Is Indiana University-Northwest Worth It?

Indiana University-Northwest gives you a low-cost degree with a modest payoff, and your major decides whether the math works. The net price is cheap for a four-year public school, and the median debt stays under what you'd earn in your first year for most programs. But the median earnings ten years out sit near the low $40Ks, so the return depends heavily on picking the right program.

Nursing is the clear winner here. It pays the most of any program listed and carries debt that a first-year salary covers. Allied Health and Dental Support Services also land you above the school-wide median with manageable debt, so the health fields are where this campus earns its keep. Business is the weakest bet: it pays the least of the top programs while carrying typical debt, meaning you take on the same loans for a smaller return. Teacher Education is a warning sign too, pairing the second-lowest pay with the highest debt of any program on the list.

The biggest risk is finishing at all. Fewer than four in ten graduate, and nearly a third of students don't return after their first year. Debt without a degree is the worst outcome, and those odds are real here.

If your family earns under $48K, this school is one of the cheapest four-year paths you'll find, with a net price near $2,000 a year. Above $75K, the price jumps past $12,000, which changes the calculation but still stays affordable. This is a good fit if you're going into nursing or allied health and you're confident you'll finish. If you're eyeing business or teaching, or you're unsure about staying enrolled, weigh the low cost against the low completion odds before you commit.