Saint Ambrose University

Private · Moderately Selective · IA

Photo: Farragutful (CC BY-SA 3.0)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationIA · Midwest

SettingUrban

Undergrads1,916

Student:faculty11:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate54.9%

6-yr grad rate61%

Drop-out rate24.2%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$37k

Out-of-state tuition$37k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity34.1%

Gender diversity53.1%

International3.2%

IdentityRoman Catholic

Overview

St. Ambrose University is a private Catholic diocesan university in Davenport, Iowa, in the Quad Cities, known for health professions and a personal, mid-sized campus feel with a strong service orientation.

Academics

Physical and occupational therapy and nursing are established strengths, drawing on the university's ties to regional Quad Cities health systems, alongside solid business and education programs. Class sizes stay small, and a Catholic diocesan identity shapes a values-based general education without being heavily doctrinal.

Campus & student life

The Davenport campus sits in the Quad Cities region along the Mississippi River, giving students a small-metro setting without a major-city scale. Service and community engagement are recurring themes in student life.

Getting in

Admissions is holistic and personal, typical of a small diocesan university that reviews applications individually rather than by formula.

Worth knowing

St. Ambrose's diocesan Catholic identity, governed under the local bishop rather than a religious order like the Jesuits or Christian Brothers, is a subtler distinction worth knowing when comparing Catholic universities' character and governance.

sau.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate77.3%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 930–1170 · ACT 20–25

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying