2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Indiana
When pursuing a degree in today's world, there are many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our Best Value Indiana Schools ranking is part of that endeavor.
We analyzed 37 colleges and universities to determine which were the best for overall value in Indiana. Quality is an important component in this ranking, so it is not just naming the schools with the cheapest price tag. Instead, it is identifying those institutions that offer the most value when taking their educational quality into consideration. Thus, one college may rank better than another, but the second school could have a lower average cost.
Find out more about our ranking methodology.
To calculate the average cost amount, we sum up the total expenses to attend a school - such as tuition, fees, room and board, books and supplies, and other living expenses - and then subtract the average financial aid award a student receives. So it is an approximation of how much you will have to pay out-of-pocket each year on average.
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Customizing Your List
Since one ranking on its own is not enough to give you a complete understanding of your educational options, you can refine this list by location and field of study. We've also developed a number of other tools and rankings based on other factors. These other rankings highlight colleges that excel in other factors such as overall quality or diversity as well as schools that excel in serving different groups of students such as veterans or returnings adults.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head!
Top Colleges for the Money in Indiana
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Purdue University - Main Campus to be the best school for overall value in Indiana in this year’s ranking. Purdue is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and has a large student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 7,568 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
The average student at Purdue graduates in less than 4.4 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $17,862. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Purdue is $77,878. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Purdue is ranked #4 for overall quality in Indiana.
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Out of the 37 schools in Indiana that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #2 spot on the list. IU Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7,952 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at IU Bloomington about 4.2 years to graduate, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $18,643. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from IU Bloomington is $78,487. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. IU Bloomington did well in our quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our Best Colleges in Indiana list.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ball State University. The school came in at #3 in Indiana on this year’s best value ranking. Muncie, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 3,621 students in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Ball State is 4.3 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $17,400. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Ball State is $74,472. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis. It ranked #4 on our 2021 Best Value Colleges in Indiana list. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 4,420 students in 2018-2019.
The average student at IUPUI graduates in less than 4.6 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school is around $16,525. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from IUPUI is $76,346. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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Out of the 37 schools in Indiana that were part of this year’s ranking, Hanover College landed the #5 spot on the list. Hanover is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hanover, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 247 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at Hanover about 4.0 years to graduate, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $25,334. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Hanover be around $102,349. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The low student loan default rate of 4.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
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Wabash College did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Indiana ranking, coming in at #6. Wabash is located in Crawfordsville, Indiana and has a small student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 220 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
At Wabash, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.1 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $29,396. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from Wabash is about $119,642. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. Wabash excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Colleges in Indiana list.
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Earlham College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in Indiana list. Richmond, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 229 students in 2018-2019.
The average student at Earlham graduates in less than 4.1 years, and it costs about $26,702 per year to attend the school. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Earlham be around $109,478. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
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Manchester University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Indiana ranking. Manchester University is located in North Manchester, Indiana and has a small student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 325 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
The average student at Manchester University graduates in less than 4.1 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $22,337. This means that the average student pays around $92,475 to get a bachelor’s degree from Manchester University. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
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Saint Mary’s College did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Indiana ranking, coming in at #9. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Notre Dame, Indiana, and it awarded 384 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at St. Mary’s College graduates in less than 4.1 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $33,400. This means that the average student pays around $136,272 to get a bachelor’s degree from St. Mary’s College. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
With a student-to-faculty rate of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. On top of its placing in our value rankings, St. Mary’s College also did well on our Best Colleges in Indiana list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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With a ranking of #10, University of Southern Indiana did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Indiana list. Located in Evansville, Indiana, the fairly large public school handed out 1,623 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at USI is 4.5 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $18,088. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from USI is about $81,577. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
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Indiana Wesleyan University landed the #11 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Indiana ranking. IWU is located in Marion, Indiana and has a small student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 778 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
The average student at IWU graduates in less than 4.2 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $24,552. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the IWU is $102,873. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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Taylor University landed the #12 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Indiana ranking. Located in Upland, Indiana, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 487 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at Taylor U about 4.1 years to graduate, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $32,474. This means that the average student pays around $133,143 to get a bachelor’s degree from Taylor U. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Taylor U also is in the top 20% of our Best Colleges in Indiana ranking.
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DePauw University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Indiana ranking. DePauw is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Greencastle, Indiana. It awarded 595 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at DePauw about 4.0 years to graduate, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $37,762. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from DePauw is about $152,936. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
With a student-to-faculty rate of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. DePauw also made our Best Colleges in Indiana list, coming in at #2.
