Non-Profit Private
Accredited · Higher Learning Commission
Waverly, Iowa
99.4% Acceptance Rate
Wartburg College — Admission Snapshot 2026
A complete at-a-glance picture of every metric that matters for your 2026 application
99.4%Acceptance Rate
3.48Avg GPA
1136Avg SAT
23Avg ACT
$61,832Annual Cost
$56,201Grad Salary
21.5%Pell Grant
Acceptance Rate
99.4%
Avg GPA
3.48
Avg SAT
1136
Avg ACT
23
Selectivity
Inclusive
Institution Type
Non-Profit Private
Campus
Main Campus
Accredited By
Higher Learning Commission
SAT Middle 50%
978–1235
ACT Middle 50%
19–27
Need-Based Aid
21.5% receive Pell
Wartburg College is a private, liberal arts institution in Iowa known for its commitment to academic excellence and faith-based community. Admissions are holistic, seeking students who will contribute to its vibrant, supportive campus environment. The college values individuals with a strong record of academic achievement and personal growth. Prospective students should emphasize their desire for mentorship and their involvement in activities that foster social responsibility and leadership.
Wartburg College Acceptance Rate
Wartburg College runs an open-access admission policy. With a 99.4% acceptance rate, the focus is on getting qualified students in, not filtering them out.
What to Expect
- Eligibility First: A high school diploma or GED typically clears the main bar.
- Plan Ahead for Placement: Placement tests can shape which courses you start in. They are worth preparing for.
Selectivity at a Glance
Inclusive
Selectivity scale: Inclusive — 99.4% acceptance rate
Most Selective (0%)Open Enrollment (100%)
Recommended Academic Profile
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.48 – 4.00
Target Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.28 – 3.47
Competitive Reach
Focus on Score Compensation
Below 3.03
Secondary Reach
Requires Contextual Support
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard (Nov 2025).
Wartburg College Application Deadlines & Admission Dates 2026
The application deadline for Wartburg College is November 1 for Early Action applicants, with additional plans listed below. Admission decisions are typically released by December 15.
Key Admission Dates
⏳ 83 days left — Early Action
Early Action
November 1
Decision by: December 15
Early Action
November 1
Decision by: December 15
Regular Decision
February 1
Decision by: March 15
Regular Decision
February 1
Decision by: March 15
💡 The scholarship deadline (November 1, 2026) often falls before the regular admission deadline. Submit your application and FAFSA early to be considered for maximum aid.
Deadlines are verified from official institutional sources but may change each cycle. Always confirm final dates on the official website.
Wartburg College GPA Requirement
The average GPA of admitted students at Wartburg College is 3.48. That makes admissions here competitive, but not extremely selective. Most admitted students carry a mix of A's and B's.
In the 3.18–3.48 range, a high SAT or ACT score still carries real weight.
Most schools report GPA on a weighted or unweighted 4.0 scale differently. For an unweighted profile like this, students with AP/IB coursework typically carry a weighted GPA of 3.68–3.88.Wartburg College GPA & Admission Outlook
Assessment: Selective; solid academic performance is expected.
Recommended Strategy: Focus on a Strong 'Spike' in extracurriculars or research.
Where your GPA falls in this range shapes what the rest of your application needs to do:
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.48 – 4.00
Target/Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.28 – 3.47
Competitive Match
Focus on SAT/ACT Compensation
3.08 – 3.27
Secondary Reach
Personal Statement & Impact
Below 3.07
Institutional Reach
Requires Significant Contextual Factors
Evaluation Metrics That Matter Here
- Wartburg operates on a distinctive 4-4-1 academic calendar with a short, intensive May Term for travel, internships, or focused coursework.
- First-year admission requires no personal essay or letter of recommendation and is test-optional; borderline applicants (GPA/rank/test-score thresholds) are automatically reviewed by the Admissions and Scholarship Committee.
- Merit scholarships (Regents/Presidential, $11,000-$13,000/year) are generally tied to a 3.5+ GPA and top-25% class rank; music scholarships are open to non-music majors via live or video audition (due April 15 for distant applicants).
- Wartburg's wrestling program has produced multiple NCAA Division III national championships, and the college has had an individual or team national champion for 28 consecutive years.
- Rigor Over Raw Number: A slightly lower GPA (say 3.8) paired with multiple AP or IB courses often outweighs a flat 4.0 from a standard curriculum.
- Trajectory Matters: A lower start in 9th or 10th grade, followed by a clear upward trend senior year, reads as academic resilience rather than a weakness.
Data verified via IPEDS, College Scorecard (Nov 2025) and the Common Data Set (CDS). Expert Review led by Sohaib Khan and Dr. Waseem.
Check Your Admission Chances at Wartburg College
Admission Chance Predictor
Real-Time Sensitive Analysis — based on Wartburg College's verified institutional data
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Calculating Profile...
