Paying for Buena Vista
Undergraduate Tuition & Fees
$41,798
Graduate Tuition & Fees
$9,061
On-campus Living Costs
$13,834
Off-campus Living Costs
$17,748
Undergraduate Tuition per Credit Hour
$1,406
Graduate Tuition per Credit Hour
$503
The 2025 tuition & fees of Buena Vista University are $41,798 for undergraduate programs. For graduate programs, the tuition & fees are $41,798 for graduate programs.
Compared to Private (not-for-profit), 4-Years Colleges in Iowa, the undergraduate tuition & fees are expensive and the graduate tuition & fees are relatively inexpensive.
Compared to similar schools in rankings such as University of Dubuque and Mount Mercy University, tuition & fees of Buena Vista University is average where the average tuition & fees of the schools are $36,415.
The average living cost of the school is $13,834 when a student lives in on-campus housing. When a student lives off-campus, the average living cost is $17,748.
*Data Source: 2024-2025 Tuition & Fees - NCES (Last Update: 6/05/2025)
2025 Tuition and Comparison Chart
The following chart visualizes the Buena Vista's 2025 tuition & fees and compares to similar schools by school type, level, and location.
2025 Tuition & fees
The 2025 undergraduate tuition & fees at Buena Vista University are $41,798 on average over undergraduate programs. The undergraduate tuition & fees have increased by 4.00% from last year.
The 2025 graduate tuition & fees are $9,061 on average. The graduate tuition & fees have decreased by 0.89% from last year.
The following table and chart show the 2025 tuition & fees and the tuition trends over the last 5 years.
| Year | Undergraduate | Graduate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition | Fees | Tuition | Fees | |
| 2021 | $36,426 | $0 | $36,426 | $0 |
| 2022 | $37,518 | $0 | $37,518 | $0 |
| 2023 | $38,644 | $0 | $38,644 | $0 |
| 2024 | $40,190 | $0 | $40,190 | $0 |
| 2025 | $41,798 | $0 | $41,798 | $0 |
Living Costs
The 2025 average on-campus living costs is $13,834 including room & board and other living expenses (a student lives in on-campus housing such as dormitory and school-owned apartment). For students living in off-campus housing, the average living cost is $17,748.
The living cost at the school has increased by 2.80% from last year.
The following table and chart show the living costs changes over the last 5 years.
| Year | On-Campus | Off-Campus | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Room & Board | Other Expenses | Room & Board | Other Expenses | |
| 2021 | $9,537 | $2,420 | $7,244 | $6,493 |
| 2022 | $10,370 | $2,762 | $7,645 | $6,853 |
| 2023 | $10,680 | $2,449 | $8,134 | $7,290 |
| 2024 | $10,896 | $2,561 | $8,913 | $7,989 |
| 2025 | $11,330 | $2,504 | $15,133 | $2,615 |
Books & Supplies Costs Trends Chart
The 2025 average cost for purchasing books & supplies is $2,089 at Buena Vista University. The books & supplies cost has increased by 84.54% from last year.
The following table and chart show the 2025 books & supplies costs and the trends over the last 5 years.
| Year | Books & Supplies Costs |
|---|---|
| 2021 | $1,190 |
| 2022 | $1,146 |
| 2023 | $1,126 |
| 2024 | $1,132 |
| 2025 | $2,089 |
Tuition Per Credit Hour
The 2025 undergraduate tuition per credit hour at Buena Vista University is $1,406 on average over undergraduate programs. The undergraduate tuition per credit hour has increased by 3.99% from last year.
The 2025 graduate tuition per credit hour is $503 on average. The graduate tuition per credit hour has decreased by 0.89% from last year.
The following table and chart show the 2025 tuition per credit hour and its trends over the last 5 years.
| Year | Undergraduate | Graduate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $1,225 | $552 |
| 2022 | $1,262 | $552 |
| 2023 | $1,300 | $552 |
| 2024 | $1,352 | $565 |
| 2025 | $1,406 | $503 |