Augustana College was founded as Augustana College and Theological Seminary in 1860 by the Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod. Located first in Chicago, it moved to Paxton, Illinois, in 1863 and to Rock Island, Illinois, it's current home, in 1875.
After 1890, an increasingly large Swedish American community in America promoted a new institutional structure, including a lively Swedish-language press, many new churches, several colleges, and a network of ethnic organizations. The result was to foster a sense of Swedishness with pride in the United States.
Thus, there emerged a self-confident Americanized generation. Augustana College put itself in the lead of the movement to affirm Swedish American identity. Early on all the students had been born in Sweden but by 1890 the second generation of American-born students predominated. They typically had white-collar or professional backgrounds; few were the sons and daughters of farmers and laborers.
These middle-class youth developed an idealized view of Sweden, characterized by romanticism, patriotism, and idealism, just like their counterparts across the Atlantic. The new generation was especially proud of the Swedish contributions to American democracy and of the creation of a republic that promised liberty and destroyed the menace of slavery.
Balance, so you can do it all and do it well. Our students live where they learn, and what they love to do infuses their lives on campus and after graduation. The campus culture builds a passion for connecting what we learn with everything else that makes us who we are.
Augustana Vikings are in the Top 10 in the nation, all divisions, and #1 in Illinois for Academic All-Americans: students who excel equally in their academics and their sport.
Advisors and mentors, so you can reach your goals. Being the focus of your professors and mentors means you won’t have to go it alone. You’ll have a first-year advisor, a first-year peer group, and an advisor in each of your major and minor fields.
Through CORE (Careers, Opportunities, Research, Exploration, you’ll find a customized network of advisors and career coaches, plus access to extraordinary hands-on learning experiences.
Amazing opportunities to explore like never before. It would be nearly impossible to not take at least one internship, complete inspiring research or creative project (maybe with a faculty member or your brilliant peers) — or travel for study, research, an internship, or to perform with an ensemble or athletic team. Following your curiosity, you’ll discover new perspectives, questions, and solutions.
Augustana by the numbers
Ranked in the top tier of U.S. News, Augustana College offers 100 majors and areas of study, and 28 varsity athletic teams. The beautiful campus is located along the Mississippi River in Rock Island, Ill.
Augustana is a selective, private liberal arts college, founded in 1860 by Swedish settlers.
The 115-acre wooded campus is part of the Quad-Cities (population 470,000), and about 165 miles west of Chicago.
- 2,500 students
- 100 majors and related areas of study
- New: data analytics, film and new media, kinesiology, Engineering (Bachelor of Science)
- Augie Choice: Gives $2,000 to every student for an internship, research or study abroad.
- Student-faculty ratio 12:1.
- Average class size: 18.
- All classes taught by faculty (no graduate teaching assistants).
- Varsity athletics teams: 14 men's and 14 women's teams, plus an all-gender, varsity-level esports team
- Music ensembles: 13
- Student groups: 170
Augustana College was ranked No. 100 in U.S. News and World Report's 2025 ranking of best national liberal arts colleges.
U.S. News and World Report also ranked Augustana as No. 69 in Best Value Schools and No. 126 in Top Performers on Social Mobility.
Augustana College has had a chapter of the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa honor society since 1950. Only 10% of colleges and universities in the U.S. have been invited to form a chapter.
Other rankings
- Academic All-Americans: No. 14 nationally for number of Academic All-Americans; No. 1 in our conference
- Money magazine 2025: Ranked one of the Best Colleges in America
- Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2020 and 2019
- Niche 2025: No. 3 on the list of best liberal arts colleges in Illinois
- Princeton Review 2026: Best in the Midwest 2026
- Study Abroad Aide 2024: Top 35% in the world for best value university for international students
- College Factual 2024: No. 92 out of 1,076 Best Education Schools
- Open Doors 2023: No. 15 among U.S. baccalaureate colleges for number of international students
