2027 Best Value General Education Schools in Indiana
[General Education](/majors/education/general-education/education-general/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find the best return on investment for general education students.
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2027 Best Value General Education Schools in Indiana
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general education, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Education Schools
For return on investment in general education, no school beat Purdue University Main Campus this year. Located in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue University Main Campus is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,992, compared with $28,794 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $20,500 to complete the general education program here. Early-career general education graduates make about $64,435. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Purdue University Main Campus admits about 50% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes Ivy Tech Community College one of the best values for general education. Set in the city of Indianapolis, Ivy Tech Community College is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,154, while out-of-state students pay about $9,935. Students borrow a median of $10,874 to complete the general education program here. General Education graduates of Ivy Tech Community College earn a median of $26,848 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #3 makes Purdue University Northwest one of the best values for general education. Purdue University Northwest is a large public school located in the suburb of Hammond. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,357, with out-of-state students paying around $15,504. General Education graduates carry a median of $25,083 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general education degree recipients from Purdue University Northwest generally make around $49,025. Set against $25,083 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 72%.
Students looking for strong value in general education will find it at Marian University Indiana, which ranked #4. Marian University Indiana is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Indianapolis. Students from in state pay about $40,664 in tuition and fees. General Education graduates carry a median of $28,633 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general education degree recipients from Marian University Indiana generally make around $49,784. That is a strong return on a $28,633 median debt. Roughly 96% of applicants are accepted.
More General Education Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
