Just the facts

Just the

Facts 2013–14

Go. Explore. Visit. Ask. Interact. Discover. Connect.

Relate. Learn. Imagine. Succeed. Excel. Become.

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Explore Luther College

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Who we are n an independent, residential, liberal arts

college affiliated with the Lutheran church (ELCA); the college welcomes students of all beliefs and backgrounds 29

n founded in 1861 by Norwegian Lutheran

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immigrants n a Phi Beta Kappa institution (one of only 283 29

Where we live

n more than 90%

of students live on campus in one of eight residence halls, including a townhouse-style residential village n all first-year students live

in Brandt, Ylvisaker, or Olson Halls n housing options include

wellness and quiet floors; all residence halls are coed by floor or wing

in the United States) with an excellent academic reputation n home to the largest solar energy field in Iowa,

and dedicated to reducing Luther’s net carbon footprint to zero. n The student-faculty ratio is 12:1; the average

class size is 18. n Faculty teach 100% of the courses at Luther

(0% are taught by graduate teaching assistants).

Welcome to Decorah, Iowa DULUTH/ SUPERIOR 35

MI

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MPLS./ ST. PAUL

EAU CLAIRE

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MN

WI

ROCHESTER 90

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LA CROSSE

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DECORAH LUTHER COLLEGE

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MADISON

MASON CITY

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IA 80

DES MOINES 35

380

ROCKFORD

CEDAR RAPIDS

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CHICAGO

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IOWA CITY

MILWAUKEE

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WATERLOO

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Where we are We are located in Decorah, Iowa, a community of 8,500 people nestled in the bluff country of northeast Iowa along the Upper Iowa River.

The 200-acre main campus is surrounded by an additional 800 acres featuring biology field sites and many miles 3 hour of hiking and cross-country drive from Chicago ski trails.

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QUAD CITIES

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Students love to hike and bike through the many local trails or spend time tubing down the river on a warm spring day.

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—Emily Looft, Southlake, Texas, management major, Scandinavian studies minor

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come to Decorah every year via its bald eagle cam. Perched 80 feet high in a tree near the local fish hatchery, the camera captures a bird’s-eye view—literally—of a pair of eagles and their brood. Learn more at www.decoraheaglecamalerts.com.

Millions of visitors

Discover your passion Luther has a purposeful plan for learning that helps you grow in competence—and in wisdom. As Luther’s namesake, Martin Luther, noted almost 500 years ago, a society’s true wealth is in its “able, learned, wise, honorable, and well-educated citizens.”

Where we study

n Preus Library, with 333,000 volumes, 500 print

periodicals, 90,000 electronic books, and thousands of video and other electronic recordings n Franklin W. Olin Building, Luther’s high-tech,

fully networked business, economics, math, and computer science building n Valders Hall and Sampson Hoffland

What We Study All students receive a solid foundation in the liberal arts through the all-college Paideia (Greek for “education”) program; Paideia includes a common yearlong interdisciplinary course for first-year students and an upper-class values seminar.

Laboratories—headquarters for the sciences— with well-equipped labs, a greenhouse, planetarium, animal center, human anatomy cadaver lab, and dedicated space for student research n award-winning Jenson-Noble Hall of Music,

home to Luther’s renowned vocal and instrumental music program n Koren, location for the education department and

the social sciences, including anthropology, history, political science, social work, and sociology; the facility includes an archaeology laboratory n Main, home to the departments of English, religion,

and the modern and classical languages n Center for the Arts, an interdisciplinary arts

complex featuring a theatre, studios, classroom space, galleries, and faculty offices n Center for Faith and Life, crossroads for faith

and learning on campus; used for worship, lectures, performances, celebrations, and chapel n Regents Center, hub for intercollegiate

athletics and intramural sports; one of the finest college athletic and fitness complexes in the nation, includes Legends Fitness for Life Center and a new state-of-the-art swimming and diving facility

Prepared to succeed Luther offers more than 60 majors, minors, preprofessional, and special programs leading to the bachelor of arts degree.

