Bethany Lutheran College

Private · Selective · MN

Photo: Bethany Lutheran College (CC BY-SA 4.0)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationMN · Midwest

SettingUrban

Undergrads669

Student:faculty12:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate43.4%

6-yr grad rate54.9%

Drop-out rate28%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$31k

Out-of-state tuition$31k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity33.9%

Gender diversity51.7%

International19.9%

IdentityOther (none of the above)

Overview

Bethany Lutheran College is a small college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS), a conservative Lutheran body distinct from the larger ELCA and LCMS synods, set on a bluff above the Minnesota River in Mankato. It combines a liberal-arts foundation with a close-knit, faith-oriented community, and stands out for the personal attention students get from faculty in a setting far smaller than Minnesota State University, the large public university sharing its town. Bethany began as a two-year junior college before expanding into a four-year institution, and that smaller-scale, teaching-first identity still defines it.

Academics

The curriculum spans traditional liberal-arts departments with a notably strong and well-regarded media arts and communication program that draws students well beyond the ELS's own membership, producing graduates who go on to broadcasting and production careers. Class sizes are small and teaching-focused, with professors known by name and genuinely accessible outside class, a hallmark of a school this size. Music has a long tradition here as well, tied closely to the Lutheran hymn and choral heritage that runs through campus life.

Campus & student life

The bluff-top campus overlooking the Minnesota River gives Bethany a quiet, scenic setting distinct from Mankato's larger public-university energy just down the road. Chapel life and Lutheran traditions, including regular hymn singing, are part of the everyday rhythm of campus rather than an occasional add-on. The small student body fosters a tight community feel where students across class years know one another, and choir and music ensembles are a significant part of extracurricular life alongside a modest athletics program.

Getting in

Admissions are straightforward and personal rather than formula-driven, reflecting the school's small size, with interviews and demonstrated fit with its faith-centered community carrying real weight alongside academic record. Students need not be ELS members to apply, but should expect campus life to be genuinely shaped by that affiliation, and applicants drawn to the media arts program often highlight that interest directly.

After graduation

Media arts graduates have a track record of moving into broadcasting, video production, and communications roles regionally and beyond. Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary, the ELS's own seminary, sits on the same campus, and some Bethany graduates continue directly into pastoral training there, a distinctive, built-in path for students considering ministry.

Worth knowing

Religious life is a visible, active part of campus culture given the ELS affiliation, which matters for students weighing how central faith practice should be to their college years. The adjoining seminary on the same campus is a genuine rarity among small liberal-arts colleges of this size.

blc.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate39%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1040–1180 · ACT 21–26

Test policyoptional

Rec letters—

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying