Concordia University-Wisconsin

Concordia University Wisconsin maintains an accessible admissions process with relatively high acceptance rates. In the 2027 U.S. News Best Colleges ranking, the university placed at 299, moving back into the top three hundred after ranking at 329 in both 2025 and 2026. For 2025, the undergraduate acceptance rate stood at 78.2%, which was higher than 40% of peer schools in a comparison group of 30 similarly ranked private comprehensive universities. This level of selectivity means that most applicants with reasonable academic records are admitted. However, the university faces challenges in converting admitted applicants into matriculated students. The yield rate in 2025 was 14.1%, indicating that only a small share of accepted students ultimately chose to enroll. For families and prospective students, these figures suggest that getting admitted is quite straightforward, but the institution often serves as an alternative option alongside other regional colleges rather than a destination where most admitted applicants end up enrolling.

Concordia University Wisconsin follows a test-optional admissions policy, where standardized test results are considered if submitted. For the 2025 admissions cycle, the published middle 50% range for enrolled freshmen was an ACT Composite score between 22 and 28. Standardized test reporting has become rare at the university, as only 5% of enrolled students submitted ACT scores in 2025. Academic preparation in high school serves as the primary gauge for applicant readiness. In the 2023–2024 academic year, 20.0% of incoming freshmen had achieved a 4.0 high school GPA, and the vast majority maintained grades above a 3.5. Overall, competitive applicants generally present strong secondary school transcripts centered on an A-minus to B-plus average, while those presenting ACT results near or above the mid-twenties are well within the university's academic norms.

Academic programs at Concordia University Wisconsin center primarily around healthcare professions, business, and applied technology. Bachelor's degree awards show moderate distribution across disciplines, with the top three undergraduate majors accounting for 27.2% of all bachelor's graduates in 2025. The largest undergraduate fields are Registered Nursing, Rehabilitation Science, and General Business Administration. Recognized national strengths according to U.S. News rankings are concentrated at the graduate level, where Pharmacy ranked 92 and the graduate Nursing program ranked 94 in 2026. Other ranked programs fall beyond the top 100. At the master's level, enrollments are heavily dominated by technical tracks, led by Information Technology with 254 graduates in 2025. In terms of financial returns, 2023 earnings data demonstrate that healthcare fields provide the strongest initial pay for undergraduates, led by Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions at a median first-year salary of $83,193, followed closely by Registered Nursing. Prospective students should note that while the university's largest undergraduate majors align well with lucrative healthcare employment, its nationally ranked programs belong specifically to its advanced graduate schools.

Concordia University Wisconsin enrolled 5,253 students in 2025, with more than half pursuing graduate degrees. The campus composition reveals a noticeable contrast between the undergraduate and graduate populations. White students represent the clear majority across undergraduate cohorts, while international representation is heavily concentrated at the advanced level. In the graduate school, international students number 1,121, accounting for 39.3% of all enrolled master's and doctoral candidates. By contrast, international undergraduates represent only small single-digit percentages across first-year, continuing, and transfer groups. Asian student representation remains small across all academic divisions; they account for 70 graduate students and hold modest single-digit shares within the undergraduate student body. For prospective students, this demographic profile means that while undergraduate campus life is predominantly domestic and regional, graduate programs feature significant international engagement, particularly in technical and professional fields.

The age distribution at Concordia University Wisconsin highlights two very distinct student environments between undergraduate and graduate programs. In 2025, the undergraduate population was primarily composed of traditional college-aged students, with individuals aged 20 to 21 making up 31.4% and those aged 18 to 19 accounting for 30.9%. This concentration creates a typical collegiate setting centered on young adults progressing directly from high school. In contrast, graduate programs serve a broader age spectrum. Students aged 22 to 24 represented 32% of graduate enrollment, while those aged 25 to 29 comprised 26.4%, alongside an older cohort of working adults in their forties. Consequently, while undergraduate life focuses on traditional campus activities, graduate studies bring together both recent college graduates and experienced working professionals.

International student enrollment at Concordia University Wisconsin follows opposite trajectories between undergraduate and graduate levels. In 2025, undergraduate international students accounted for 3% of the student body, a figure that is higher than 50% of peer schools in a comparison group of 30 similarly ranked private comprehensive universities. This undergraduate proportion has declined over the past decade. In contrast, international graduate enrollment has surged, with international scholars growing to represent 39.3% of all graduate students in 2025. This graduate expansion translates directly into degree completions: international students earned 47% of all master's degrees awarded in 2025, compared to tiny fractions of bachelor's and doctoral credentials. At the master's level, international students are heavily concentrated in technology and analytics fields, comprising the overwhelming majority of graduates in Information Technology, Computer Software Engineering, and Business Analytics. For prospective international applicants, these patterns indicate a modest global presence in undergraduate dormitories alongside a large, focused international cohort within graduate technical programs.

Families exploring higher education options near Mequon can consider several institutions in the surrounding area. Located 12.3 kilometers away in urban Milwaukee, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is a large public institution ranked 288 among National Universities in 2027. Also in the city center, Marquette University is a private institution situated 14.8 kilometers from Concordia and ranked 90 among National Universities. For applicants looking toward dedicated undergraduate liberal arts environments, Lake Forest College is located 69.5 kilometers south across the Illinois border, holding a 2027 rank of 62 among National Liberal Arts Colleges. Further west in the state capital, the flagship University of Wisconsin-Madison sits 76.0 kilometers away, holding the 34th position among National Universities in 2027.

Campus safety reports for Concordia University Wisconsin show low overall incident rates that have declined over time. In 2025, the university registered a crime rate per 1,000 students of 1.6, reflecting a decrease from previous years. Across the three-year period from 2023 to 2025, the overwhelming majority of recorded campus infractions were alcohol-related. Specifically, the university documented 69 disciplinary referrals for liquor violations and 52 liquor law arrests during those years. Drug-related offenses occurred far less often, and reports of interpersonal misconduct or violent crime remained rare across the same timeframe. For students evaluating campus life, these statistics show that safety concerns at Concordia predominantly involve university substance enforcement rather than serious threats to personal safety, with overall infraction rates remaining modest.