Admit rate has ranged 55%–97% over the last 5 years — notably volatile. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Bluffton University, a small Mennonite-affiliated liberal arts college in rural Ohio, offers a tight-knit community where nearly all students live on campus. With a moderately selective admissions process (61-67% acceptance rate) and a focus on personalized education (10:1 student-faculty ratio), Bluffton emphasizes service learning and undergraduate research across its 90+ majors. While graduation rates lag slightly behind national averages, the university provides substantial financial aid, bringing net costs down to about $21,000 for many students.
Admission requirements
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Required
High school transcript
Grade point average
TOEFL (non-native English)
Considered (not required)
Class rank
Letters of recommendation
Test scores (SAT/ACT)
College-prep program
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Undergrad enrollment
582
In-state tuition
$37,362
Out-of-state tuition
$37,362
Location
Bluffton, OH
NCAA Division
III (18 teams + esports)
Acceptance Rate
61-67%
Average Aid Package
$28,075
Residential Students
94%
Student-Faculty Ratio
10:1
6-Year Graduation Rate
50-53%
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$49,547
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
2.5×
Median debt at graduation
$27,000
Graduation rate
53%
First-year retention
60%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
64%
Pell (lower-income) share
53%
First-generation share
33%
Endowment / student
$44,537
Financial health
2.3 / 3.0Meets the federal financial-responsibility standard
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Business Administration, Management and Operations$39,153
Accounting and Related Services$38,289
Human Resources Management and Services$38,289
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness$36,077
Special Education and Teaching$35,060
Social Work
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
1
Per 1,000 students
1.72
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
Pleasant days / yr
90
Summer high
82°F
Winter low
25°F
Annual rain
37.6"
Annual snow
22.1"
Natural-hazard risk
Relatively Low
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility▾
Research output
Institutional h-index
51
Scholarly works
390
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Economic mobility
Mobility rate
0.2%
Bottom → top quintile
5%
From bottom quintile
3%
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at Bluffton University?
Bluffton University's acceptance rate is approximately 67% (Bluffton, OH), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for Bluffton University?
Admitted students at Bluffton University typically score 860–1130 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does Bluffton University cost?
At Bluffton University, the average net price (after aid) is about $19,943 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Bluffton University?
Bluffton University enrolls approximately 582 undergraduate students.
Where is Bluffton University located?
Bluffton University is located in Bluffton, OH.
Admissions
Bluffton University maintains a moderately selective admissions process, accepting 61-67% of applicants according to recent cycles. The middle 50% of admitted students score between 860-1130 on the SAT or 17-23 on the ACT, with the university operating a Test-optionalA policy where you choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores. If you don't, the rest of your application carries more weight. policy. The Common Application is accepted, and homeschooled applicants are welcome with standardized test scores and transcripts. While not highly competitive, Bluffton does exercise some selectivity - PrepScholar notes they admit about 61 out of every 100 applicants.
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
$33,637
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods$28,598
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
Academics
Bluffton offers over 90 majors, minors, and interdisciplinary programs across traditional liberal arts fields, with psychology (6% of degrees) and biological/biomedical sciences (5%) being particularly popular. The university emphasizes close faculty-student interaction with a 10:1 student-faculty ratio, though only 26 of 41 full-time faculty hold terminal degrees. Notable programs include business administration, communication/media, and criminal justice, along with unique offerings like art and writing or Bible and theology reflecting its Mennonite heritage. The school grants AP credit and maintains an 18-team NCAA Division III athletics program plus co-ed esports.
Life at Bluffton revolves around its residential campus, where 94% of students live in university housing. The school cultivates what Niche describes as a 'welcoming and open social atmosphere' where students frequently engage strangers in conversation. Bluffton emphasizes community values - its catalog describes striving to be 'a community of respect' through friendship, worship, service, and group activities. With small numbers (about 750 undergraduates), the campus offers an intimate environment where, as the university promises, students find both independence and support in residence halls and student centers.
Bluffton's graduation rates sit slightly below national averages, with 50-53% of students completing degrees within six years. First-to-second year retention rates hover around 55-60%, though the university claims its 72% retention rate in 2020 exceeded peer averages. The Council of Independent Colleges identifies improving these metrics as institutional priorities, with goals to increase 6-year graduation rates to 57% and retention to 70%. While outcomes data suggests academic challenges for some students, those who persist benefit from the university's career-focused advising and undergraduate research opportunities.
Bluffton works to make its private education accessible through substantial financial aid. After scholarships and grants, the average Net priceWhat a family actually pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price — usually far less than the published cost. falls to about $21,299, with aid packages averaging $28,075. The university provides net price calculators for both first-year and transfer students to estimate individualized costs. While sticker prices are typical for private colleges, Bluffton's aid programs - particularly for students from its Mennonite constituency - help offset expenses for many families.
Bluffton distinguishes itself through its Mennonite-rooted commitment to community and service, manifested in everything from residence life to curriculum. The ultra-small scale (10:1 ratio) allows for remarkable faculty access, while the 94% residential rate creates an immersive environment. Though graduation rates could improve, the university's Net priceWhat a family actually pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price — usually far less than the published cost. - nearly $10,000 below many private peers - makes it a value proposition for students seeking a close-knit, values-oriented liberal arts experience. Unique programs like peace and conflict studies reflect its denominational heritage, while Division III athletics and growing esports appeal to traditional and non-traditional students alike.
Bluffton University logo · sourceOur Campus - Bluffton University · sourceOur Campus - Bluffton University · sourceOur Campus - Bluffton University · source
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