Best Colleges in Indiana

A major Catholic college located just outside of South Bend, the University of Notre Dame ranks among the country's top colleges. The school offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs in fields such as architecture, arts and letters, business, engineering, and science. Graduate students can select from multiple law degrees and several interdisciplinary doctoral programs in peace studies, which combine the field with related subjects such as history, anthropology, and political science. ND boasts one of the largest endowments in the country, and students benefit from a generous selection of campus services. The college's Hesburgh Library Network encompasses general collections as well as many specialized libraries in subjects like architecture, chemistry and physics, mathematics, and medieval studies. ND also hosts cutting-edge research in many fields, including analytical sciences and computer engineering, chemical and biomolecular engineering, global health, and nuclear physics.

A private college based in Indianapolis, Butler University enrolls more than 5,000 students in undergraduate and graduate programs through six schools and colleges. Learners can pursue more than 65 undergraduate majors in fields such as the arts, education, business, and pharmacy and health sciences. The school draws many applicants for its strong internships, service-learning opportunities, and study abroad programs, as well as its support services and 11-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio. Butler maintains an international focus and encourages students to recognize the value of cross-cultural communication in all academic fields. Undergraduates complete at least two courses in global and historical studies, with options including frontiers in Latin America, South Asian civilizations, and modern Middle East and North Africa. The college also offers several academic programs with a global focus, including peace and conflict studies, anthropology, Asian studies, international studies, and international business.

Serving approximately 2,500 students annually, the University of Evansville offers a liberal arts education primarily at the undergraduate level, though the school hosts a small number of graduate programs. This private college offers more than 60 undergraduate majors and minors in topics such as art history, British studies, ethics and social change, and religion. Graduate students can pursue degrees including public health, athletic training, and public service administration, along with two doctorates in physical therapy and nursing practice. UE operates a global education center at Harlaxton College in Grantham, England. UE also offers a variety of additional study abroad experiences through membership in the International Student Exchange program, enabling students to travel to Africa, Europe, Asia, and South America.

A Christian college affiliated with the Wesleyan Church, Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion ranks as the largest private college in Indiana, serving more than 13,000 students annually. IWU operates a main campus in Marion along with several regional education centers throughout Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky, offering degrees at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. Though associated with the Protestant Wesleyan Church, IWU enrolls students of all Christian backgrounds, with more than 80 denominations represented. IWU undergraduates can choose from more than 80 majors, including both secular and nonsecular options such as applied music, Christian education, exercise science, social work, and worship arts. The Marion campus primarily serves undergraduates, though IWU does offer a selection of graduate programs in fields including criminal justice, education, health sciences, nursing, and religious and theological studies. For added flexibility, learners can typically combine on-campus courses with online learning.

Indiana University Kokomo provides an affordable education to both its online and on-campus students. The average annual cost of a degree at the university is just $7,700, and IU Kokomo offers more than 800 scholarships each year to help further reduce the cost of attendance. Students living in one of eight Midwestern states may also qualify for in-state tuition rates. Six undergraduate programs at the university can be completed entirely online, including bachelor's degrees in nursing, informatics, and medical imaging technology. Students may also pursue a bachelor of general studies and customize their learning experience through diverse online elective classes. The general studies bachelor's is also available in an accelerated format that features eight-week classes and condensed semesters. First-year applicants must submit high school or GED transcripts and ACT or SAT scores. IU Kokomo does not set minimum academic requirements for admission, and instead takes a holistic approach to reviewing student applications.

Formed in 1969 through the merger of multiple extension programs from both Indiana University and Purdue University, Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis now ranks among the largest public colleges in the state and enrolls around 30,000 students each year. The school hosts more than 450 academic and professional programs at all levels. IUPUI is home to 17 academic schools and colleges, including art and design, informatics and computing, liberal arts, public health, and social work. IUPUI's size offers a variety of opportunities for learners, including the RISE initiative, which encourages professional and intellectual growth activities. Involving research, international travel, service-learning, and experiential learning opportunities, these unique personal and academic experiences deepen student learning and encourage personal development. Students might assist faculty with research, spend a semester studying in China, work alongside a community organization, or participate in an internship related to their major.

