University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at Augustana University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Augustana University for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 3 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at Augustana University with a 3.1 GPA and a 1260 SAT?
About 88% (Safety), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.1 unweighted GPA and a 1260 SAT, the middle of Augustana University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.4 GPA with a 1370 SAT comes out near 98%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/augustana-university.
How to get into Augustana University
Built from Augustana University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
There is no formula that guarantees a spot at Augustana University, but the applicants who get in tend to do the same four things. Here is what the numbers say each one looks like.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Augustana University carries about a 3.25 core GPA and a 1320 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
The admitted middle 50% is 1150 to 1370 SAT (21 to 27 ACT). Submit a score at 1260 or higher; below 1150, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
Augustana University rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
An early application signals interest and gets your file read before the pool fills. Most early deadlines fall on November 1 and Regular Decision on January 1 to 15; confirm Augustana University's exact dates at www.augie.edu.
How many students apply to Augustana University, and how many get in?
Augustana University admitted 1,973 of the 3,330 students who applied for fall 2023, which works out to 59.2%. 456 enrolled. Only about 23% of admitted students enrolled, so the school admits several students for every seat it expects to fill, which is why its acceptance rate reads higher than its selectivity feels. Augustana University enrolls about 1,965 undergraduates in total, 61% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 12 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Augustana University?
Admitted students at Augustana University post SAT scores of 1150 to 1370 in the middle 50%, with an average of 1195. On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 21 to 27. A score above 1370 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 1150 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Augustana University is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What Augustana University looks for
What Augustana University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
The factors that carry the most weight at Augustana University are rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from Augustana University's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at Augustana University
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does Augustana University cost after financial aid?
The full sticker price at Augustana University (tuition, fees, housing, food, books) is about $55,159 a year. Tuition and fees alone are $40,160. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $23,894 a year, and it ranges from $18,746 for families earning under $30,000 to $27,327 for families earning over $110,000. 18% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do Augustana University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Median earnings for Augustana University students ten years after entry are $59,217 ($49,826 at the six-year mark). 73% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 86% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $25,000; 52% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How Augustana University compares in South Dakota
Augustana University ranks #2 most selective of 10 schools in South Dakota in our database.
Among the 10 South Dakota schools we track, Augustana University ranks #2 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like Mount Marty University (43%) and Dakota Wesleyan University (73%) sit nearby, which makes South Dakota a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list.
Similar to Augustana University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Applicants targeting Augustana University often weigh Brigham Young University, Hofstra University, and Lipscomb University, which sit at a similar level. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What is Augustana University's acceptance rate?
Augustana University admitted 1,973 of 3,330 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 59.2% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 23% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for Augustana University?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1150 to 1370 on the SAT and 21 to 27 on the ACT. A score above 1370 is in the top quarter of admits. Augustana University is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is Augustana University test-optional?
Yes. Augustana University reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does Augustana University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Augustana University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $23,894 a year against a sticker price of about $55,159. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $18,746 on average.
What do Augustana University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Augustana University are $59,217 a year among students who received federal aid, and 73% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Augustana University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Augustana University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Augustana University consider legacy or demonstrated interest?
Many private colleges weigh legacy relationships and demonstrated interest. Augustana University's full factor profile is charted on this page, and CollegeCalcAI models a legacy effect scaled to a school's selectivity.
How can I improve my chances at Augustana University?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Augustana University specifically.
What are the admission requirements for Augustana University?
Augustana University reviews GPA, course rigor, test scores (where submitted), activities, and essays. With a more accessible acceptance rate, meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.