Avila University

Private · Moderately Selective · MO

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationMO · Midwest

SettingUrban

Undergrads1,312

Student:faculty19:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate41.1%

6-yr grad rate52.4%

Drop-out rate29.5%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$42k

Out-of-state tuition$42k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity56.2%

Gender diversity64.3%

International4.4%

IdentityRoman Catholic

Overview

Avila University is a private Catholic university in Kansas City, Missouri, founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. Its mission emphasizes service to what the founding order calls the dear neighbor, a phrase that still shows up in how the university talks about itself, and it serves a diverse, largely regional student body.

Academics

Nursing, education, psychology, and social work are the university's core programs, each oriented toward direct professional licensure and practice. Class sizes are small, and the helping-professions focus across these programs reflects the university's service-oriented mission fairly directly.

Campus & student life

Set in a residential part of Kansas City, the campus is compact and gives students access to the wider city for internships and outside opportunities without being a downtown campus itself. The student body is more regionally and demographically diverse than many small Catholic colleges.

Worth knowing

The concentration of programs in nursing, education, psychology, and social work makes Avila a natural fit for students who already know they want a helping-profession career, more than for students still exploring broadly.

avila.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate87.8%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 800–960 · ACT 16–21

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying