Academics
Valparaiso University, a small Lutheran university, “is a serious academic community with strong, but not forceful, religious background” that “prepares, motivates, and challenges tomorrow’s leaders, engineers, nurses, and teachers while giving the opportunity for religious growth.” Business, education, and engineering are the most popular general areas of study, and are among Valpo’s most celebrated departments. Other standout disciplines include nursing, music, theater (“the department involves touring professional directors a couple times a year, which speaks for itself” and “puts on great plays”), and one of the nation’s largest meteorology programs (which “just erected a stateof-the-art Doppler radar, putting Valpo at the forefront for undergrad meteorology”). Undergrads here appreciate the breadth of excellent offerings as well as “the school’s ability to integrate the liberal arts with a variety of majors...As a student, I have been able to study engineering as well as hermeneutics, child development, and read classic texts ranging from Aristotle and Plato to Chuang Tzu and Derrida.” Valpo operates under an honor code students say, “creates an environment of trust and high moral responsibility.” “People follow the honor code, especially because the punishments are strict, such as failing the class for a first offense,” one student tells us. A few dissenters feel “the honor code may reduce some cheating, but I don’t think it comes near to eliminating it.” Outstanding students may enroll in Christ College, an honors college, which they describe as “very intense but very rewarding.”
Student Body
One student estimates that “conservative, churchgoing studiers” make up about two-thirds of the Valpo student body. Most “come from somewhere in the Midwest,” with many “from the Chicagoland area.” The typical student is “here to learn. There are some who are just here for the party, but there are not many.” Because “meteorology and engineering are large areas of study, there are some students who are ‘nerdy,’ but no one is left out of university activities.” Valpo has “few minority students,” and “it would be nice to have a little bit more diversity.”
Campus Life
“There are several activities to choose from on Valparaiso’s campus on a typical weekend, ranging from philanthropic dance parties at fraternity houses to music recitals to special guests speakers (to name just a few),” students tell us. Religious groups are active, and not just the Lutherans. The Catholic Church “is very active” here, offering “a student mass Sunday nights with a meal afterward, which is very nice” and “at least three events each week.” Athletics are also popular. “We have Division I athletics, so it’s fun to watch if you don’t play, but Valpo also offers club sports (like Ultimate Frisbee) and intramurals for all student to participate in.” The VU campus is officially dry, but that doesn’t mean students don’t drink. An aggressive campus police force means “there is lots of fear of getting arrested when drinking, but people do it anyway.” Fraternities “have parties every Friday night,” which helps to offset the perception that “the city of Valpo is horrible” because “there’s not much to do” there. “If you can’t entertain yourself, this is not the place for you,” students warn. When they need big-city diversion, students will “hop on the train to go over to Chicago, an hour ride, for about six dollars, and get a CTA day pass for four dollars (to ride Chicago’s transit all day).”
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