Luther College Reviews

"(WARNING: Long review coming through) Let me start this review off on a positive note: The campus is very easy to get around, and while it may be a bit of a pain walking in sub-zero degree temps, everything is relatively close by, and they gave me a lot of options as to where I wanted to live on campus (Freshmen have a choice of 3 different res-halls, one in front of the arts center, which was where I was at, another by the gym, and another, well, no idea as I don't have the campus map in front of me, but moving on...) About half of the staff I encountered were very friendly and knew me by name whilst I was still going there; right off the top of my head, I recall my adviser was extremely easy to talk to. But hey, don't think I'm done here just yet. Onto the bad: To get the ball rolling, the dorm I was in was extremely dingy and compact. The one night (yes, you read that correctly, I only lasted TWO DAYS here) I was moving my stuff in, my roommate and I could hear the people next door like the walls were made out of tin foil, and while they weren't being party animals or anything, it was ridiculous. I had to put my WHOLE DRESSER into my closet space just so I'd have enough room to rearrange my space. Keep in mind, I didn't bring a lot with me, just a couple duffle bags, a few smaller rubbermaid boxes full of school supplies and winter clothing, and a guitar. Worse yet, the janitorial staff are busy cleaning the only bathrooms in the building AROUND 9:00 IN THE MORNING, and I had to wait about an hour at least before I was able to use the restroom and take a shower, despite the small size of the bathrooms. The next issue, and I know college books are expensive, but Luther's cost of school supplies was approximately $750 for ONE SEMESTER (You can thank both my Art and my German class for the bulk of these expenses). which could pay for one month of rent in Glendale, AZ, just to give you an idea. Moving on, the freshman orientation session (mind you, I've been to a couple at other schools that I was unable to afford attendance) was a complete joke. Other schools take hours out of the day to get the incoming students prepared for campus life, basic necessities such as student ID and meal planning, and help them sign up for clubs and student organizations, whereas here at Luther, the main focus seemed to be on things to do in Decorah and treating us incoming freshmen as children, giving us the metaphorical "naughty index finger" and telling us what we can and can't do on campus, as well as scolding those of us who didn't have any prior knowledge of the ridiculous amount of online programs we had to sign up for before the very next day when classes started (most schools only have one, or two at most, Luther has four). They failed to mention necessities and how to obtain them, such as the laundry card I only found out about in conversation with my roommate, and the mandatory student ID needed to get into the res-halls after the faceless ones expired (mine literally expired 2 days after orientation as I was hauling my stuff back to the family car after getting a full refund on my tuition). Bottom line, this school does NOTHING to prepare incoming students for their experience. To add insult to injury, the professor I ended up with for my art class (NOT my adviser) was rude and obnoxious. The dining hall's food is frozen and reheated trash. There is absolutely nothing to do outside of class, unless you belong to the Lutheran faith, in that case they have a chapel. There are no clubs to my knowledge, and it's extremely difficult to have any sort of social life (obviously studies are the main concern, but human interaction is part of the college experience, which Luther severely LACKS). In short, if you enjoy feeling lost, isolated, and completely ripped off, come to Luther, by all means! And enjoy a Norse-head cookie while you're at it (honestly those were probably the best thing about the whole college haha)"

"Luther is a small private liberal arts school in the upper east side of Iowa. Although remote, the town of Decorah and the Luther campus create a special environment that is easy to enjoy. The faculty and staff make their students a priority and push us to be better than when we started. The multitude of on campus extracurricular activities set it apart from many other schools of similar size."

"Luther offers students a way to explore their world without leaving northeast Iowa. There are opportunities to work directly with professors, who are experts in their fields and to learn locally and globally. I was able to truly get to know my professors beyond the classroom, and their guidance benefited my future career."

"Luther is a wonderfully diverse small town liberal arts college that promotes not only great academics but also a sense of community. Luther is located in Decorah, IA, whose greatest assets are its surrounding picturesque limestone bluff landscapes and rural tight-knit farming community. It was a fantastic place to spend a few years meeting life-long friends and learning life-long lessons."

"It was great to be able to explore and develop intellect in various subjects. The community of students was wonderful as well. A lot of close friendships were created over my years attending Luther."