Augustana College

About Augustana College

Augustana College is an independent, private nonprofit institution in Rock Island, Illinois. The college is certified by the State of Illinois as a degree-granting institution and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Its official accreditation information and active 2026–2027 catalog establish that it remains operational and enrolling students. The institution should not be confused with Augustana University in South Dakota; “Illinois” in the database record is a disambiguator rather than part of this college’s official name. The college was founded in Chicago in 1860 by graduates of Swedish universities who sought to educate Swedish immigrant communities and prepare church leaders. It relocated to Paxton, Illinois, in 1863 and then to Rock Island in 1875. Its former theological seminary became a separate institution in 1948, while the college remained in Rock Island. Augustana retains an affiliation with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, but its present curriculum covers liberal arts, sciences, professional preparation, and engineering. Augustana describes a 115-acre wooded campus serving about 2,500 students. These institution-reported figures are useful for understanding its scale but should be treated as current website estimates rather than audited enrollment totals. The college’s academic structure is predominantly undergraduate, with one identified master’s program. Students seeking a small residential college with broad undergraduate choices may find the model suitable; those seeking numerous graduate or doctoral pathways should note that the official catalog does not identify a doctoral program.

For first-year entry, Augustana accepts its institutional application and the Common Application, with availability depending on the intended entry term. For fall applicants, the currently published first-year schedule lists binding Early Decision and non-binding Early Action deadlines of November 1, followed by a Regular Decision deadline of April 1. Spring applicants have a November 1 deadline. These dates are displayed for the current 2026–2027 application cycle and should be reconfirmed for later entry years. Applicants must arrange for an official high-school transcript and a Secondary School Report. A teacher recommendation is encouraged but not required. Augustana is test-optional: SAT and ACT scores are treated as supplemental materials and are considered only when submitted. An interview is optional but encouraged for most applicants and required for Early Decision. The college reviews academic preparation, including course rigor and grades, and ordinarily expects preparation in English, mathematics, laboratory science, social studies, and a foreign language. International applicants follow a separate procedure requiring secondary-school records in English, evidence of English proficiency, and documentation of financial capacity. The college accepts several routes to meet its English requirement, including qualifying prior education, approved curricula, or recognized tests. Its current published minimum includes IELTS 6.5; applicants should consult the live table because TOEFL scoring requirements differ for examinations taken before and after January 21, 2026. International transfer applicants with study outside the United States may also need a course-by-course credential evaluation from a recognized evaluator.

The 2026–2027 catalog identifies two undergraduate degree routes: the Bachelor of Arts, offered across many fields, and the Bachelor of Science in Engineering. It also lists a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology. No doctoral award is identified, so the database’s supplied PhD level should not be used. Most undergraduate offerings lead to the Bachelor of Arts unless the program listing says otherwise. Undergraduates complete a liberal arts core, a major, and elective study. The core begins with First-Year Inquiry courses intended to introduce college-level discourse and participation in an academic community. The catalog organizes departments into STEM, social sciences, arts and communication, and humanities. Examples include biology, chemistry and biochemistry, mathematics and computer science, engineering and physics, accounting, business administration, data analytics, education, psychology and neuroscience, public health, art, music, theatre and film, English, history, philosophy, religion, and world languages. Students can also pursue minors, interdisciplinary study, pre-professional advising, coordinated-degree arrangements, and an individually designed contract major subject to eligibility and approval. The curriculum permits substantial exploration, but applicants should distinguish actual majors from minors, advising tracks, concentrations, and coordinated programs when comparing choices. Augustana also connects academic planning with CORE, its career and experiential-learning operation. Its Augie Choice program offers eligible students up to $2,000 after one year at Augustana for an internship, international study, or faculty-mentored research project. Availability, approval, and program-specific requirements should be checked before enrollment.

Key Highlights

• Founded in 1860 and located in Rock Island since 1875
• Private nonprofit institution certified by Illinois to grant degrees
• Higher Learning Commission accreditation reaffirmed through 2035
• Official website describes a 115-acre wooded campus and about 2,500 students

Student Life & Environment

Augustana offers a residential college environment with academic, cultural, athletic, religious, service, professional, and recreational activities. The college reports roughly 170 student organizations and related groups, including club sports, performing ensembles, honor societies, publications, identity-based organizations, fraternities, and sororities. Because participation levels and recognized groups can change, applicants should consult the current organization directory rather than assume every listed group will remain active. The Office of Student Life and Leadership coordinates campus programming such as concerts, educational events, leadership development, homecoming activities, and the annual SloughFest. Dedicated offices support international students and cultural connection, while peer-mentoring programs help first-year and transfer students navigate campus. Greek organizations at Augustana are locally founded and autonomous rather than chapters of national organizations. Athletics are a visible part of campus life. The college reports 28 NCAA-sanctioned varsity teams plus an all-gender esports team, alongside intramural and club opportunities. Students considering varsity participation should confirm current rosters, recruitment expectations, conference rules, and eligibility directly with the relevant coach. Campus support resources listed by the college include academic advising, counseling, disability and access services, health care, public safety, and student well-being services. Prospective students should assess how the residential setting, local Greek system, and activity-heavy campus culture align with their preferred level of involvement.

Location & Surroundings

Augustana’s campus is at 639 38th Street in Rock Island, Illinois, one of the communities that form the Quad Cities along the Mississippi River. The college describes its grounds as a 115-acre wooded campus. Rock Island’s location gives students access to a multi-city metropolitan area rather than an isolated college town, with nearby communities on both the Illinois and Iowa sides of the river. The Quad Cities can support internships, clinical placements, student teaching, research, arts participation, and community service without requiring students to travel to Chicago. The college places the campus about 165 miles west of Chicago, so Chicago is better understood as a periodic regional destination than an everyday extension of campus. Applicants without a car should investigate current bus routes, airport connections, campus transportation, and the location of likely placements before enrolling, since transport needs will vary by program. The wooded residential setting and broader metropolitan surroundings offer two distinct environments: a compact college campus for daily life and a regional urban area for work and recreation. Students should also plan for the seasonal weather typical of northwestern Illinois, including cold winters and warm, humid summers.

Costs & Career Outcomes

For 2026–2027, Augustana publishes full-time undergraduate tuition of $55,048, standard housing and meals of $13,224, and a $170 health care or clinic fee, producing direct comprehensive charges of $68,442. The college separately estimates $1,200 for books and supplies, $2,910 for personal expenses, and $2,096 for travel. Housing prices vary by room type, so students should use the official charge schedule and their assigned meal plan when building a budget. These figures apply specifically to 2026–2027 and should not be carried forward to later years. Domestic students seeking need-based aid are directed to complete the FAFSA; Augustana’s federal school code is 001633. Admission applications are also reviewed for academic scholarship eligibility, while some specialized awards require separate applications or auditions. International students use an institutional financial-aid application rather than assuming eligibility for U.S. federal aid. Families should compare the final aid offer, loan terms, work-study expectations, travel, insurance, and personal expenses rather than relying on the published sticker price alone. Career preparation is coordinated through CORE, which brings together career coaching, internships, research, exploration, and graduate-school planning. Augustana publishes an outcomes dashboard based on its First Destination Survey, supplemented by online research and outreach, showing employment, further education, experiential-learning participation, employers, industries, locations, and graduate study. Because results depend partly on response and information-gathering methods, applicants should inspect the cohort and major selected in the dashboard instead of treating a college-wide outcome as a guaranteed individual result.