Valparaiso University continues a legacy of quality education that extends throughout a proud history of more than 150 years. And at Valpo, a student’s personal journey extends beyond classrooms and books.
A focus on learning through service and emphasis on broadening experiences help Valpo students develop into thoughtful leaders who work to make the world a better place.
Valparaiso University enrolls about 4,000 students from most states and more than 50 countries, constituting an international, interconnected community. Valpo offers five colleges for undergraduates — the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Engineering, College of Business Administration, College of Nursing, and Christ College (honors college) — as well asgraduate studies and a law school.
Valparaiso University is an independent Lutheran institution that provides an encouraging environment for spiritual exploration by all.
The modern Harre Union (opened in 2009) and Christopher Center for Library and Information Resources (2004), and the historic Chapel of the Resurrection form the heart of campus.
Our athletics teams compete at the Division I level. Valpo’s proudest sports moment is advancing to the Sweet 16 in the 1998 men’s basketball NCAA tournament.
We’re located in Valparaiso, Indiana, a city of 31,000 people, in Northwest Indiana just an hour east of Chicago.
There’s much more to Valpo than can be described here. Explore the website, and to truly get to know us, plan a visit to campus soon.
Why Valpo?
If you’re looking for a university with a legacy of quality in academic offerings; with an interconnected campus community that is international in scope; and that provides plenty of opportunities for learning — and fun — beyond the classroom, then you belong at Valparaiso University.
Valpo offers:
A complete educational experience: Valpo is known for its blend of liberal arts and professional schools. Students choose from more than 70 academic majors. Distinctive offerings include Christ College, Valpo’s honors college; the high-tech and growing meteorology program; and exciting music and theatre programs; and many more.
A personal focus: With a teacher-to-student ratio of 12-to-1, advising and guidance from faculty mentors, and a close-knit community of 4,000 students, Valpo is the perfect size for one-on-one attention.
Friends and fun: Valpo is a community where friendships grow and last. While Chicago and Lake Michigan are fantastic places to visit, the city of Valparaiso and Northwest Indiana region also provide great dining and entertainment options.
Global connectivity: Study-abroad programs, clubs and activities, and opportunities for interaction and learning from students from nations around the world give Valpo an international focus.
Learning through service: By participating in spring break trips, projects close to home, and specifically designed courses, Valpo students work on behalf of others while learning and growing as people.
A place for exploration: Valparaiso University, an independent Lutheran institution, provides an encouraging environment for exploring your spiritual journey — whatever your faith background might be.
Your personal Valpo journey starts here
At Valparaiso University, we are looking for students who are seeking an academically challenging environment. Students who want to be leaders, and who want to make the world a better place. What are you looking for?
Looking for a school that’s the right size, with the quality educational programs you need to chart a successful future? Take a look at Valpo.
Valparaiso University is big enough to offer Division I athletics and professional schools such as business, engineering and nursing, and small enough to provide a genuine community environment. At Valpo, students participate in service trips and projects, developing the vision and skills to be the thoughtful leaders of tomorrow.
Distinctive liberal arts courses and abundant opportunities to participate in extracurricular activities and organizations are hallmarks of the Valpo experience. Here, you’ll make friends to last a lifetime, and as a graduate, you will stand out among your peers, whether entering the job market or pursuing an advanced degree.
Located just an hour east of Chicago on an inviting, dynamic Northern Indiana campus, Valparaiso University will feel like home. Get a head start on your future and apply today.
Campus profile
- Founded — 1859
- Acreage — more than 310
- School Type — Private, Lutheran, Co-Educational
- School colors — Brown and Gold
- Mascot — Crusader
- Financial aid — 92% of students receive aid
- Average class size — 22
- Student to faculty ratio — 14:1
- Alumni network — 45,000+
Mission Statement
Valparaiso University, a community of learning dedicated to excellence and grounded in the Lutheran tradition of scholarship, freedom, and faith, prepares students to lead and serve in both church and society.
