Best national liberal arts colleges (U.S. News)
This is your viewbook
A quick look at Augustana’s campus
It begins with A
Read through the full piece below, or just browse the fast facts and imagery we’ve gathered for you here. Take your time to explore all the details, or scroll to the bottom for next steps.
Most importantly, be inspired to visit campus—because real learning goes beyond books and landing pages.
What is the A?
The Augustana A means a lot: Augie Choice. Academic All-America. Advantage. Amazing. Allelujah. All of the Above. The Augie A is golden. It's a great goal and a great deal. It can stand for anything that matters to you.
There’s so much to do and be and know, and 4 qualities stand out.
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AUGIE CHOICE GIVES YOU $2,000 TO USE FOR YOUR RESEARCH, INTERNSHIP OR INTERNATIONAL STUDY.
Choose the BIG LEARNING EXPERIENCE that matters the most to your goals, and do it.
THE QUAD CITIES ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER GIVES YOU RESEARCH AND FIELD SITES, JOBS AND INTERNSHIPS in FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES AND NON-PROFITS, for hands-on, career building learning experiences.
ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA knows Augustana. WE ARE IN THE TOP 10 IN THE NATION AND #1 IN ILLINOIS for the number of Academic All-Americans—students who excel at their studies and their sports. You'll find a similar balance of what you learn and what you love to do. It's part of the campus culture here.
YOU WILL STAND OUT to your mentors and campus, and you will stand out to employers and graduate schools after graduation. TAKE YOUR CAREER ADVISING TO A NEW LEVEL WITH CORE (Careers, Opportunities, Research, Exploration)—a network of career coaches, resources and experiences all focused on you and your success.
CAREER BUILDING
Resources in CORE create advantages for Augustana graduates. In your first year on campus, you can begin building your Viking Score by tracking your professional preparation and accumulating points through activities such as mock interviews, career fairs and internships.
AUGIE GRADS HAVE WHAT IT TAKES, AND MORE.
Your career success begins with your liberal arts education and extended network of mentors, from professors in your major(s) to professional advisors in CORE. You will have a first-year advisor and peer mentor, an advisor for every major, and another for every minor. 80% of professors are also advisors.
Learn about careers & outcomes for Augie grads
AUGUSTANA AT WORK
318 faculty and coaches are teachers and mentors.
1 in 4 students joins performing arts ensembles.
65% of students travel abroad for study, research, performance tours and/or internships.
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Brian Hinkley '17 wanted a smaller college with an excellent music program, but never thought he could play at such a high level. Thanks to "constant mentoring," he is now a stunning pianist pursuing his master's in music composition.
Chemistry majors Alexa Gutauskas, Isaac Smith and Joshua Zgrabik discovered five new metallic complexes in their research group with Dr. Greg Domski '02, and published their work in 2017.
Known for her talents as a vocal coach, Dr. Sangeetha Rayapati has been called "a professor of life" by her students.
Dr. Adam Kaul of the anthropology department researches Irish street musicians, and has been a great mentor for his students in their own research. He also inspires musically, performing with his wife and their band, Subatlantic.
MORE THAN 99%
• of engineering physics majors are in engineering jobs, the 3-2 coordinated degree program or graduate school within a year of graduating.
• of music education majors are in teaching positions within a year of graduating.
TOP 10 IN THE NATION
and #1 in Illinois for number of Academic All-Americans, students who excel at both their studies and their sport. Many Augie students achieve a similar balance.
82% OF STUDENTS
build career skills and grow as citizens through volunteering, whether nearby or abroad.
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Augustana's Upper Mississippi Center for Sustainable Communities forms year-long partnerships with local cities. Students in various fields—from geography to business to environmental studies—work with a community on issues related to the economy, transportation, land and water use, public health and more.
Engineering physics major Jaleesa Kindred '17 transferred to Augustana as a junior. The skills and confidence she gained in just two years led to her internship with Exelon wind energy, which offered her the full-time job she loves today.
Like so many Augie students, varsity runner Comet Blecha '18 (art and graphic design) found her balance: academics, athletics, her clubs and sorority, and internships with LUSHmedia in NYC and Augustana's EDGE Center. Now she is a graphic designer at Any_ in NYC.
