Olivet Nazarene University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
Olivet Nazarene University is a private college in Illinois that admits most qualified applicants (around 56%), which puts it in the moderately selective range. A rate like this means it admits more applicants than it rejects; the bar is less about clearing a single cutoff and more about how your full profile compares to admitted students.
Use this page to see what Olivet Nazarene University weighs, where it ranks among Illinois schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1200, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at Olivet Nazarene 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 Olivet Nazarene University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Olivet Nazarene University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Olivet Nazarene University?
At Olivet Nazarene University, your real chance depends on far more than the published 56% admit 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 Olivet Nazarene University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Olivet Nazarene University hard to get into?
Olivet Nazarene University is moderately selective: it admits more applicants than it rejects, with about a 56% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
What GPA do you need to get into Olivet Nazarene University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Olivet Nazarene University, but admitted students often present roughly a 3.2 to 3.7 GPA. Olivet Nazarene University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at Olivet Nazarene University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Olivet Nazarene 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 Olivet Nazarene University with a 3.5 GPA and a 1090 SAT?
About 79% (Safety), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.5 unweighted GPA and a 1090 SAT, the middle of Olivet Nazarene University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.8 GPA with a 1220 SAT comes out near 95%. 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/olivet-nazarene-university.
How to get into Olivet Nazarene University
Built from Olivet Nazarene University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
Getting into Olivet Nazarene University comes down to four decisions, each one visible in the data on this page.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Olivet Nazarene University carries about a 3.38 core GPA and a 1170 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
The admitted middle 50% is 950 to 1220 SAT (19 to 26 ACT). Submit a score at 1085 or higher; below 950, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
Olivet Nazarene 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 Olivet Nazarene University's exact dates at www.olivet.edu.
How many students apply to Olivet Nazarene University, and how many get in?
4,426 students applied to Olivet Nazarene University for fall 2023; 2,961 were admitted (66.9%). 649 enrolled. Only about 22% 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. Olivet Nazarene University enrolls about 2,603 undergraduates in total, 54% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 15 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Olivet Nazarene University?
The middle 50% of admitted students at Olivet Nazarene University scored between 950 and 1220 on the SAT (average 1117). On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 19 to 26. A score above 1220 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 950 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Olivet Nazarene 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 Olivet Nazarene University looks for
What Olivet Nazarene University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
Olivet Nazarene University signals that it values rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores above the rest of the file. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from Olivet Nazarene 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 Olivet Nazarene 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 Olivet Nazarene University cost after financial aid?
Olivet Nazarene University's published cost of attendance, before any aid, is roughly $51,981 per year. Tuition and fees alone are $38,900. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $20,729 a year, and it ranges from $17,232 for families earning under $30,000 to $25,580 for families earning over $110,000. 38% 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 Olivet Nazarene University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Olivet Nazarene University student who received federal aid earns $53,213 a year, up from $49,278 at six years. 61% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 71% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $25,000; 63% 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 Olivet Nazarene University compares in Illinois
Olivet Nazarene University ranks #10 most selective of 37 schools in Illinois in our database.
Among the 37 Illinois schools we track, Olivet Nazarene University ranks #10 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like University of Chicago (4%) and Northwestern University (8%) sit nearby, which makes Illinois a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list.
Similar to Olivet Nazarene University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
If Olivet Nazarene University is on your list, schools with a similar admit profile are worth a look: Hendrix College, Ohio Wesleyan University, and Lancaster Bible College. 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 Olivet Nazarene University's acceptance rate?
Olivet Nazarene University admitted 2,961 of 4,426 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 66.9% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 22% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for Olivet Nazarene University?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 950 to 1220 on the SAT and 19 to 26 on the ACT. A score above 1220 is in the top quarter of admits. Olivet Nazarene University is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is Olivet Nazarene University test-optional?
Yes. Olivet Nazarene 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 Olivet Nazarene University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Olivet Nazarene University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $20,729 a year against a sticker price of about $51,981. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $17,232 on average.
What do Olivet Nazarene University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Olivet Nazarene University are $53,213 a year among students who received federal aid, and 61% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Olivet Nazarene University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Olivet Nazarene University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Olivet Nazarene University consider legacy or demonstrated interest?
Many private colleges weigh legacy relationships and demonstrated interest. Olivet Nazarene 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 Olivet Nazarene 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 Olivet Nazarene University specifically.
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.