Adjust the sliders to see how every decimal point affects your outcome.
Your SAT Score 1200
Your Unweighted GPA 3.00
✅ Verified Data: Institutional records for 2026.
Calculated via College Portal's Human-Intelligence (HI) Methodology & Editorial Standards. Verified by Sohaib Ahmad Khan.
Wartburg College Test Requirements
Standardized scores still matter here: aim for the middle 50% range of the 2026 admitted class below, and if Wartburg College is test-optional, a high score submitted voluntarily still helps with merit scholarships.
Can I Get Into Wartburg College Without SAT or ACT?
Wartburg College considers scores when submitted, without requiring them. Prepare well and submit your best attempt. Most applicants test 2–3 times.
Wartburg College Average SAT Score: 1136
The average SAT score of admitted students at Wartburg College is 1136 on the 1600-point scale.
SAT Competitiveness
SAT 1136 — Less Competitive
This average is slightly below the national mean SAT score.
Key Insight: Aim for the 75th percentile (1235 SAT or 27 ACT) to stand out. Below average? Wartburg College allows Score Choice for the SAT, so a retake only helps — a low sitting never has to be sent.
If your score is below 978, retaking the SAT is strongly recommended to improve your chances at Wartburg College. Retaking multiple times is completely normal. Most competitive applicants sit for it two or three times. There's no official limit on attempts.
SAT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Math | 559 | 488 | 630 |
| SAT Reading | 548 | 490 | 605 |
| SAT Composite | 1136 | 978 | 1235 |
Below 978, you're behind most admitted students; at 1235 or above, you're ahead of 75% of them. (25th/75th percentile = the score below which that share of admitted students fall.)
View list of all colleges with average SAT score of 1150
Can I get into Wartburg College with a 1250 SAT?
A 1250 SAT puts you ahead of most of Wartburg College's admitted class, but admissions still weighs GPA, course rigor, and essays alongside it. A strong score opens the door; the rest of your profile decides what happens next.
Wartburg College ACT Requirements
The average ACT score at Wartburg College is 23.
ACT Competitiveness
ACT 23 — Slightly Competitive
This sits close to the national average ACT score.
ACT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT Math | 22 | 18 | 26 |
| ACT English | 23 | 19 | 26 |
| ACT Composite | 23 | 19 | 27 |
Can I get into Wartburg College with a 27 ACT?
A 27 ACT puts you ahead of 75% of Wartburg College's admitted students. That's a strong position, though the ACT is only one benchmark among several that admissions weighs.
Unlike the SAT, the ACT scores four separate sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science, each on a 1–36 scale. A noticeably weak section, especially Science at STEM-focused schools, stands out to reviewers, so it's worth checking your section breakdown for outliers before applying.
Your ACT score clears the first filter, but GPA, course rigor, extracurricular depth, recommendations, and essays are what carry an application the rest of the way at Wartburg College.
Your 2026 Admissions Roadmap for Wartburg College
Inclusive Strategy: Success & Transfer
Wartburg College provides an open gateway to higher education. Success here is about using available resources well and planning your longer-term academic or career path.
Plan around the 4-4-1 calendar's May Term for a distinctive experiential credit
Wartburg runs on a 4-4-1 academic calendar, with a short, intensive May Term dedicated to travel courses, internships, or focused single-subject study - a structurally different calendar from the standard semester system most applicants are used to. Ask admissions specifically what May Term offerings exist in your intended major, since this term functions as a genuine curricular differentiator (study abroad, hands-on projects) rather than a simple "extra month," and can shape your four-year plan meaningfully.
Target the 3.5 GPA / top-25% threshold for automatic Regents or Presidential Scholarship consideration
Wartburg's merit scholarships are awarded based on a defined threshold - a minimum 3.5 cumulative high school GPA combined with ranking in the top 25% of your graduating class typically triggers a Regents or Presidential Scholarship ($11,000-$13,000/year), and attending a Knights Scholarship Day can increase that award further. If you're near this GPA/rank threshold, prioritize your final semester grades specifically to cross it, and register for a Knights Scholarship Day to try to increase your award beyond the baseline.
Audition for music scholarships even if you're not a music major
Wartburg's Music Ensemble and Meistersinger Music Scholarships are available to any admitted student, not just music majors, with tiered commitments (ensemble participation only, versus ensemble plus private lessons for awards of $2,500+), and students living 350+ miles away can submit a video audition by April 15 instead of visiting campus. If you have any serious musical background, audition specifically for these scholarships regardless of your intended major, since Wartburg's choir program (which has performed at Wartburg Castle in Germany) draws heavily from non-music majors.
Know that Wartburg requires no essay or letters for first-year admission - but borderline applicants get a committee review
Wartburg's first-year admission requires no personal essay and no letter of recommendation, and is test-optional - but applicants who haven't completed the recommended college-prep coursework, scored an 18 ACT/790 SAT or below, or rank in the lower half of their graduating class are automatically routed to the Admissions and Scholarship Committee for a more detailed review. If you fall into any of these three categories, proactively submit a personal statement or additional context even though it's not required, since your file will already be getting closer manual review.
