Luther College is a private, coeducational, liberal arts college located in Decorah, Iowa, United States. It was established as a men's seminary in 1861 by Norwegian immigrants. The main campus spreads across an area of 1,000 acres. U.S. News and World Report ranked Luther College 88th among the liberal arts colleges for 2008-2009. Luther is a member institute of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest and the Annapolis Group. The college offers a wide variety of degrees and programs in diverse areas of study.
Luther College's athletic department sponsors both men’s and women’s sports teams. They participate in sports such as softball, basketball, wrestling, and track & field. The teams are nicknamed the Norse. The college competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
Luther is found in Decorah, IA. Decorah is a rural site not far from an urban area. Applicants to the school are attracted by its Evangelical Lutheran Church identity. Luther is a private, not-for-profit institution. Students can earn degrees up to and including the Bachelor's degree at the school.
Luther is known for its programs in science, mathematics, music, and art studies.
Admission to the school is not automatic; not everyone who applies gets in. Three quarters of students in 2007 had SAT verbal scores of at least 480. Half of math SAT scores of accepted students fell between 540 and 650.
The school maintains a faculty/student ratio (full-time) which is better than most colleges. Luther has a tenure system for senior faculty. The full-time faculty at the school is well-paid, which often goes with faculty quality.
Students numbered 2,476 in 2007 at Luther.
The school has a residential or campus feel. Luther offers dorm rooms to a higher percentage of its students than do most colleges. The school offers students meal plans. Luther values student athletics, and belongs to the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
More complete details are provided below.
Luther College
700 College Drive
Decorah, IA 52101-1045
General Phone: (563) 387-2000
http://www.luther.edu
| General Category | Degrees | Most Common Majors [see all] |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts | 133 | English, political science, Spanish language, history, anthropology, sociology, economics, interdisciplinary studies, ... |
| Science | 83 | biology, chemistry, physics |
| Business And Management | 68 | business management, accounting, MIS |
| Nursing And Emergency Medicine | 42 | registered nursing |
| Music | 41 | music |
| Education And Teaching | 39 | elementary school teaching |
| Media | 29 | communication studies |
| Art Studies | 27 | art studies |
| Therapy And Counseling | 26 | psychology |
| Nutrition And Exercise Therapy | 25 | health and physical education, athletic trainer |
| Religion And Philosophy | 19 | religion, philosophy |
| Family And Social Work | 13 | social work |
| Computer Science And Engineering | 10 | computer science |
| Mathematics | 8 | statistics, mathematics |
| Drama And Performing Arts | 6 | drama |
| Conservation And Resource Management | 1 | environmental studies |
Number of programs and degrees for Luther in 2007:
| Degree Level | Total Awarded | Number of Programs |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | 570 | 37 |
In 2007, Luther had a total enrollment of 2,476 students (2,450 full-time equivalent).
Students in the Freshman Class:
| Group | Percent |
|---|---|
| Men | 43% |
| Women | 57% |
| Full-Time | 100% |
| Part-Time | 0% |
Students By Class:
| Group | Percent |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate | 100% |
| Race | Percent |
|---|---|
| White | 88% |
| Black | 1% |
| Hispanic | 1% |
| Asian | 2% |
| American Indian | 0% |
| Unknown | 4% |
| (Foreign Students) | 3% |
Students by Age:
| Age | Percent |
|---|---|
| Under 18 | 1% |
| 18-19 | 44% |
| 20-21 | 44% |
| 22-24 | 9% |
| 25-29 | 1% |
| 30-34 | 0% |
| 35-39 | 0% |
| 40-49 | 0% |
| 50-64 | 0% |
Incoming (Freshman) Students by Place of Residence:
(From available data sampling)
| Residence | Percent |
|---|---|
| Minnesota | 37% |
| Iowa | 31% |
| Wisconsin | 12% |
| Illinois | 6% |
| (International Students) | 5% |
| Colorado | 1% |
| South Dakota | 1% |
| Kansas | 1% |
| Texas | 1% |
| Missouri | 1% |
| North Dakota | 1% |
Retention Rates (2007):
| Group | Returning From Previous Year |
|---|---|
| Full-Time | 86 % |
Luther offers campus housing for 2,095 of its 2,450 (full-time) students. Freshmen are required to live on campus.
(Please refer to our profile of Decorah, Iowa for details about the area surrounding the campus. Also see our list of other Iowa Colleges).
The school offers students a meal plan with 20 meals per week.
