# Best Colleges in Indiana

> CollegeRanker Agent Insights — structured data for AI systems
> Updated: 2026-05-31 | Schools: 43 | Category: By State
> Source: https://www.collegeranker.com/rankings/best-colleges-indiana

## Methodology

Composite score for institutions in Indiana

CollegeRanker uses a 4-pillar algorithm: Academic Quality (15-20%), Economic Outcomes (30%), Social Mobility (25-35%), Value & Affordability (20-25%). Social mobility data from Raj Chetty's Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Card (30M+ anonymized tax records). No subjective surveys.

## Summary

When choosing a college, students and families often look for institutions that not only provide quality education but also offer promising outcomes. The schools in Indiana listed here share a commitment to fostering student success and preparing graduates for the workforce. With average earnings of $55,801 among graduates from these institutions, it's clear that many students are on track for solid financial futures.

What sets the top schools apart in this list are the key metrics that reflect their performance: graduation rates, earnings potential, student debt, and upward mobility. For instance, schools with higher graduation rates tend to correlate with better earnings post-graduation, which is a crucial consideration for families evaluating the long-term value of a degree. Below, you’ll find a ranking that highlights these important factors, helping you to identify which programs might align best with your goals.

Take the University of Notre Dame and Indiana University-Kokomo, for example. Notre Dame boasts impressive earnings of $99,980 and a graduation rate of 96%, while Indiana University-Kokomo shows earnings of $49,917 with a graduation rate of only 45%. This stark difference illustrates how critical graduation rates and post-college earnings are in assessing a school's value. Understanding these contrasts can help families make informed choices as they explore their options.

## Key Findings

- University of Notre Dame graduates earn an average of $99,980, the highest in Indiana.
- Purdue University has an 83% graduation rate, significantly above the state average of 58%.
- Indiana University-Kokomo has the lowest graduation rate on this list at 45%, underscoring the importance of completion.
- With an average debt of $19,000, graduates from Notre Dame carry less debt compared to the $27,000 debt faced by DePauw University graduates.