Location
Valparaiso, IN (population 31,000), Northwest Indiana; 1 hour southeast of Chicago and 15 minutes from the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.
Enrollment
Approximately 3,100 undergraduates and 1000 graduate and law students, making a total of nearly 4,100 students on campus from most states and more than 40 other countries.
Academic profile of first-year students
- ACT mid 50% — 22-28
- SAT mid 50% — 1030-1260 *
* Includes the scores for the critical reading and math components only. - Average GPA — 3.3 (on a 4.0 unweighted scale)
Student body composition
- Lutheran — 26%
- Roman Catholic — 20%
- Other — 54%
- Male — 48%
- Female — 52%
- Students of color — 10.8%
- International students — 6.2%
- Reside on campus — 66%
Most recent placement rates (employment or graduate school within six months of graduation)
- Overall — 90.4%
- College of Arts & Sciences — 88.6%
- College of Business Administration — 86.6%
- College of Engineering — 96.7%
- College of Nursing — 97.4%
Valpo Athletics
ARC
In 1978-1979, a Valparaiso University student survey circulated which identified an overwhelming student-felt need for improved recreational facilities on campus. This was the birth of the Athletics-Recreation Center (ARC). This survey was followed in 1979 by a comprehensive University-wide study by the Council on University Priorities and Planning.
Subsequently, a program of needs was developed by a campus committee. The Valpo Board of Directors then designated the ARC as a priority capital component of Valparaiso University, thus a national comprehensive effort to raise $50 million in support of the University. Ground was broken for the ARC on April 23, 1983.
The $7.25 million Athletics-Recreation Center added 84,000 square feet of new construction to the existing facility, thereby providing at one site a complex of over 142,000 square feet for physical education, athletics, and recreational activities.
The new building was designed with primary emphasis on supplementing the already existing recreational areas. It contains: seven playing floors for basketball and volleyball; a free play area for recreational basketball, volleyball, and other activities; a nine-lap per mile running track; six racquetball/handball courts; classrooms and lounges; and a coed training room.
The ARC arena currently has 5,000 seats and will accommodate 6,000. The arena is complemented by an attractive entrance, lobbies, ticket offices, and permanent display cases.
Since the original completion of the ARC, renovation of the existing facility has provided upgraded facilities for all Valpo students and faculty, including a new weight room, classrooms, locker rooms, and staff offices.
A new cardiovascular room for students was constructed during 2005, and the Mosak Performance Center was created as a weight room facility for varsity athletes.
On Sunday afternoon, December 9, 1984, Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish visited Valparaiso and provided the opposition for the ARC’s dedication game in men’s basketball. The ARC was also the site of Valpo’s dramatic upset of then 19th-ranked Notre Dame in 1988, played in front of 4,913 overjoyed fans.
The 1984-1985 season also marked the beginning for the women’s basketball team to compete in the ARC. The volleyball team then began play during the 1985 season.
Last season brought a record number of games to the ARC, as the Crusaders hosted 17 games at their home facility, including first-round Horizon League Championship action. Valpo also set a new single-game attendance record at the ARC, as 5,432 fans packed the stands for the Crusaders’ February 5 game against Butler.
The ARC has hosted several postseason sporting events, including the Mid-Continent Conference Tournament for both men’s and women’s basketball as well as volleyball.
The Crusaders have enjoyed a significant home-court advantage at the ARC, with a men’s basketball all-time record of 216-96 (.692) at home since it was built prior to the 1984-85 season. Valpo has finished above .500 in each of the last 16 seasons in its home games.
The women’s basketball program has also won more than 65% of its games all-time at the ARC while volleyball has won nearly 60% of its home contests all-time.
Brown Field
Brown Field has been home to the Valparaiso University football team since 1919, when the program was founded.
The Crusaders won their first game ever at Brown Field 26-0 against the Chicago YMCA on October 11, 1919.
With a seating capacity of 5,000, Brown Field is the perfect location to watch a football game on a Saturday afternoon. When the men’s soccer team was founded in 1983, Brown Field also played host to a handful of matches during the early years of that program as well.
