Elmhurst College Admissions

ACT Scores, Acceptance Rate, Financial Aid, Graduation Rate & More

Old Main at Elmhurst College
Old Main at Elmhurst College. Teemu008 / Flickr
by Allen Grove
Dr. Allen Grove is an Alfred University English professor and a college admissions expert with 20 years of experience helping students transition to college.
Updated September 25, 2017

Elmhurst College Admissions Overview:

Admissions at Elmhurst are not highly selective--the school has an acceptance rate of 72%. Those who apply to Elmhurst will need to submit a strong application, SAT or ACT scores, a teacher recommendation, and high school transcripts. While an interview and writing sample are not required, they are recommended as part of the application. 

Will You Get In?

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Admissions Data (2016):

Elmhurst College Description:

Elmhurst College is a private, service-oriented liberal arts college affiliated with the United Church of Christ. The 48-acre campus is located in Elmhurst, Illinois, a bustling Chicago suburb just 16 miles west of the city’s downtown Loop. The campus is also an arboretum, and it boasts more than 700 varieties of trees and other woody plants and shrubs. Academically, the college has a low student faculty ratio of 13 to 1 and an average class size of just 19 students. Elmhurst offers more than 50 undergraduate majors, with popular areas of study in psychology, nursing, communication sciences and disorders, business administration and English.

Graduate students can pursue master’s degrees in nine areas, including business administration, supply chain management, and industrial and organizational psychology. Students are involved in more than 100 clubs and activities on campus. On the athletic front, the Elmhurst Bluejays compete in the NCAA Division III College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin.

Enrollment (2016):

  • Total Enrollment: 3,403 (2,856 undergraduates)
  • Gender Breakdown: 41% Male / 59% Female
  • 95% Full-time

Costs (2016 - 17):

  • Tuition and Fees: $35,500
  • Books: $1,000 (why so much?)
  • Room and Board: $9,928
  • Other Expenses: $2,072
  • Total Cost: $48,500

Elmhurst College Financial Aid (2015 - 16):

  • Percentage of New Students Receiving Aid: 99%
  • Percentage of New Students Receiving Types of Aid
    • Grants: 99%
    • Loans: 93%
  • Average Amount of Aid
    • Grants: $24,222
    • Loans: $6,736

Academic Programs:

Retention and Graduation Rates:

  • First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 84%
  • 4-Year Graduation Rate: 56%
  • 6-Year Graduation Rate: 69%

Intercollegiate Athletic Programs:

  • Men's Sports: Football, Track and Field, Baseball, Wrestling, Basketball, Cross Country, Tennis, Golf, Soccer, Lacrosse
  • Women's Sports: Golf, Volleyball, Basketball, Track and Field, Cross Country, Bowling, Soccer, Tennis, Softball, Lacrosse

Data Source:

National Center for Educational Statistics

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Elmhurst College and the Common Application

Elmhurst uses the Common Application. These articles can help guide you: