by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the graduate school options in Indiana, narrowing things down is no easy task. This list ranks **21** programs by overall quality and student outcomes, using our 2027 methodology.
So you can compare your options, College Factual reviewed 21 graduate schools on more than 20 objective measures such as graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, and per-student spending, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard). Learn more about our ranking methodology.
Here is the early-career salary range across the top-ranked graduate schools:
Here are the top-ranked graduate schools:
Our analysis found University Of Notre Dame to be the best graduate school in Indiana. Set in Notre Dame, IN, University Of Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit institution. University Of Notre Dame posts a six-year graduation rate of 95%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $65,025. Early-career graduates earn a median of $69,494. Graduates carry a median of $19,891 in student loans.
The strong outcomes at Purdue University Main Campus earned it the #2 place in Indiana. This public school is set in West Lafayette, IN. Purdue University Main Campus graduates 83% of students within six years. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,992, while out-of-state students pay about $28,794. Early-career graduates earn a median of $63,111. Graduates carry a median of $19,844 in student loans.
A rank of #3 makes Butler University one of the top graduate schools in Indiana. This private not-for-profit school is set in Indianapolis, IN. About 79% of students finish within six years. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $47,560. Early-career graduates earn a median of $68,222. Butler University students take on a median of $25,351 in debt.
The strong outcomes at Indiana University Bloomington earned it the #4 place in Indiana. Set in Bloomington, IN, Indiana University Bloomington is a public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 80%. Students from in state pay about $12,144 in tuition and fees, compared with $41,891 for out-of-state students. Early-career graduates earn a median of $52,123. The median student debt is $20,542.
You'll be in good company at Hanover College, which ranked #5 this year. Located in Hanover, IN, Hanover College is a private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 67% of students complete a degree within six years here. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $42,698. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $35,659. Graduates carry a median of $26,980 in student loans.
Marian University Indiana landed the #6 spot in Indiana this year. Marian University Indiana is a private not-for-profit school based in Indianapolis, IN. Marian University Indiana graduates 67% of students within six years. In-state tuition and fees average $40,664. Graduates go on to earn a median of $49,784 early in their careers. Typical student debt is $28,633.
Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Based in Indianapolis, IN, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis is a public institution. Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis posts a six-year graduation rate of 54%. In-state tuition and fees run about $10,762, while out-of-state students pay about $34,891. Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis graduates report median early-career earnings of $56,930. Students borrow a median of $23,146 to complete a degree here.
Valparaiso University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Valparaiso University is a private not-for-profit school based in Valparaiso, IN. Valparaiso University graduates 70% of students within six years. Students from in state pay about $48,450 in tuition and fees. Median early-career earnings reach $51,987. Graduates carry a median of $26,724 in student loans.
University Of Evansville did well this year, earning the #9 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Evansville, IN. The six-year graduation rate is 65%. In-state tuition and fees average $44,172. Early-career graduates earn a median of $59,618. Graduates carry a median of $25,234 in student loans.
Trine University ranked #10 on our 2027 list of the best graduate schools. Set in Angola, IN, Trine University is a private not-for-profit institution. Trine University graduates 64% of students within six years. Students from in state pay about $36,560 in tuition and fees. Trine University graduates report median early-career earnings of $54,881. Graduates carry a median of $25,765 in student loans.
University Of Southern Indiana landed the #11 spot in Indiana this year. University Of Southern Indiana is a public school based in Evansville, IN. The six-year graduation rate is 48%. In-state tuition and fees average $10,066, with out-of-state students paying around $22,907. Median early-career earnings reach $47,216. Students borrow a median of $21,999 to complete a degree here.
Ball State University landed the #12 spot in Indiana this year. Located in Muncie, IN, Ball State University is a public institution. Ball State University posts a six-year graduation rate of 62%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,082, with out-of-state students paying around $29,630. Median early-career earnings reach $47,863. Students borrow a median of $24,518 to complete a degree here.
Indiana Wesleyan University National And Global ranked #13 on our 2027 list of the best graduate schools. Set in Marion, IN, Indiana Wesleyan University National And Global is a private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees run about $9,648. Graduates go on to earn a median of $53,372 early in their careers. The median student debt is $33,307.
University Of Indianapolis placed #14 among the best graduate schools in Indiana. Located in Indianapolis, IN, University Of Indianapolis is a private not-for-profit institution. University Of Indianapolis graduates 56% of students within six years. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $37,200. Median early-career earnings reach $52,298. Graduates carry a median of $26,699 in student loans.
Huntington University did well this year, earning the #15 position. Huntington University is a private not-for-profit school based in Huntington, IN. Huntington University graduates 64% of students within six years. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $31,870. Median early-career earnings reach $49,079. Typical student debt is $28,332.
Indiana Wesleyan University ranked #16 on our 2027 list of the best graduate schools. Based in Marion, IN, Indiana Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 66%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $32,352. Indiana Wesleyan University graduates report median early-career earnings of $52,449. Students borrow a median of $31,454 to complete a degree here.
Indiana State University landed the #17 spot in Indiana this year. Set in Terre Haute, IN, Indiana State University is a public institution. About 43% of students finish within six years. In-state tuition and fees run about $10,258, compared with $22,322 for out-of-state students. Graduates go on to earn a median of $53,952 early in their careers. Indiana State University students take on a median of $25,582 in debt.
Indiana Institute Of Technology did well this year, earning the #18 position. Indiana Institute Of Technology is a private not-for-profit school based in Fort Wayne, IN. Indiana Institute Of Technology posts a six-year graduation rate of 47%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $31,361. Graduates go on to earn a median of $56,185 early in their careers. The median student debt is $36,380.
Manchester College came in at #19 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in North Manchester, IN. Roughly 46% of students complete a degree within six years here. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $37,135. Early-career graduates earn a median of $52,464. Typical student debt is $25,833.
Oakland City University landed the #20 spot in Indiana this year. Based in Oakland City, IN, Oakland City University is a private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 65% of students complete a degree within six years here. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $27,900. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $62,655. Typical student debt is $25,266.
Purdue University Global ranked #21 on our 2027 list of the best graduate schools. This public school is set in West Lafayette, IN. The six-year graduation rate is 33%. In-state tuition and fees average $10,101, while out-of-state students pay about $14,412. Early-career graduates earn a median of $54,278. Students borrow a median of $36,778 to complete a degree here.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked graduate schools only.
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Rankings consider a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and per-student spending drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
References
See our data sources and methodologies.