Areas of Study

Accounting* Africana Studies Anthropology* Art Athletic Training* Biblical Languages Biology Chemistry Chinese*** Classical Studies** Classics Communication Studies Computer Science Dance Economics Education, Elementary* Education, Secondary** English Environmental Studies French German Health and Fitness Promotion Health EducationTeaching History Information Systems** Intermedia Arts* International Management Studies+ International Studies Italian*** Linguistics** Management Mathematics Mathematics/Statistics* Museum Studies**

Music Nursing* Philosophy Physical EducationExercise Physiology Physical EducationTeaching Physics Political Science* Predentistry+ Preengineering+ Prelaw+ Premedicine+ Preoptometry+ Prepharmacy+ Prephysical Therapy+ Preseminary+ Preveterinary Medicine+ Psychology Religion Russian Studies Scandinavian Studies Social Welfare** Social Work* Sociology Spanish Theatre Women and Gender Studies * major only ** minor only *** coursework only + Preprofessional program (major chosen from several relevant disciplines)

What it costs n comprehensive fee for

2013–14 is $43,940 ($37,330 tuition, $3,000 room, $3,610 board) n over 98% of students

receive some sort of meritbased or need-based financial assistance n more than $43 million

dollars in Luther funds are annually distributed to students as scholarships and grants

Campus life Luther people are genuinely interested in who you are and what matters to you. Students’ wide-ranging experiences and backgrounds make life on campus varied, exciting— and always interesting.

About Luther n Nearly 2,500 students attend Luther; 30% are

from Iowa, 37% from Minnesota, 12% from Wisconsin, 6% from Illinois, 10% from 37 other states, and 5% from over 50 other countries. n Luther was the 1st U.S. college founded by

Norwegian Lutheran immigrants. n Students come from a wide variety of faith

backgrounds, including Lutheran 42%, Catholic 17%, Methodist 11%, Presbyterian 3%, Baptist 1%, other Christian 11%, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, and Jewish less than 1%.

Opportunities

n Nearly 30% of all students

participate in intercollegiate athletics; we offer 10 intercollegiate sports for men and 9 for women. n Almost 1,000 students

participate in Luther’s 6 choirs, 3 bands, 3 orchestras, and 2 jazz bands. n 110 student-run clubs

and organizations, and 35 intramural or club level sports

in being designated one of “America’s Best Small Towns”—offering varied shops, multiethnic restaurants, museums, and galleries, along with biking, paddling, cross-country skiing, and more.

Decorah Takes Pride

Connect with a larger world Success n Nearly 90% of first-year students will return for

the sophomore year; approximately 74% will graduate in 4 years; and 77% graduate within 6 years. n 8 Luther students have been awarded the

prestigious Rhodes Scholarship n 36 Luther students have received NCAA

Postgraduate Scholarships. n Typically, 96–99% of Luther graduates are

employed, attending graduate school, or engaged in an internship or student-teaching experience within 8 months of graduation. n 20–25% of Luther students immediately go on to

graduate or professional school. n In 2005 the Teagle Foundation recognized

Luther as one of 13 “overachieving colleges” in the nation based on our high graduation rates and high percentage of students who go on to earn doctoral degrees. n Upon graduation in 2012, the top career paths

pursued by Luther students were computing/ information systems 18%, education 12%, business/finance/banking 6%, nursing 5%, accounting 5%, and medicine/health-related occupations 5%.

n nearly 63% of Luther

students participate in an internship, student-teaching experience, nursing clinical, or social work field experience prior to graduation n over 75% of Luther

students study abroad on yearlong, semester, or January Term study experiences sponsored by Luther. Typically Luther is ranked nationally as one of the top 10 baccalaureate colleges for the number of students studying abroad. n domestic study-away

includes programs in Washington, D.C.; a yearlong nursing practicum at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota; a theatre internship with the Commonweal Theatre in Lanesboro, Minnesota; and numerous consortia programs

The entering

Class of 2013 as of July 24, 2013

25.8 Average ACT composite

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1230

ACT Middle 50%

SAT Middle 50%

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1040

High School Class Rank

87% 56% 31% 16%

11%

6

%

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American multicultural

Admissions Profile

top 25%

3,519 2,526 637

top 10% top 5%

applicants

admitted

enrolled

57%

43%

Geographic Distribution 6% 34%

29%

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216 n

41 n

182 n

8%

International

Minnesota Iowa 92 n Wisconsin 51 n Illinois 55 n Other States

9%

14%

valedictorians

Average SAT (math + critical reading)

top 50%

Gender Distribution Multicultural Student Profile

1141

alumni children

(25 states)

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International (25 countries)

siblings of students

Luther College, 700 College Drive, Decorah, Iowa 52101-1042 admissions.luther.edu | admissions@luther.edu | 563-387-1287