Planning a career combining business and sports, varsity football player Daniel Tjaden '20 will use majors in accounting and marketing, an internship with QC River Bandits minro league baseball and a passion for sports. CORE can help him get there.
THE QUAD CITIES IS IDEAL FOR HANDS-ON LEARNING.
For example, education majors have many options for student teaching experiences: inner-city, rural, suburban, private and public.
WITH NEARLY 200 STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS including 27 club sports, Augustana offers a lot to do outside class—all part of the learning experience.
MORE THAN 200 ORGANIZATIONS visit CORE each year to recruit for internships in the Quad Cities, Chicago, 15 states and about 15 countries around the world.
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Augustana and neighboring Longfellow Elementary have a partnership that has created a liberal arts focus at the grade school, and an amazing teaching and learning laboratory for Augie elementary education students.
Communications studies and multimedia journalism major Tawanda Mberikwazvo '17 interned with Fresh Films, a working film studio at Augustana, and WMWC-TV. His internships gave him the experience for his job as a creative services producer at WHBF-TV in the Quad Cities.
Augustana is one of only a few schools privileged to send student interns to the Texas Medical Center, a top cancer research center, for students majoring in the sciences, business, English, psychology, philosophy, communication sciences and disorders, art and more.
Our small but mighty equestrian team club sport is competitive regionally and nationally. In 2018, biology major Michelle Grevengoed '19 took home 10th place in Western Showmanship from IHSA national championships in Pennsylvania.
THE AUGUSTANA ADVANTAGE
Internships matter. According to a 2019 report from the national Association of Colleges and Employers, organizations offer employment to more than 70% of their interns.
97% of recent graduates were in graduate school, employed or in a service position such as the Peace Corps within months.
95% – 100% of CSD majors enroll in graduate programs every year. Augustana is expanding its facilities and will introduce a speech-language pathology master’s program in 2020.
Augustana is the top 10% of four-year colleges and universities nationwide for the study of biology, according to College Factual.
Mathematics and Classics major Allan Daly '18 discovered his passion for applied math during his Texas Medical Center internship with a renowned theorist who hired him in part for his interesting combination of majors. Now he is pursuing a master's in healthcare research at Dartmouth.
During their summer 2018 Fresh Films internships, Elise Campbell (theater), Haley Clebanoff (business) and Kelse Conley (comm. studies, anthropology) worked at Hello Sunshine, actress Reese Witherspoon's production company in LA. They helped with the documentary "Zoom Out," focusing on women in the entertainment industry.
Dental student Carli Hogan '17 claims she would not have gotten into dental school if she hadn't transferred to Augustana. The liberal arts, strong sciences, small classes and the colleges "dynamics" got here there.
From her first-year advisor to her cheerleading coach, Nicolette Hampton '18 (comm. studies, creative writing, Africana studies) found mentors to hep her discover and balance her passions: reading and writing, social justice issues, cheerleading, her sorority, and more.
Taylor Hayes ’19 used Augie Choice to travel outside the country for the first time. He chose Augie for the close relationships with faculty and discovered the best part of his college career was studying in Greece—another great choice for this art history and Classics double major.
English and public health major Jennifer DiBuono ’19 had an internship at the West African AIDS foundation in Ghana, thanks to Augie Choice. With her two majors and a passion for public health policy, she helped pass a tobacco-free parks ordinance in her hometown of Elgin, Illinois.
In 1990, geology professor emeritus Dr. William Hammer found the first dinosaur discovered in Antarctica, Cryolophosaurus ellioti. Students work with fossils in the paleo labs at Augustana’s Fryxell Geology Museum—some through paid internships.
Students and faculty use the college’s environmental field stations for field research, and traverse the Mississippi and Rock Rivers with the geography department’s research boat, Scholar Ship.
Patrick Conniff ’17 (economics, Africana studies and French) landed his dream job with U.S. Soccer. He found internships through CORE, used Augie Choice to coach soccer in Ghana, and worked with Augie’s sports information office.
