Best Colleges in Indiana 2026

Indiana's top colleges blend academic excellence with strong career outcomes, drawing from the state's 43 qualifying institutions. The leading schools span both public powerhouses and selective private colleges, with public universities claiming 2 of the top 5 spots alongside 3 private institutions. Notre Dame and Indiana University-Bloomington lead in research opportunities and alumni networks, while Purdue excels in engineering and technology programs. Students should evaluate graduation rates, post-graduation employment data, and program-specific strengths when comparing options. Indiana's diverse higher education landscape offers pathways from large research universities with 40,000+ students to smaller specialized institutions focused on career preparation.

Schools Ranked

$58,381

Avg. Earnings

66.1%

Avg. Graduation Rate

Top 25 Schools

College rankings
#	School	Graduation Rate	Median Earnings	Acceptance Rate	In-State Tuition
1	Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses Angola, Indiana	100.0%	$57,165	24.4%	$9,576
2	University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, Indiana	96.8%	$99,980	12.9%	$62,693
3	Purdue University-Main Campus West Lafayette, Indiana	83.1%	$72,424	52.7%	$9,992
4	Chamberlain University-Indiana Indianapolis, Indiana	100.0%	$92,405	100.0%	$19,686
5	Indiana University-Bloomington Bloomington, Indiana	81.2%	$63,742	82.4%	$11,790
6	Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Terre Haute, Indiana	81.7%	$101,253	73.0%	$56,674
7	Ball State University Muncie, Indiana	63.3%	$51,833	69.0%	$10,758
8	Indiana Wesleyan University-National & Global Marion, Indiana	37.2%	$59,986		$8,216
9	Butler University Indianapolis, Indiana	80.2%	$77,235	82.1%	$45,980
10	Wabash College Crawfordsville, Indiana	77.1%	$69,952	61.5%	$49,125
11	Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Indianapolis Indianapolis, Indiana	59.1%	$42,759		$16,757
12	Oakland City University Oakland City, Indiana	70.0%	$43,283	55.7%	$27,150
13	Mid-America College of Funeral Service Jeffersonville, Indiana	55.7%	$44,505		$19,800
14	DePauw University Greencastle, Indiana	80.0%	$70,527	65.8%	$57,070
15	Indiana University-Indianapolis Indianapolis, Indiana	53.9%	$55,198	82.9%	$10,449
16	International Business College-Indianapolis Indianapolis, Indiana	69.1%	$38,146	71.8%	$16,480
17	Purdue University Global West Lafayette, Indiana	47.6%	$36,596		$10,110
18	Taylor University Upland, Indiana	76.6%	$52,198	74.6%	$39,104
19	Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, Indiana	36.6%	$37,186		$4,912
20	Vincennes University Vincennes, Indiana	34.7%	$41,110		$6,886
21	Purdue University Northwest Hammond, Indiana	44.0%	$48,318	72.8%	$8,419
22	Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion Marion, Indiana	66.3%	$59,986	86.7%	$31,168
23	Indiana University-East Richmond, Indiana	45.4%	$47,156	77.6%	$8,179
24	Huntington University Huntington, Indiana	68.2%	$46,672	77.5%	$29,982
25	Indiana University-Kokomo Kokomo, Indiana	44.7%	$49,917	85.8%	$8,179