Luther- Norse vs. BLC

Should I go to Luther College or Bethany Lutheran College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Luther- Norse or BLC is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Luther College vs. Bethany Lutheran College comparison
Luther College Bethany Lutheran College College 3 College 4
Luther College
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Overview

Luther- Norse BLC
Location Decorah, IA Mankato, MN
Setting Remote Town Remote Town
Enrollment 1,463 902
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #299
Religious Affiliation Evangelical Lutheran Church Other (none of the above) - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website luther.edu blc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Luther- Norse BLC
Tuition (In State) $49,650 $29,280
Tuition (Out of State) $49,650 $29,280
Room & Board $11,180 $8,270
Avg Net Price $24,790 $19,456
Avg Grant Aid $38,042 $20,192
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

Luther- Norse BLC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,447 881
Admitted 1,793 449
Acceptance Rate 73.3% 51%
Enrolled % 19.6% 42.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.65 3.51
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Average
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 22/29 21/26
SAT Range 1098/1318 1000/1260
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jul 1, 2026

Academics

Luther- Norse BLC
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (13%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Foreign Languages (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (18%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Biology (13%)
  • Communication (13%)
  • Psychology (10%)

Outcomes

Luther- Norse BLC
Graduation Rate 69% 53%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,000 $37,300
Making Student Loan Payments 82% 80%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $23,250
Median Loan Payment $279 $240

Diversity

Luther- Norse BLC
% Men 0% 2%
% Women 0% 3%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 84% 88%
% Black 2% 3%
% Hispanic 4% 3%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 1%
% International 6% 3%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

Luther- Norse BLC
% In-State 28% 54%
% Out-of-State 58% 31%

Campus

Luther- Norse BLC
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Luther College is larger than than BLC based on total student enrollment (1,463 students vs. 902 students)

Luther- Norse vs. BLC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Luther- Norse or BLC?

  • Luther College is 69.6% more expensive to attend than BLC for in-state tuition ($49,650.00 vs. $29,280.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 69.6% higher at Luther- Norse than Bethany Lutheran College ($49,650.00 vs. $29,280.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Bethany Lutheran College than Luther- Norse ($19,456 vs. $24,790)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Bethany Lutheran College are 35.2% lower than costs at Luther College ($8,270 vs. $11,180)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Luther College as Bethany Lutheran College (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Luther College students is 88.4% larger than aid received Bethany Lutheran College ($38,042 vs. $20,192)

Luther- Norse vs. BLC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Luther- Norse or BLC? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between BLC or Luther- Norse .

  • The average SAT score at Luther College (1179) is 105 points higher than at BLC (1074)
  • Incoming Luther- Norse students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at BLC (23)
  • Accepted freshman Luther- Norse students have a 0.14 point higher average high school GPA (3.65) than students at BLC (3.51)
  • Luther- Norse has a higher acceptance rate (73.3%) than BLC (51%)

Luther- Norse vs. BLC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Luther- Norse or BLC? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between BLC and Luther- Norse.

  • The graduation rate at Luther- Norse is higher than Bethany Lutheran College (69% vs. 53%)
  • Graduates from Luther College earn on average $12,700 more per year than BLC graduates after ten years. ($50,000 vs. $37,300)
  • Bethany Lutheran College students graduate with a $3,750 lower median federal student loan debt than Luther- Norse graduates. ($23,250 vs. $27,000)
  • BLC graduates are paying $39 less per month on federal student loans than Luther- Norse graduates. ($240 vs. $279)
  • More Luther- Norse graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former BLC students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 80%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/