86% of Augustana students participate in one or more internships, research with a professor and/or study abroad.
Augustana students who pursue master’s degrees in public health have had a 100% acceptance rate to grad schools in the past 20 years.
Serious fun is good work.
Keep a record of your leadership roles, awards participation in the arts and/or sports, student groups, volunteering, study away, internships, etc. It’s all part of your education, and it’s important for competitive jobs and graduate schools.
Wonder if Augie and the Quad Cities have your favorite things to do? Come for a visit and make a weekend of it!
THE WORLD ON CAMPUS
Augustana College is residential—almost all students live on campus the first three years.
You’ll find many options for places to live—from historic House on the Hill to Swanson Commons with its faculty-in-residence.
If you live in Seminary, you’ll be at the heart of campus, near the planetarium the chapel and the geology museum. If you live in Westerlin, you can work out at the AugiePlex in your own building.
If you move into a Parkander TLA* as a junior, you’ll have more independence, but still see the lights of The Gerber Center reflecting in the Slough at night.
As a first-year student, you also might choose the Healthy Living Community, living among others who go for a healthy, substance-free lifestyle.
*Juniors can live in apartments called Transitional Living Areas (TLAs), including 45 houses and 12 suite-style apartment buildings—from single apartments to a house big enough for 11 people. Students choose their housemates and customize their meal plans, and Augustana takes care of maintenance and once-a-week cleaning. TLAs are great preparation for living off campus as a senior.
Emily Graziano '19 | business administration-management and communication studies
“I used to sit in ‘my spot’ downstairs in the Andreen Lobby every night to work on homework, and would see my friends come in the doors and say hello. Whether I was in my room with the door open inviting conversation or in the lobby striking up discussions, living and learning together in the residence halls with some of my best friends transformed the hall to a home.”
THE WORLD OUTSIDE CLASS
Augustana students are busy. 82% volunteer in the community. More than 50% are in intercollegiate, club or intramural sports, and 25% are in performing arts.
We are well rounded and open-minded, and the campus ministries program reflects this. While the college is related to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, students come from all faiths. More Catholics are here than Lutherans, and the Jewish and Music student groups welcome more members every year.
From Augie TV to Viking Steppers, the Office of Student Life and Leadership sponsors about 200 interest groups and other ways to get involved. Students start new groups all the time.
Wilma Nnoke '18 | Biology
“As a freshman, I was shy and intimidated by the fact that I was in a new country, and all the adjustments I had to make. But at the end of my freshman year, I decided to get involved on campus. Before I knew it, I was elected to co-chair for signature events with the Global Engagement Team.”
THE VIKING WORLD
THE WAY OF THE VIKING IS TO WIN AT EVERYTHING. THE BEAUTY OF DIVISION III? YOU CAN BE A GREAT ATHLETE WITHOUT SACRIFICING STUDIES—AND VICE VERSA.
A charter member of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW), the Vikings have won 199 CCIW team championships and four NCAA Division III team championships, and have qualified more than 250 teams for national competition.
Since 2000, more than 25 Vikings teams have traveled internationally, playing teams in Australia, Austria, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, and Trinidad and Tobago. On these trips, atheletes improve their skills and gain global perspective during an experience they will never forget.
Michael Daniels '17 | accounting and business administration-finance
"As a senior in high school, I was looking for a college with quality academics where I could continue with athletics and music. AUGUSTANA WAS THE PERFECT FIT. My peak experience was seeing my name on the first-team Academic All-America list in the fall, which was my number one goal since arriving on campus as a freshman. I went through a lot of ups and downs as an athlete, so it was a great feeling when my hard work won out in the end."
THE QUAD CITIES
Your community will give you on-site learning experiences and internships to make you stand out— and professional mentors to make sure you succeed.
You’ll have more access, with less competition, to the resources of five distinct city governments.
Student teachers gain experience in schools of all kinds, including our partner liberal arts elementary school down the street.
John Deere & Company has its world headquarters here. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Army Corps of Engineers and other environmental organizations have field offices along the Mississippi River.
The Quad Cities has four TV stations, a major newspaper, and an alternative bi-weekly paper founded by an Augie grad.
