Most Affordable Private Colleges in Indiana
Private nonprofit colleges rarely cost what their price tags say. Among the 27 we rank in Indiana, the average net price runs from $14,493 to $42,513 a year, a range of $28,020.
The median net price is $22,866, $994 (4%) below the national median of $23,860 for private nonprofit colleges. Median tuition and fees are $38,710, but the median net price, which also counts room, board and books after grants, is $22,866, so aid more than covers the housing and living costs added on top of tuition.
Goshen College ranks first at $14,493, ahead of University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne ($18,196) and University of Evansville ($18,499).
How this list is built
A college appears here only if it meets every condition below.
- Colleges considered
- Private nonprofit 4-year colleges whose main award is the bachelor's degree
- Ranked by net price, lowest first. Ties are broken by larger undergraduate enrollment, then by name.
- Main campuses only, with at least 60% of core data fields reported
- Main campus located in Indiana
- At least 500 undergraduate students enrolled (fall 2024)
- A reported net price value (schools without one are not ranked)
- This page is published only when at least 15 schools qualify; Indiana has 27
- Data period
- Net price: average for students receiving aid, academic year 2023-24.
- Tuition and fees: full-time undergraduate sticker price, academic year 2024-25 (the same for in-state and out-of-state students).
- Net price by income: students with family income of $0 to $30,000, academic year 2023-24.
- Graduation rate: first-time, full-time students who started in fall 2018 (4-year) or fall 2021 (2-year), finishing within 150% of normal time.
- Earnings: median earnings four years after completing, measured in 2022 and 2023 for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 cohorts, in 2024 dollars.
- Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, June 2026 release.
Showing all 27 qualifying schools. Select a column heading to re-sort the table.
| 1 | Goshen College Goshen, IN Private nonprofit · 4-year | $14,493 | $38,890 | $12,761 | 63% | $55,539 |
| 2 | University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, IN Private nonprofit · 4-year | $18,196 | $36,460 | $12,720 | 58% | $62,831 |
| 3 | University of Evansville Evansville, IN Private nonprofit · 4-year | $18,499 | $44,172 | $14,451 | 68% | $59,762 |
| 4 | Valparaiso University Valparaiso, IN Private nonprofit · 4-year | $18,578 | $48,450 | $11,043 | 69% | $69,228 |
| 5 | Bethel University (IN) Mishawaka, IN Private nonprofit · 4-year | $18,610 | $34,600 | $17,580 | 55% | $53,289 |
| 6 | Manchester University North Manchester, IN Private nonprofit · 4-year | $18,805 | $37,135 | $13,875 | 45% | $52,989 |
| 7 | Huntington University Huntington, IN Private nonprofit · 4-year | $19,310 | $31,870 | $10,796 | 66% | $52,242 |
| 8 | Grace College and Theological Seminary Winona Lake, IN Private nonprofit · 4-year | $19,932 | $31,200 | $10,998 | 69% | $49,126 |
| 9 | University of Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN Private nonprofit · 4-year | $21,602 | $37,200 | $15,346 | 56% | $63,673 |
| 10 | Hanover College Hanover, IN Private nonprofit · 4-year | $21,829 | $44,638 | $16,832 | 65% | $56,221 |
| 11 | DePauw University Greencastle, IN Private nonprofit · 4-year | $22,264 | $59,070 | $11,820 | 77% | $70,091 |
| 12 | Calumet College of Saint Joseph Whiting, IN Private nonprofit · 4-year | $22,451 | $23,850 | $21,381 | 26% | $57,530 |
| 13 | Franklin College Franklin, IN Private nonprofit · 4-year | $22,855 | $38,710 | $14,790 | 62% | $53,224 |
| 14 | Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion Marion, IN Private nonprofit · 4-year | $22,866 | $32,352 | $19,793 | 67% | $68,838 |
| 15 | Indiana Institute of Technology Fort Wayne, IN Private nonprofit · 4-year | $23,206 | $31,361 | $19,524 | 38% | $61,150 |
| 16 | Marian University (IN) Indianapolis, IN Private nonprofit · 4-year | $24,018 | $40,664 | $23,195 | 64% | $72,150 |
| 17 | Wabash College Crawfordsville, IN Private nonprofit · 4-year | $24,336 | $50,800 | $16,586 | 77% | $68,626 |
| 18 | Earlham College Richmond, IN Private nonprofit · 4-year | $24,714 | $53,930 | $17,178 | 68% | $44,750 |
| 19 | Taylor University Upland, IN Private nonprofit · 4-year | $24,865 | $40,490 | $16,143 | 75% | $51,779 |
| 20 | Anderson University (IN) Anderson, IN Private nonprofit · 4-year | $25,021 | $37,240 | $23,119 | 52% | $54,833 |
| 21 | Saint Mary's College Notre Dame, IN Private nonprofit · 4-year | $25,292 | $53,230 | $16,760 | 73% | $69,406 |
| 22 | Trine University Angola, IN Private nonprofit · 4-year | $25,355 | $36,560 | $19,661 | 66% | $67,814 |
| 23 | Holy Cross College Notre Dame, IN Private nonprofit · 4-year | $26,728 | $36,600 | $15,377 | 50% | $46,024 |
| 24 | University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN Private nonprofit · 4-year | $26,780 | $65,025 | $7,244 | 96% | $100,684 |
| 25 | Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Saint Mary of the Woods, IN Private nonprofit · 4-year | $31,872 | $35,270 | $33,513 | 49% | $47,647 |
| 26 | Butler University Indianapolis, IN Private nonprofit · 4-year | $36,041 | $47,560 | $25,278 | 80% | $73,732 |
| 27 | Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Terre Haute, IN Private nonprofit · 4-year | $42,513 | $58,649 | $36,843 | 80% | $97,780 |
How to compare these colleges
Do not rule out a private college because of its sticker price. Private colleges often discount heavily, and the net price shown here is what students who receive aid pay on average, including housing and books. Your own offer depends on your family income and the school's aid policy, so run each college's net price calculator and compare actual award letters.
Guides worth reading first
More lists for Indiana
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Highest graduate earnings in Indiana
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Same list in nearby states
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Most affordable private colleges in Illinois
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Most affordable private colleges in Michigan
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All 51 colleges in Indiana See the national version of this ranking