🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants.

✅ Best for

  • Solid academic profile (SAT 970–1180 · ACT 19–28 middle 50% + typically a 3.7+ unweighted GPA in rigorous coursework)
  • Students drawn to Health Professions or Business, Management, & Marketing (the two biggest majors)
  • Families wanting a small liberal-arts experience

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 970, or ACT below 19, or unweighted GPA below ~3.50 (admitted-class quartiles; GPA floor is a calibrated heuristic where CDS not yet on file)

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
1,974
1,000 - 4,999
In-state tuition
$32,352
sticker, before aid
Tuition
$32,352
flat rate (no in/out-of-state split)
Admit rate
82.2%
Accepts the majority
SAT middle 50%
970–1180
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%
19–28
composite
Test policy
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earnings
$59,986
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
$51,329
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$59,986
4-year completion
67%
Median debt (completers)
$24,250
Cost of attendance
$44,776
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
27%

💰 True ROI

6.6× 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)
$91,464
$22,866/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$87,640
vs sticker $179,104
10-yr earnings total
$599,860
$59,986/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup actual cost
1.5 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 Wesleyan University-Marion, the average net price is $22,866/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$19,793/yr
Family income $30-48k
$14,896/yr
Family income $48-75k
$18,313/yr
Family income $75-110k
$22,336/yr
Family income $110k+
$27,265/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 Wesleyan University-Marion's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion →

Opens on Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion'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 Wesleyan University-Marion

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

1. Health Professions
133 degrees · 38.3%
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
80 degrees · 23.1%
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. Education
59 degrees · 17.0%
Typical career outcomes
Elementary School Teacher $64k Secondary School Teacher $65k School Principal $101k Special Education Teacher $66k
Teaching is the largest path. Salary depends heavily on district + state.
4. Biological & Biomedical Sciences
41 degrees · 11.8%
Typical career outcomes
Biological Scientist $87k Medical & Clinical Lab Tech $61k Pharmaceutical Rep $82k Physician (post-MD) $239k
Many bio majors → med school / grad school. Direct-employment bio roles are lower-paid than that pipeline.
5. Visual & Performing Arts
34 degrees · 9.8%
Typical career outcomes
Graphic Designer $59k Art Director $106k Multimedia Artist / Animator $99k Musician / Singer $39k
Highly variable. Steady-pay roles cluster in design, illustration, production. Performance careers have very wide income distributions.

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 Wesleyan University-Marion

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
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. Bachelor's Degree 133 $73,557 $84,157
Business Administration, Management and Operations. Bachelor's Degree 47 $58,880 $75,533
Management Information Systems and Services. Bachelor's Degree $66,258 $73,742
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication. Bachelor's Degree 12 $48,225 $71,669
Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences. Bachelor's Degree 22 $70,907
Finance and Financial Management Services. Bachelor's Degree 21 $55,562 $70,007
Accounting and Related Services. Bachelor's Degree 11 $57,029 $67,767
Marketing. Bachelor's Degree 21 $50,703 $64,077
Health and Medical Administrative Services. Bachelor's Degree $50,341 $64,036
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology. Bachelor's Degree $40,706 $60,898

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

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion

CS degrees (annual)
1
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion 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 Wesleyan University-Marion

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 Wesleyan University-Marion doesnt — your kids scores could unlock real scholarship dollars.
Texas Tech University
TX · Public
31 auto-merit scholarships on file
Mississippi State University
MS · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
University of Alabama at Birmingham
AL · Public
19 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
💰 Better out-of-state value
For families paying $110k+ income tuition, these schools cost meaningfully less than Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion.
Christian Brothers University
TN · Private nonprofit
$5,843/yr for $110k+ families ($21,422 less)
Fairmont State University
WV · Public
$6,945/yr for $110k+ families ($20,320 less)
United States Merchant Marine Academy
NY · Public
$9,168/yr for $110k+ families ($18,097 less)
Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus
NM · Public
$9,996/yr for $110k+ families ($17,269 less)
College of the Ozarks
MO · Private nonprofit
$10,426/yr for $110k+ families ($16,839 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 82% here)

Building a college list?

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

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