🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants. Affordable on average — net price runs around $5,130/yr. Major value play for in-state residents.

✅ Best for

  • In-state residents (tuition ~$8,424 — major value play)
  • Students focused on Health Professions (the school's signature program)
  • Families wanting a small undergraduate experience

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 940, or ACT below 21 (admitted-class quartiles; GPA floor is a calibrated heuristic where CDS not yet on file)
  • Out-of-state tuition is 2.7× the in-state rate

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification
M3: Master's - Smaller Programs
Total enrollment
2,661
1,000 - 4,999
In-state tuition
$8,424
sticker, before aid
Out-of-state tuition
$22,811
+$14,387 vs in-state
Admit rate
76.7%
Accessible
SAT middle 50%
940–1170
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%
21–27
composite
Test policy
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earnings
$43,361
median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry
$39,714
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$43,361
4-year completion
37%
Median debt (completers)
$21,710
Cost of attendance
$13,989
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
43%

💰 True ROI

21.1× return

What families actually pay (after aid) vs. the sticker — and how 10-yr earnings stack against the real cost. Most sites quote sticker; we quote what families really pay.

What families actually pay (4 yrs)
$20,520
$5,130/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$35,436
vs sticker $55,956
10-yr earnings total
$433,610
$43,361/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup actual cost
0.5 yrs
at the median earnings rate

"True ROI" = (10-yr median earnings × 10) ÷ (actual 4-yr net price). The actual net is from Scorecard (average across all families); your family's net price will vary by income — see the breakdown above. Earnings are 10 years after enrollment (Scorecard PP-FOS, all majors combined).

💰 What families actually pay

Net price by family income

Net price = sticker price minus grant aid. This is what families actually pay out-of-pocket after scholarships and need-based aid — the most honest affordability signal there is. At Indiana University-Northwest, the average net price is $5,130/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$1,419/yr
Family income $30-48k
$331/yr
Family income $48-75k
$5,159/yr
Family income $75-110k
$10,047/yr
Family income $110k+
$13,042/yr

🔎 Earning over $110K? The federal brackets above lump every family from $110K to $1M+ into one row.

Need-based aid usually phases out somewhere between $200K and $300K at private colleges — but the exact threshold varies a lot. For a precise estimate based on your family's actual income, assets, and your student's academic profile, use Indiana University-Northwest's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Indiana University-Northwest →

Opens on Indiana University-Northwest's site. Takes about 10–15 minutes; have your most recent tax return handy.

Source: College Scorecard (NPT41-NPT45). Net price = total cost of attendance minus federal, state, institutional, and other grants. Some brackets may be suppressed for student-privacy reasons (small cohorts). Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates only. The $110K+ ceiling is a federal data limitation — Department of Education hasn't refreshed these brackets since the early 2010s.

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at Indiana University-Northwest

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what Indiana University-Northwest actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Health Professions
171 degrees · 43.5%
Typical career outcomes
Registered Nurse $86k Physician Assistant $130k Pharmacist $136k Physical Therapist (post-DPT) $100k
Highest-paying group on this list, but most careers require additional training beyond a 4-year degree.
2. Business, Management, & Marketing
78 degrees · 19.8%
Typical career outcomes
Financial Analyst $100k Management Analyst (Consultant) $99k Marketing Manager $158k Accountant / Auditor $80k
Broad set of corporate roles. Finance + consulting pay top, accounting + HR pay middle, sales spread is wide.
3. Liberal Arts, Humanities, & General Studies
67 degrees · 17.0%
Typical career outcomes
Management Analyst $99k Marketing Specialist $75k HR Specialist $68k
Flexible degree → many paths. Real outcomes depend on the second skill (data, coding, teaching cert).
4. Psychology
44 degrees · 11.2%
Typical career outcomes
HR Specialist $68k Market Research Analyst $75k Clinical Psychologist (post-PhD) $93k Social Worker $58k
Most undergrad psych grads go into non-clinical roles. Clinical/counseling psych requires a master's or doctoral.
5. Public Administration & Social Services
33 degrees · 8.4%
Typical career outcomes
Social Worker $58k Social / Community Service Mgr $77k Urban / Regional Planner $82k
Government, nonprofit, social work. Mission-driven; lower wages than private sector but stable.

Source: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a), bachelor's-level first majors aggregated to 2-digit CIP family. Share is of these top 5 only — not all majors.

💼 Top programs by earnings

Highest-earning majors at Indiana University-Northwest

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major (CIP code). From the federal College Scorecard program-level outcomes.

Major (CIP) Credential Cohort 1-yr earnings 4-yr earnings
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions. Bachelor's Degree 25 $68,086 $86,888
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. Bachelor's Degree 73 $73,335 $82,626
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions. Bachelor's Degree 15 $57,654 $67,468
Criminal Justice and Corrections. Bachelor's Degree 36 $41,295 $58,155
Business/Commerce, General. Bachelor's Degree 55 $39,957 $56,211
Health and Medical Administrative Services. Bachelor's Degree 7 $38,620 $54,525
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods. Bachelor's Degree 28 $48,497 $54,088
Public Health. Bachelor's Degree 20 $43,356 $53,988
Communication and Media Studies. Bachelor's Degree 8 $51,863
Social Work. Bachelor's Degree 27 $38,652 $51,575

For full college-vs-major comparison + ROI leaderboards, see /college-outcomes →

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Indiana University-Northwest

CS degrees (annual)
13
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Indiana University-Northwest vs. another college

Type the college you want to compare against. We'll show admit rates, net price by your family income, top majors with career outcomes, and merit aid — all in one side-by-side view.

Alternatives to Indiana University-Northwest

Matched not just by selectivity, but by strategic goal — what a family actually decides on.

🏆 Better merit-aid options
These similar-selectivity schools have published auto-merit grids that Indiana University-Northwest doesnt — your kids scores could unlock real scholarship dollars.
Texas Tech University
TX · Public
31 auto-merit scholarships on file
University of Louisville
KY · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
University of Arkansas
AR · Public
15 auto-merit scholarships on file
University of Mississippi
MS · Public
15 auto-merit scholarships on file
University of Kentucky
KY · Public
13 auto-merit scholarships on file
💰 Better out-of-state value
For families paying $110k+ income tuition, these schools cost meaningfully less than Indiana University-Northwest.
Christian Brothers University
TN · Private nonprofit
$5,843/yr for $110k+ families ($7,199 less)
Fairmont State University
WV · Public
$6,945/yr for $110k+ families ($6,097 less)
🛡️ Safer in-state options
Same state, similar SAT band, but with a more forgiving admit rate — useful safety / match anchors.
University of Southern Indiana
IN · Public
95% admit rate (vs 77% here)

Building a college list?

Use these to fit Indiana University-Northwest into your overall strategy:

See your admit odds → Improve your score → Find merit aid →