Prior to the 2008 season, a new artificial surface was installed at Brown Field as part of numerous renovations. Valparaiso University is still in a fund-raising campaign known as FITT (Football, Intramurals, Track and Tennis) to provide funds for renovation to the stadium. The first phase of the multimillion dollar project included the installation of the ProGrass, as well as moving the grandstands and adding handicap accessibility.
The ProGrass50 Blend is a blend that consists of 100% polyetheylene fibers, that are 50% mono-filament and 50% parallel silt, that are tufted into a woven primary backing. The secondary backing consists of an application of heat-activated urethane to permanently lock in fibers. The turf has the appearance of a natural grass field.
A new 37-foot high scoreboard was erected in the northeast corner of the stadium, and with it, a new video board for graphics. New play clocks and goalposts were also included in the renovations.
Future improvements to Brown Field include the installation of game lights as well as adding a competition track around the playing surface.
For the first 87 years of the Brown Field’s existence, the playing surface was natural grass. The stadium will host its 400th home contest for the Crusaders during the 2008 campaign.
With the addition of the ProGrass, Brown Field can serve as Valpo’s practice field as well. The field was also lined for soccer, allowing it to be used as a multipurpose facility. The Valparaiso University recreational sports department will also utilize Brown Field, as will other varsity athletic teams for practices
Eastgate Field
Eastgate Field has been home to Valparaiso Crusader soccer since 1983, when the men’s program was founded. During the early years of the program, the Crusaders played their home matches at both Eastgate and Brown Field on the university’s campus, while also playing on the baseball field for several matches. By the early 1990s, Valpo moved all of its home contests to Eastgate Field. In 1993, when the Valpo women’s program was founded, the two teams began to share the facility.
Many renovations have taken place over the last decade at the complex. In 1999, a new scoreboard was added at Eastgate. Toward the end of the 2000 season, team shelters were added along with an official’s dugout.
More additions took place prior to the 2001 season as a new set of bleachers was added to the complex, giving the field a seating capacity of 500. In addition, a fully-enclosed press box was added at the top of the bleachers, featuring an area for television and radio broadcasts to originate from Eastgate Field. The roof of the press box is covered, serving as a camera deck.
In addition to the press facility upgrades, a concession stand was also added behind the bleachers. All of the renovations in 2001 were made possible by a generous gift to the school. Most recently, new team shelters were built on the east side of the field prior to the 2007 campaign, resulting in unobstructed sight lines for spectators.
The Crusader men’s team set a new standard for excellence defending its home field in 2006, winning five matches at Eastgate, the most since moving all of its home matches to the facility. In addition, the Crusaders finished at or above .500 at home for the first time in 11 seasons. In 2007, they again finished at .500 at Eastgate Field, posting a 2-2-1 record, including a tie against then-nationally ranked Michigan State. They also averaged 359 fans per match over their five home matches, the highest average home attendance in Crusader men’s soccer history.
Beginning in the 2004 season, Eastgate Field became a huge homefield advantage for the women’s soccer team. The Crusaders have posted a 30-10-2 mark over the past fives seasons, including a school-best seven wins during the 2005 championship season. The home record win total of seven victories was then matched during the 2007 season.
Eastgate Field has played host to the Mid-Continent Conference Men’s Soccer Tournament twice during its existence. The first championship was held in 1997, with the event staged at Eastgate Field again one year later. In 2008, the women’s program hosted their first postseason match at Eastgate Field, hosting a first round match in the Horizon League Championships.
Emory G. Bauer Field
Emory G. Bauer Field has been home to the Valparaiso University baseball team since the 1970 season.
Constructed out at the Eastgate Athletic Fields, major renovations to the facility have taken place beginning in 2001.
A state-of-the-art clubhouse was constructed along the first base line featuring offices for the coaches and staff of the Crusader program. Two locker rooms, equipped with showers, allow for both the varsity and reserve programs to be housed together. The complex also features a training room and indoor hitting cages. A team room featuring a kitchen, television, and a variety of games, allows for the players and staff to feel at home.
