Valparaiso University: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Crawfordsville, Indiana · Private nonprofit · Moderately selective
Valparaiso University is a private nonprofit university in Crawfordsville, Indiana that admits about 63% of applicants, making it a moderately selective school. The average family pays about $21,906 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies, Economics and Political Science and Government, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 0.0 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
Valparaiso University is a private institution located in Crawfordsville, Indiana with a moderately selective admissions profile. For the most recent reporting cycle, Valparaiso University admits about half to three-quarters of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 63%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1210 and an ACT composite around 26. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $21,906 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Valparaiso University is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for Valparaiso University?
Valparaiso University admits students with a wide GPA range, but most successful applicants present an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher with a college-prep curriculum. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
SAT and ACT scores Valparaiso University typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 560–670, with an EBRW midpoint near 620. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 24–29. Many applicants here submit scores; even slightly below the average can be competitive when combined with a strong GPA and curriculum.
How much does Valparaiso University actually cost?
Published tuition is $49,125 for in-state students and $49,125 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $13,300 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $21,906 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 23% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
Most popular majors at Valparaiso University
The most popular undergraduate programs at Valparaiso University, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies, Economics and Political Science and Government. Across all programs, Valparaiso University confers roughly 145 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Economics program report a median income of about $79,447 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | 28 | — |
| Economics | 23 | $79,447 |
| Political Science and Government | 21 | $72,527 |
| Biology, General | 16 | $59,193 |
| Philosophy, Politics, and Economics | 15 | — |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | 15 | — |
| Applied Mathematics | 14 | — |
| Religion/Religious Studies | 13 | — |
Is Valparaiso University safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Valparaiso University disclosed 0 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 0.0 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 0 violent offenses and 0 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
Other colleges in Indiana parents ask about
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Valparaiso University
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Valparaiso University recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about Valparaiso University
What GPA do I need for Valparaiso University?
Valparaiso University admits students with a wide GPA range, but most successful applicants present an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher with a college-prep curriculum.
What SAT or ACT score does Valparaiso University typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 560–670, with an EBRW midpoint near 620. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 24–29.
How much does Valparaiso University actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Valparaiso University after grants and scholarships is $21,906 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is Valparaiso University realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, Valparaiso University is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at Valparaiso University?
Valparaiso University accepts about 63% of applicants. That makes it a moderately selective school.
Is Valparaiso University a public or private school, and where is it located?
Valparaiso University is a private nonprofit institution located in Crawfordsville, Indiana.
What are the most popular majors at Valparaiso University?
The largest undergraduate majors at Valparaiso University by annual graduates are Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies, Economics and Political Science and Government. The school awards about 145 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is Valparaiso University safe? What is its campus crime rate?
Valparaiso University reported 0 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 0.0 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
Data sourced from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.