Bachelor's · Storm Lake, Iowa
Is Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Buena Vista University worth it?
Low confidence Low confidence: fewer than 40 graduates behind the earnings figures.
The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans
Pays back in time: graduates typically recover the cost in about 4.1 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- Not enough graduates to report
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $68,563
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- Not enough borrowers to report
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $80k (likely $80k – $92k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $28k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in IA
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 4.1 years (likely 2.5–7.6)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- $20k (likely −$123k – $199k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- $351k (likely $53k – $730k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 58%
- Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Change income, residency or loans Compare Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at other schools
Other majors at Buena Vista University
- Curriculum and Instruction (Master's)$68,691
- Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's)$63,950
- Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's)$63,454
- Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's)$62,389
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$61,710
- Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations (Bachelor's)$58,540
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's)$58,440
- Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's)$58,059
- Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor's)$56,329
- Marketing (Bachelor's)$55,330
- Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's)$53,736
- Education, General (Bachelor's)$50,997
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at other schools in Iowa
- University of Iowa$61,200
- Grinnell College$59,638
- Iowa State University$54,889
- Luther College$54,821
- University of Northern Iowa$51,712
- Grand View University$49,263
- Simpson College$46,237
- Maharishi International University$23,391