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With a ranking of #14, Valparaiso University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Indiana list. Valpo is a private not-for-profit institution located in Valparaiso, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 893 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Valpo is 4.1 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $30,853. This means that the average student pays around $127,114 to get a bachelor’s degree from Valpo. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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With a ranking of #15, University of Evansville did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Indiana list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Evansville, Indiana, and it awarded 504 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at UE about 4.1 years to graduate, and it costs about $32,746 per year to attend the school. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from UE is about $134,259. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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Grace College and Theological Seminary did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Indiana ranking, coming in at #16. Grace College is located in Winona Lake, Indiana and has a small student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 401 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
The average student at Grace College graduates in less than 4.0 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $25,639. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from Grace College is about $103,069. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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Franklin College did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Indiana ranking, coming in at #17. Franklin College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Franklin, Indiana that handed out 265 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Franklin College of Indiana is 4.1 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school is around $27,960. This means that the average student pays around $114,356 to get a bachelor’s degree from Franklin College of Indiana. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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With a ranking of #18, Huntington University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Indiana list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Huntington, Indiana, and it awarded 234 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.2 years for the average student at Huntington to complete their degree, and the average full-time cost to attend the school is around $26,749. This means that the average student pays around $111,276 to get a bachelor’s degree from Huntington. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The low student loan default rate of 3.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
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With a ranking of #19, Indiana University - South Bend did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Indiana list. Located in South Bend, Indiana, the medium-sized public school handed out 812 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At Indiana University - South Bend, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.8 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $15,407. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Indiana University - South Bend is $74,724. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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With a ranking of #20, Goshen College did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Indiana list. Located in Goshen, Indiana, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 232 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
At Goshen, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.2 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $28,894. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Goshen is $122,222. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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University of Notre Dame came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Indiana ranking. University of Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in Notre Dame, Indiana that handed out 2,642 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Notre Dame is 4.1 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $51,211. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Notre Dame be around $207,917. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Notre Dame did well in our quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our Best Colleges in Indiana list.
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Indiana State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Indiana ranking. Indiana State is located in Terre Haute, Indiana and has a fairly large student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 2,011 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
At Indiana State, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.4 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $17,962. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Indiana State is $79,751. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
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Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology landed the #23 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Indiana ranking. Located in Terre Haute, Indiana, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 574 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
The average student at Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology graduates in less than 4.2 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school is around $48,714. This means that the average student pays around $204,599 to get a bachelor’s degree from Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology is ranked #3 for overall quality in Indiana.
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Anderson University Indiana ranked #24 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in Indiana list. Anderson University Indiana is located in Anderson, Indiana and has a small student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 370 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
The average student at Anderson University Indiana graduates in less than 4.2 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $25,874. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from Anderson University Indiana is about $108,412. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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With a ranking of #25, Indiana University - Southeast did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Indiana list. Located in New Albany, Indiana, the small public school handed out 854 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at Indiana University - Southeast graduates in less than 4.7 years, and it costs about $17,901 per year to attend the school. This means that the average student pays around $83,598 to get a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University - Southeast. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- For our state-specific rankings, we use in-state tuition to calculate average cost. For our national and regional rankings, we use a weighted average of in-state and non-resident tuition.
References
- 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Featured Schools
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Southern New Hampshire University
You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More > |
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Purdue University
Building on Purdue’s mission to provide greater access to affordable, world-class education, Purdue University Global delivers a fully personalized online experience that’s tailored to working adults. By opening the doors to adults who need flexibility to fit learning into their busy lives, we make it possible to achieve a high-quality education from the prestigious Purdue University system—completely online ... Learn More > |
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Grand Canyon University (GCU)
With a spotlight on intellectual creativity and innovation for the 21stcentury, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at GCU provides a job focused education. It blends the study of traditional humanities in a modern context. Through academic inquiry and beyond the box thinking, the college advances our society and its accomplishments ... Learn More > |
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Northcentral University
Northcentral University (NCU) was founded to provide accessible, high-quality, online graduate degrees to working professionals. As a regionally accredited, online university, NCU serves students worldwide, focusing on Doctoral and Master's degree programs in the Schools of Business and Technology Management, Education, Psychology, and Marriage and Family Sciences ... Learn More > |
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Colorado Technical University (CTU)
CTU could help you connect to what matters most: a powerful professional community, aculty who are real-world professionals, and innovative technology ... Learn More > |
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