Iowa · Private for-profit · Predominantly bachelor's

Waldorf University

Forest City, Iowa. 2,103 undergraduate students. 42 programs in the federal Field-of-Study dataset.

ANOMALY ENGINE · NOTABLE SIGNALS

What the data flags at Waldorf University

Short-arc shifts (recent 3-year window), peer outliers, earnings trend breaks, completion drops, enrollment cliffs, and debt-to-earnings warnings — surfaced deterministically from the federal record. Multi-decade shifts are reported separately in the Long Arc section, since 25-year tuition drift isn't really an anomaly.

LONG-ARC SHIFT · TRENDING WORSE-32%

150%-time completion

150%-time completion at Waldorf University fell 32% between 2021 and 2024 (31.2% → 21.1%).

LONG-ARC SHIFT · TRENDING BETTER+362%

100%-time completion

100%-time completion at Waldorf University rose 362% between 2021 and 2024 (4.5% → 20.9%).

LONG-ARC SHIFT · TRENDING WORSE-10%

Undergraduate enrollment

Undergraduate enrollment at Waldorf University fell 10% between 2021 and 2024 (2.0k → 1.8k).

LONG-ARC SHIFT · TRENDING BETTER-100%

3-year cohort default rate

3-year cohort default rate at Waldorf University fell 100% between 2021 and 2024 (1.5% → 0.0%).

SECTION 01 · OUTCOMES SNAPSHOT

The numbers, vs. Iowa

Each tile compares this institution to the Iowa median for the same metric. Sub-line shows the comparison value, not an interpretation. Sparklines trace the federally available history.

MEDIAN EARNINGS · 10Y
$51,165+1% · 6→10y
Iowa median $42,849
MEDIAN EARNINGS · 6Y
$50,515
Treasury earnings · 6y post-entry
COMPLETION · 150%
29.0%-12% · '02→'24
Iowa median 58.4%
MEDIAN FEDERAL DEBT
$12,025+241% · '97→'20
At program completion
UNDERGRAD ENROLLMENT
2,103+188% · '96→'24
latest IPEDS
RETENTION
51.7%-31% · '04→'24
first-time, full-time
ADMISSION RATE
72.6%-7% · '01→'24
latest cohort
IN-STATE TUITION
$25,220+92% · '00→'24
out-of-state $25,220
SECTION 02 · EARNINGS HORIZONS

How earnings spread, 4 to 10 years after entry

Treasury tax-record earnings for federally aided students who first enrolled at this institution. Each point is a horizon from the most-recent vintage. Single median per horizon (no p25/p75 publishing).

ALL FEDERALLY AIDED STUDENTS · TAX-RECORD EARNINGSVINTAGE 2025-05
Earnings widen with time post-entry. Selection: federal-aid recipients only — not all graduates.Methodology →
SECTION 03 · DEBT-TO-EARNINGS

What loans cost relative to earnings

Annual debt service as a share of median earnings 10 years after entry, computed under federal Direct loan terms (10-year fixed at 6%). The 8% line is the gainful-employment threshold from federal regulation; above 12% has historically been considered “failing” under prior rule cycles.

Institution-wide

3.1%
0%8% · GE20%+

Median federal debt $12,025 amortized over 10 years vs. median earnings $51,165 (10y after entry).

SECTION 04 · LONG ARC

Ten-plus year arc

Federally available history. Coverage varies by metric — IPEDS publishes some series only after 2009 and others only before.

UNDERGRAD · 199620241,827
2,55450719962024
Undergraduate enrollment.IPEDS EF
COMPLETION 150% · 2002202421.1%
52%21%20022024
150%-time completion rate.IPEDS GR
MEDIAN DEBT · 19972020$18,752
$22,238$5,08019972020
Median federal student debt at exit.SCORECARD
COMPLETION · 100% · 20022024-79%

Waldorf University · completion · 100% fell

97.1% → 20.9%

RETENTION · 20042024-31%

Waldorf University · retention fell

64.0% → 44.1%

UNDERGRAD ENROLLMENT · 19962024+188%

Waldorf University · undergrad enrollment rose

635 → 1,827

IN-STATE TUITION · 20002024+92%

Waldorf University · in-state tuition rose

$13,522 → $25,978

OUT-OF-STATE TUITION · 20002024+92%

Waldorf University · out-of-state tuition rose

$13,522 → $25,978

MEDIAN DEBT · 19972020+241%

Waldorf University · median debt rose

$5,500 → $18,752

COHORT DEFAULT RATE · 20112024-100%

Waldorf University · cohort default rate fell

6.5% → 0.0%

EARNINGS_MEDIAN_10YR · 20072020+29%

Waldorf University · earnings_median_10yr rose

$39,800 → $51,165

EARNINGS_MEDIAN_8YR · 20052020+33%

Waldorf University · earnings_median_8yr rose

$37,400 → $49,831

EARNINGS_MEDIAN_6YR · 20032020+53%

Waldorf University · earnings_median_6yr rose

$33,000 → $50,515

SECTION 06 · BY CIP FAMILY

6 programs with earnings, grouped

Programs are grouped by 2-digit CIP family. Programs without reported earnings are hidden to keep the list focused.

PSYCHOLOGY · CIP 42

HOMELAND SECURITY & PROTECTIVE SERVICES · CIP 43

BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT & MARKETING · CIP 52

FINANCIAL OUTCOME · ILLUSTRATION

Estimate the financial outcome at Waldorf University

Pick a program. Cost from Scorecard net price by family income; earnings from Treasury 5-year-post-completion median, projected forward with a Mincer age-earnings curve. The selection-bias toggle applies the Dale-Krueger shrinkage. Outcomes illustration, not a forecast — see methodology.

Shrinks the earnings premium toward the matched-applicant mean. STEM <15%, business ~40%, arts & education ~60%.

NET PRESENT VALUE
$319,757
Over 40 years, discounted 5.0%
BREAKEVEN
Year 14
First year cumulative discounted earnings cross zero
graduationbreakeven · year 14year 0year 39
Cost per year
$23,887
HS-only baseline · IA
$36,800
Years to complete
4
CIP family
52

Outcomes illustration · not a forecast. Projects observed Scorecard earnings forward with a Mincer age-earnings curve under your assumptions. See methodology for the math.

CAUSAL DISCIPLINE

Waldorf University graduates earn $X” — not “Waldorf University makes you earn $X”

Median earnings describe what cohorts earned. They do not describe what attending Waldorf University caused. Selection effects (who admits, who enrolls, who completes) are real. We publish federal data with strict descriptive phrasing — and link the methodology where you can read about the limitations directly.

Methodology →