Expert Insight:
A specific and easy-to-miss detail is that Wartburg's genuinely low-barrier general admission (no essay, no letters, test-optional) can create a false sense that scholarship money follows the same low-effort logic - but merit scholarships are tied to a specific, defined GPA and class-rank threshold (3.5 GPA, top 25%), and a student who coasts on general admission's simplicity without checking this separate scholarship bar can be admitted but miss the larger merit awards entirely.
Wartburg College Profile
Full Name
Wartburg College
City
Waverly
State
Iowa
ZIP Code
50677-0903
Type
Non-Profit Private
Campus
Main Campus
Official Website
Accredited By
Higher Learning Commission (NCACHE)
Is a Wartburg College Degree Worth It?
Wartburg College offers a rigorous academic environment, but 'worth it' is a personal calculation of cost, program fit, and outcomes. The figures below are a starting point.
The average household income among admitted students is $58,200, with a graduate unemployment rate of 2.75%.
How much does a degree from Wartburg College Cost?
The sticker price is $61,832/year, but the average net price students actually pay, after Pell and federal grants, is typically much lower.
21.5% of students receive a Pell Grant and 64% take federal loans at Wartburg College. File your FAFSA early and list Wartburg College as a choice to be considered for both.
How much does a Wartburg College Graduate earn?
Median earnings 10 years after enrollment (roughly 4–6 years post-graduation) are $56,201. That's about 38% above the U.S. median graduate income.
Compare Similar Colleges
Less Competitive Schools
These schools have lower average SAT or ACT scores than Wartburg College. If your SAT or ACT score is slightly lower, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn University at Montgomery | Montgomery, AL | 1090 | 21 |
| University of South Alabama | Mobile, AL | 1119 | 23 |
| Spring Hill College | Mobile, AL | 1090 | 22 |
| Troy University | Troy, AL | 1086 | 22 |
| Tuskegee University | Tuskegee, AL | 1121 | 22 |
| Grand Canyon University | Phoenix, AZ | 1095 | 22 |
| Arkansas State University | Jonesboro, AR | 1119 | 22 |
| University of Central Arkansas | Conway, AR | 1117 | 22 |
| University of the Ozarks | Clarksville, AR | 1088 | 21 |
| University of La Verne | La Verne, CA | 1116 | 22 |
Equally Competitive Schools
These schools have the same range of average SAT or ACT scores as Wartburg College. If your SAT or ACT score is competitive, you'll be competitive for these schools also.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Colorado Colorado Springs | Colorado Springs, CO | 1140 | 25 |
| Western Colorado University | Gunnison, CO | 1130 | 25 |
| Lynn University | Boca Raton, FL | 1136 | 25 |
| University of West Florida | Pensacola, FL | 1137 | 24 |
| Augustana College | Rock Island, IL | 1133 | 25 |
More Competitive Schools
These schools have higher average SAT or ACT scores than Wartburg College. If you improve your SAT or ACT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham-Southern College | Birmingham, AL | 1197 | 24 |
| Samford University | Birmingham, AL | 1203 | 26 |
| University of Arkansas | Fayetteville, AR | 1174 | 25 |
| Harding University | Searcy, AR | 1187 | 25 |
| Ouachita Baptist University | Arkadelphia, AR | 1212 | 25 |
Degree Programs at Wartburg College
Bachelor Degree Programs
Frequently Asked Questions About Wartburg College Admissions
Median graduate earnings at Wartburg College run about $56,201 a year.
At about $61,832 a year, Wartburg College's cost is on the higher end; look closely at aid options.
Wartburg College's Pell Grant rate of 21.5% sits below the national average. Merit-based aid is worth checking regardless of income.
At 99.4%, Wartburg College's acceptance rate is on the more attainable end compared to top-tier selective schools.
Admitted students at Wartburg College average a 3.48 GPA.
Wartburg College doesn't publish a hard GPA floor, but landing at or above 3.18 keeps you in the typical applicant range; below it, lean on essays and recommendations.
Below 3.08, Wartburg College becomes a harder reach, though a strong test score, meaningful activities, and AP/IB coursework can still make a real case.
A strong SAT score matters at Wartburg College — aim above 1136, ideally within the 978–1235 range admitted students typically fall in.
The application deadline for Wartburg College is November 1 for Early Action applicants. Admission decisions are released by December 15.
The scholarship/financial aid priority deadline is November 1, 2026. Submit FAFSA before then for maximum consideration.
Yes, transfers are common. Have transcripts, recommendation letters, and a solid personal statement ready to make your case.
Strong academics, a focused extracurricular profile, and standout essays move the needle most, along with a competitive SAT/ACT score where relevant.