Valpo Softball Field
After spending its first 21 seasons playing off-campus at Kirchoff Park, the Valparaiso softball team moved on campus in 2003 as the Crusaders began play at the Valparaiso University Softball Field.
Dedication of the field took place on April 5, 2003, with the first action taking place the next day when the Crusaders battled Southern Utah. Valpo dropped its first game on the new field 4-3, but recorded its first win a few days later against IUPUI, 4-2 on April 11.
In their second season at the Valparaiso University Softball Field, the Crusaders rolled off a nine-game winning streak from March 31 to April 24, helping them to a 10-5 home mark. Valpo matched the 10-win total at home in 2006.
The 2007 season saw the Crusaders finish above .500 for the second time in the five years of the field, as they closed with an 8-6 record. Included among the eight wins was one of the most thrilling games in Valpo softball history, as the Crusaders won a slugfest against Big Ten foe Purdue, 12-11.
The 2007 campaign also saw another Crusader first at their five-year-old facility. In the first game of a twinbill against IPFW on April 16, Stephanie Kelly and Carrie Franson combined to throw a no-hitter against the Mastodons. Valpo proceeded to set a new record for wins at the Valparaiso University Softball Field in 2008, going 11-5 over 16 home games.
The facility features a natural grass playing surface in the outfield and a dirt-skinned infield. The foul poles are 200 feet down both lines, with the centerfield fence 215 feet from home plate. A large scoreboard sits beyond the leftfield fence, and spacious dugouts line both the first and third baselines. The entire facility is enclosed with fencing.
Valpo Tennis Complex
After numerous years of playing on Brown Courts, the Valparaiso University tennis programs got a brand new home in the spring of 2006 as the Valparaiso University Tennis Complex was built. The facility, dedicated on September 30, 2006, was built as part of the FITT fund-raising campaign within the athletics department.
The Valparaiso University Tennis Complex has 12 courts, including several with lights. The courts are set up on four banks of three courts each, to help enhance the viewing of the action.
Located in the heart of campus, the Valparaiso University Tennis Complex is designed in a manner which maximizes viewing of all courts, with bleacher seating set up at the end of each bank.
When the complex was built, new wind screens, benches, and water coolers were installed on each court, adding to the amenities that surround the hard court surface.
In addition, a large storage building was built on the edge of the complex, which allows for practice equipment to be housed within the facility.
The Valparaiso University Tennis Complex was home to the 2006 and 2007 Mid-Continent Conference Women’s Tennis Championships. The courts have also hosted several conference clusters, allowing for multiple matches to be contested at the same time.
ARC Pool
The Athletics-Recreation Center pool is home to the Valparaiso University swimming and diving program. Built in 1962, the pool is located beneath Gym 2 on the ground floor of the ARC.
A six-lane, 25-yard pool, it regularly houses anywhere from two to four home meets a year for the Crusaders. There are both one and three-meter diving boards at the north end of the pool. Locker room facilities are located directly off of the pool area, with the Valpo swim teams each having their own section within each locker room.
Seating provides for a couple hundred spectators at meets, with all of the seating located on the west side of the pool.
A new Colorado Timing System was installed in 2005, allowing for times of all lanes to be visible from all portions of the pool.
The Course at Aberdeen
The Course at Aberdeen, located in Valparaiso, is one of the premier golf experiences in the Chicagoland area. Aberdeen is the only five-star golf facility ranked by Chicagoland Golf that is open to the public in Northwest Indiana. The course features tree-lined fairways and preserved wetlands among rolling countryside. Aberdeen, designed by Dr. Michael Hurdzan, is consistently recognized by Golf Digest as one of their top “Places to Play”. With four sets of tees, the course plays more than 6,900 yards from the tops.
Visit The Course at Aberdeen online at www.golfataberdeen.com
Source: Valparaiso University