## Rankings

| Rank | School | Location | Graduation | Earnings (10yr) | Net Price | Median Debt | Debt/Earnings |
|------|--------|----------|------------|-----------------|-----------|-------------|---------------|
| 1 | [University of Notre Dame](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/university-of-notre-dame) | Notre Dame, IN | 96% | $99,980 | $26,780 | $19,000 | 0.19x |
| 2 | [DePauw University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/depauw-university) | Greencastle, IN | 77% | $70,527 | $22,264 | $27,000 | 0.38x |
| 3 | [Ball State University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/ball-state-university) | Muncie, IN | 63% | $51,833 | $14,940 | $23,250 | 0.45x |
| 4 | [Goshen College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/goshen-college) | Goshen, IN | 63% | $51,943 | $14,493 | $22,974 | 0.44x |
| 5 | [Valparaiso University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/valparaiso-university) | Valparaiso, IN | 69% | $63,191 | $18,578 | $26,942 | 0.43x |
| 6 | [University of Evansville](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/university-of-evansville) | Evansville, IN | 68% | $53,770 | $18,499 | $24,606 | 0.46x |
| 7 | [Grace College and Theological Seminary](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/grace-college-and-theological-seminary) | Winona Lake, IN | 69% | $45,411 | $19,932 | $19,500 | 0.43x |
| 8 | [Wabash College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/wabash-college) | Crawfordsville, IN | 77% | $69,952 | $24,336 | $27,000 | 0.39x |
| 9 | [Butler University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/butler-university) | Indianapolis, IN | 80% | $77,235 | $36,041 | $26,000 | 0.34x |
| 10 | [Oakland City University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/oakland-city-university) | Oakland City, IN | 68% | $43,283 | $15,210 | $16,758 | 0.39x |
| 11 | [Earlham College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/earlham-college) | Richmond, IN | 68% | $50,797 | $24,714 | $23,488 | 0.46x |
| 12 | [Huntington University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/huntington-university) | Huntington, IN | 66% | $46,672 | $19,310 | $25,576 | 0.55x |
| 13 | [Taylor University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/taylor-university) | Upland, IN | 75% | $52,198 | $24,865 | $20,500 | 0.39x |
| 14 | [Hanover College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/hanover-college) | Hanover, IN | 65% | $53,957 | $21,829 | $25,250 | 0.47x |
| 15 | [Saint Mary's College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/saint-marys-college) | Notre Dame, IN | 73% | $59,354 | $25,292 | $27,000 | 0.45x |
| 16 | [Indiana State University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/indiana-state-university) | Terre Haute, IN | 42% | $48,387 | $10,873 | $24,000 | 0.5x |
| 17 | [Purdue University-Main Campus](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/purdue-university-main-campus) | West Lafayette, IN | 83% | $72,424 | $14,600 | $19,500 | 0.27x |
| 18 | [University of Indianapolis](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/university-of-indianapolis) | Indianapolis, IN | 56% | $53,610 | $21,602 | $26,864 | 0.5x |
| 19 | [Manchester University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/manchester-university) | North Manchester, IN | 45% | $51,504 | $18,805 | $26,854 | 0.52x |
| 20 | [Indiana University-Indianapolis](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/indiana-university-indianapolis) | Indianapolis, IN | 54% | $55,198 | $11,668 | $20,000 | 0.36x |
| 21 | [Trine University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/trine-university) | Angola, IN | 66% | $57,165 | $25,355 | $25,000 | 0.44x |
| 22 | [Indiana University-Bloomington](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/indiana-university-bloomington) | Bloomington, IN | 81% | $63,742 | $16,264 | $19,509 | 0.31x |
| 23 | [Indiana University-Kokomo](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/indiana-university-kokomo) | Kokomo, IN | 45% | $49,917 | $3,968 | $16,961 | 0.34x |
| 24 | [Indiana University-East](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/indiana-university-east) | Richmond, IN | 42% | $47,156 | $8,134 | $18,000 | 0.38x |
| 25 | [Indiana University-Southeast](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/indiana-university-southeast) | New Albany, IN | 36% | $47,596 | $7,888 | $19,684 | 0.41x |
| 26 | [Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/rose-hulman-institute-of-technology) | Terre Haute, IN | 80% | $101,253 | $42,513 | $25,000 | 0.25x |
| 27 | [University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/university-of-saint-francis-fort-wayne) | Fort Wayne, IN | 58% | $55,362 | $18,196 | $25,976 | 0.47x |
| 28 | [Indiana Institute of Technology](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/indiana-institute-of-technology) | Fort Wayne, IN | 38% | $47,327 | $23,206 | $26,391 | 0.56x |
| 29 | [Purdue University Northwest](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/purdue-university-northwest) | Hammond, IN | 43% | $48,318 | $6,079 | $21,229 | 0.44x |
| 30 | [Union Bible College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/union-bible-college) | Westfield, IN | 43% | N/A | $10,110 | N/A | N/A |
| 31 | [Franklin College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/franklin-college) | Franklin, IN | 62% | $55,376 | $22,855 | $27,000 | 0.49x |
| 32 | [Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/indiana-wesleyan-university-marion) | Marion, IN | 67% | $59,986 | $22,866 | $24,250 | 0.4x |
| 33 | [Indiana University-South Bend](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/indiana-university-south-bend) | South Bend, IN | 38% | $44,947 | $8,653 | $21,355 | 0.48x |
| 34 | [Bethel University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/bethel-university) | Mishawaka, IN | 55% | $48,860 | $18,610 | $25,000 | 0.51x |
| 35 | [Purdue University Fort Wayne](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/purdue-university-fort-wayne) | Fort Wayne, IN | 34% | $45,872 | $13,171 | $21,500 | 0.47x |
| 36 | [Indiana University-Northwest](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/indiana-university-northwest) | Gary, IN | 37% | $43,361 | $5,130 | $21,710 | 0.5x |
| 37 | [Indiana Wesleyan University-National & Global](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/indiana-wesleyan-university-national-global) | Marion, IN | 36% | $59,986 | $16,898 | $24,250 | 0.4x |
| 38 | [Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/saint-mary-of-the-woods-college) | Saint Mary of the Woods, IN | 49% | $43,845 | $31,872 | $19,512 | 0.45x |
| 39 | [Holy Cross College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/holy-cross-college) | Notre Dame, IN | 50% | $50,416 | $26,728 | $24,000 | 0.48x |
| 40 | [Marian University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/marian-university) | Indianapolis, IN | 64% | $58,759 | $24,018 | $27,000 | 0.46x |
| 41 | [Anderson University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/anderson-university) | Anderson, IN | 52% | $48,899 | $25,021 | $27,000 | 0.55x |
| 42 | [Indiana Institute of Technology-College of Professional Studies](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/indiana-institute-of-technology-college-of-professional-studies) | Fort Wayne, IN | 28% | $47,327 | $20,473 | $26,391 | 0.56x |
| 43 | [Calumet College of Saint Joseph](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/calumet-college-of-saint-joseph) | Whiting, IN | 26% | $46,945 | $22,451 | $21,534 | 0.46x |

## Data Sources

- U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (https://collegescorecard.ed.gov)
- Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Card (https://opportunityinsights.org/data)
- Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
- Times Higher Education World University Rankings
- NCES IPEDS

## Citation

CollegeRanker. "Best Colleges in Indiana." CollegeRanker.com, 2026-05-31. https://www.collegeranker.com/rankings/best-colleges-indiana

## License

This data summary is provided for informational purposes. Underlying data from federal sources (College Scorecard, IPEDS) is public domain. Opportunity Insights data is available under their data use agreement at https://opportunityinsights.org/data/.