Augustana is one of only a few independent liberal arts colleges in a metropolitan area. In a community of 400,000 Augustana's location is an advantage.
Area business and organizations want Augustana students. You will have access to the many professional, educational and cultural resources of these 4 cities along the 4th largest river in the world.
Sam G. Dunklau '17 | multimedia journalism & mass communication major, creative writing minor
"Augustana is really incredible school with unique opportunities, even in the area and state. MY EXPERIENCES PUSHED ME OVER THE EDGE to be accepted in my master's program in public affairs reporting at the University of Illinois, Springfield. It's an unparalleled program, an opportunity that only a few get. I attribute that to an Augustana education."
ACROSS THE WORLD
You will have flexibility, variety and funding for study abroad.
Live a few weeks in the heart of France or all summer in the Andes.
Take a semester to study peace and conflict resolution in Morocco or foreign policy in China. Or have a full-time internship in Dublin or Rome.
And then J-term! For three weeks you can hike Spain’s Camino de Santiago. Study physical theatre in Austria or Caribbean geology on the island of Bonaire. Go places.
Claire Herdegen '18 | Spanish and psychology
“Saint Augustine said, ‘The wolrd is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.’ I spent 10 weeks not merely studying abroad, but discovering who I am, who my generation is, and what potential we have to better the world we live in. While SPAIN TAUGHT ME COUNTLESS LESSONS. . . simplicity is perhaps the most essential value I take with me. Spanish culture values time over everything. I truly aim to take time to enjoy every second from now on.”
THERE ARE SO MANY DESTINATIONS…
… AND AUGIE CHOICE CAN HELP YOU GET THERE.
Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bonaire, Botswana, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Ecuador, England, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Greenland, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Korea, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Peru, Poland, Scotland, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand
Augustana is a leader for number of students studying abroad, ranking #26 among the nation’s baccalaureate colleges, according to the 2018 Open Doors Report, and #15 for short-term programs.
CHOOSE YOUR FUTURE
Your Augustana degree will set you up for success the rest of your life, yet you will be here only 4 years— not 5 or 6, which is common at big universities. Working with your advisors, you will stay on track to graduate with the same people who helped you make your first AUGIE A. We’ll miss you. Come back to campus, when you’re not catching up with college friends across the country and the world.
THE WORLD OF ALUMNI
Here are just a few examples of where an Augustana degree has taken our graduates.
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“My geology courses prepared me to be a scientist, but AUGUSTANA PREPARED ME TO BE A CEO. No one beats Augustana in providing the foundation for the important balance between heart and mind that is required in U.S. business leadership today.”
Murry Gerber '75 Retired CEO of EQT Corporation, Pittsburgh
“I always tell young filmmakers to go to college FOR A LIBERAL ARTS DEGREE. You can learn the technical skills in filmmaking, but to tell a story you need a broader knowledge base. You have to have something to say and talk about.”
Estlin Feigley '93 Co-director of the film studio Fresh Films, based at Augustana College
“When I started medical school, I WAS AMAZED AT HOW WELL I WAS PREPARED… It felt good to have a solid grasp of the material in the first semester, especially at a place like Harvard.”
David Walton ’98, M.D., M.P.H., Director of Global Health at ThoughtWorks, Inc., New York City; associate physician, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston; assistant professor, Harvard Medical School
“I had many discussions with my professors and advisors, each of whom encouraged me to think twice before I accepted the positions I was offered— the think about how my work would relate to my passions. EVERY DAY, I AM LIVING MY DREAM while I continue to build more.”
Madushika Lansakara '05 Program Development Manager, SOLIDAR Suisse/SAH-Swiss Labour Assistance
This is the end of your Augustana viewbook
… but we hope it begins a real conversation. COME VISIT THIS BEAUTIFUL CAMPUS and talk with us. Interview with an admissions counselor. Get the information you need from the friendly people in financial aid. Meet with a coach, professor, ensemble director, CORE advisor or a student with similar interests. You will see why Augustana is worth so much more than you have begun to imagine. See you here!
Coming from out of state? We offer flight reimbursement up to $475 for students who live outside Illinois.