
Huntington, INprivate nonprofitwww.huntington.edu/
Admit rate has ranged 71%–79% over the last 5 years. 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.
Huntington University is a small, Christ-centered liberal arts school in rural Indiana where faith and filmmaking collide. With a 76% acceptance rate and a student body of just over 1,500 undergrads, it offers an intimate, values-driven education where nursing students rub shoulders with animators and agribusiness majors. The campus vibe is wholesome but not stuffy—think more late-night theology debates than frat parties.
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
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Outcomes & value
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.
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Campus & location
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.
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.
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.
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.
Getting into Huntington isn't a bloodsport—about three-quarters of applicants make the cut (75.6% Acceptance rateThe share of applicants a college admits in a given year. A 10% acceptance rate means it admits about 1 in 10 applicants. in 2024, per CollegeData). The middle 50% of admitted students score between 940-1160 on the SAT or 18-24 on the ACT, with an average high school GPA of 3.5. Notably, Huntington is 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. and accepts the Common App, lowering barriers for applicants. Minimum requirements include a 2.3 GPA in college-prep courses plus either an SAT score of 940+ or ACT of 18+.
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.
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.
HU punches above its weight with 70+ undergrad programs spanning from veterinary tech to film production—its two most popular majors. The 10:1 student-faculty ratio means small classes, and the Christian liberal arts core ensures even nursing students take theology. Standout departments include:
This isn't your typical party school—alcohol and drugs are strictly prohibited, and students sign a lifestyle covenant requiring 'sexual purity.' But the 1,588 undergrads (2024) find creative ways to bond:
Social life revolves around intramurals, service projects, and the campus coffeehouse—where student bands play original worship music.
HU's 68% six-year graduation rate outperforms similar private colleges, though Pell Grant recipients graduate at 54%. Key stats:
The nursing and digital media programs boast particularly strong job placement, with many grads landing at Midwest hospitals and Christian production studios.
At $33,144 sticker price, HU isn't cheap—but 97% of students receive aid, slashing costs:
Pro tip: HU matches outside scholarships dollar-for-dollar, making local Rotary Club or 4-H awards doubly valuable. The financial aid office runs 'FAFSA Frenzy' events to help families navigate forms.
HU delivers something rare: a serious film program at a school where chapel attendance is expected. Its animation grads work at Pixar while its nursing students pray with patients. The rural Indiana setting keeps costs lower than coastal Christian colleges, and the no-Greek-life policy fosters quirky community—think dorm-wide Nerf wars and theology picnics. For evangelical students who want robust arts or STEM training without compromising their faith, it's a hidden gem.