Acceptances:
| Group | Applicants | Accepted | Percent Accepted | Enrolled | Percent of Accepted Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 2,054 | 1,696 | 83% | 659 | 39% |
| Men | 883 | 678 | 77% | 285 | 42% |
| Women | 1,171 | 1,018 | 87% | 374 | 37% |
Standardized Test Scores:
| Test | 25th Percentile | 75th Percetile |
|---|---|---|
| SAT Verbal | 480 | 670 |
| SAT Math | 540 | 650 |
| SAT Writing | 500 | 650 |
| ACT Verbal | 22 | 29 |
| ACT Math | 22 | 28 |
| ACT Composite | 22 | 28 |
Application Requirements:
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| GPA | required |
| Class Rank | required |
| High School Record | required |
| College Prep Program | recommended |
| Recommendations | required |
| Formal Demonstration of Competence | not required |
| Standardized Tests (SAT and/or ACT) | required |
| Percent of Applicants Submitting SAT | 17% |
| Percent of Applicants Submitting ACT | 93% |
| TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) | required |
Expenses and Financial Aid:
| Expense | Amount |
|---|---|
| In-state tuition and fees | $ 28,840 |
| Out-of-state tuition and fees | $ 28,840 |
| Room and board | $ 4,660 |
| Room charge | $ 2,260 |
| Board (meal plan) charge | $ 2,400 |
| Books and supplies | $ 830 |
| Other expenses | $ 2,530 |
Financial Aid:
Luther participates in Federal Title IV financial aid programs. (The school's OPE ID is 187400)
Luther has a tenure system for faculty.
Tenure Status of Faculty (2007):
| Full-Time Faculty Level | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Tenured | 72 | 37 |
| Non-tenured, but on tenure track | 25 | 20 |
| Non-tenured and not on tenure track | 15 | 13 |
Salaries for full-time faculty:
Full-Time Faculty (2007):
| Full-Time Faculty Level | Contract Length | Number Men | Avg Salary Men | Number Women | Avg Salary Women |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professor | academic year | 41 | $77,632 | 14 | $78,338 |
| Associate professor | academic year | 35 | $61,760 | 24 | $62,581 |
| Assistant professor | academic year | 27 | $52,845 | 28 | $51,253 |
| Instructor | academic year | 9 | $46,856 | 4 | $44,178 |
| All faculty total | academic year | 112 | $64,223 | 70 | $60,150 |
*: salaries are not displayed where there are fewer than 3 professors in the category.
Athletic Conferences:
| Sport | Conference |
|---|---|
| Football | Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference |
| Basketball | Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference |
| Baseball | Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference |
| Track | Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference |
ART STUDIES
Art/Art Studies, General
BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT
Accounting
Business Administration and Management, General
Management Information Systems, General
COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
Computer Science
CONSERVATION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Studies
DRAMA AND PERFORMING ARTS
Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General
EDUCATION AND TEACHING
Elementary Education and Teaching
FAMILY AND SOCIAL WORK
Social Work
LIBERAL ARTS
African-American/Black Studies
Ancient Near Eastern/Biblical Languages, Lit & Linguistics
Anthropology
Classics/Classical Languages, Lit & Linguistics, General
Economics, General
English Language and Literature, General
French Language and Literature
German Language and Literature
History, General
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
Political Science and Government, General
Social Sciences, Other
Sociology
Spanish Language and Literature
Women's Studies
MATHEMATICS
Mathematics, General
Statistics, General
MEDIA
Communication Studies/Speech Communication and Rhetoric
NURSING AND EMERGENCY MEDICINE
Nursing/Registered Nurse (RN, ASN, BSN, MSN)
NUTRITION AND EXERCISE THERAPY
Athletic Training/Trainer
Health and Physical Education, General
RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY
Philosophy
Religion/Religious Studies
SCIENCE
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Chemistry, General
Physics, General
(Details are provided further down on this page.)
What Sets Luther Apart:
| Category | Trophy | |
|---|---|---|
| % of degrees in music (vs. all colleges) | Top 4% | ![]() ![]() |
| Dorm rooms per full-time student (vs. all colleges) | Top 4% | ![]() ![]() |
| % of degrees in mathematics (vs. all colleges) | Top 6% | ![]() |
| % of degrees in science (vs. all colleges) | Top 8% | ![]() |
| % of degrees in art studies (vs. all colleges) | Top 8% | ![]() |
| Number of degree programs (vs. all colleges) | Top 12% | ![]() |
| Salaries of full-time faculty (vs. colleges with similar degree levels) | Top 12% | ![]() |
| Number of students (vs. colleges with similar degree levels) | Top 13% | ![]() |
| Faculty/student ratio (full-time) (vs. all colleges) | Top 13% | ![]() |
| % of degrees in nutrition and exercise therapy (vs. colleges of similar size) | Top 17% | ![]() |
| Student SAT scores (vs. all colleges) | Top 18% | ![]() |
Notable:
Evangelical Lutheran Church affiliation
Accepts some high school credits
Grants credits for AP courses
Career counseling
Student employment services
Remedial classes for students
Option to study abroad
Offers part-time study
On-campus library
Offers campus housing
Offers a board (meal) plan
Tenure system for quality teaching
NCAA athletic conference member
Try our unique CollegeMatch™ tool to find schools similar to Luther.
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(Based on an automated mapping of degrees popular at Luther with government-defined occupation categories)
Selected QuickSchools™ With Program Focus Areas Similar To Luther(What are QuickSchools?)
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