Indiana University East offers online bachelor's degree completion programs in applied health science, communication studies, mathematics, and nursing. Online students at the university may also pursue one of three graduate certificates to develop specific professional skills or to earn credits that can be applied toward a master's degree. IU East caters exclusively to online learners who have previously taken some college-level courses; as a result, applicants do not need to submit high school or GED transcripts. The school does not explicitly require entrance exam scores for admission, though you may need to share results from the ACT or SAT to qualify for certain scholarships. You must also maintain at least a 2.0 GPA in your college coursework to receive transfer credit. Students at IU East receive approximately $30 million in financial aid each year. While many scholarships and grants are reserved for recent high school graduates and on-campus learners, the university does provide financial support to community college transfer students and first-generation students.

Huntington University offers individual online courses during the summer; online degree completion programs for adult learners; and three online master's programs in counseling, organizational leadership, and pastoral leadership. Online students may also earn a master's degree in education at the university by taking a small portion of their courses on campus. Degree completion programs at HU allow students to quickly earn a bachelor's in areas such as nonprofit leadership, criminal justice, and social work. Online classes run for five weeks, and students typically take just one course at a time. Additionally, all programs at HU integrate a Christian worldview. Applying to a degree completion program requires an associate degree, while admission to a graduate program requires a bachelor's degree. HU does not require prospective students at any level to take an entrance exam. Roughly 90% of admitted students receive some form of financial aid, with HU awarding approximately $12 million in scholarships and grants each year.

A major public college based in West Lafayette, Purdue University ranks among the largest colleges in Indiana with more than 43,000 students enrolled each year. Known for cutting-edge research activity, the school stands at the forefront of key fields such as agriculture, manufacturing, and healthcare. Purdue also features some of the country's top programs in engineering, aeronautical engineering, aviation technology, and spaceflight technology. The school counts more than 20 astronauts among alumni, including Neil Armstrong. Purdue's English department boasts a national reputation for its Online Writing Lab (OWL), which launched in 1994. With resources for all types of academic writing, the Purdue OWL is a model for many schools' online writing resources. Purdue also delivers a major distance education program with degrees at all academic levels. The school offers several additional master's programs exclusively online, including options in aviation management and construction management.

Students at Indiana University Northwest can pursue online bachelor's degrees in informatics, labor studies, business, and medical imaging technology. The university also offers hybrid programs in philosophy, political science, and history, along with a fully online master of arts in English. The university ensures that all students, regardless of how they choose to study, receive a high-quality education. All online classes are designed by full-time faculty at IU Northwest, and all online instructors participate in an intensive training program and ongoing professional development opportunities. Additionally, the university's overall student-to-faculty ratio of 16-to-1 helps guarantee small class sizes and personalized instruction. Undergraduate applicants to IU Northwest must submit high school transcripts and standardized test scores. Admitted freshmen at the university generally have a high school GPA of at least 2.0, rank in the upper half of their graduating class, and receive scores above the median on either the ACT or SAT.

Hundreds of individual classes are available online at Indiana University South Bend, along with fully online bachelor's and master's degrees in applied science, English, history, and nursing. The university also offers three online graduate certificates, and it is currently working with other campuses within the Indiana University system to provide additional online programs. Online students at IU South Bend must meet weekly assignment deadlines, but they can review course materials, watch lectures, and interact with their classmates at whatever time works best for them. All study and review sessions are also recorded for the benefit of online learners. Undergraduate applicants must submit high school transcripts and ACT or SAT scores. The university does not, however, require prospective students over the age of 21 or with at least 12 transferable college credits to take an entrance exam. Each year, IU South Bend students receive approximately $43 million in financial aid, though online learners may not be eligible for all institutional scholarships.

Indiana Wesleyan University is an evangelical Christian institution and the largest college in Indiana by enrollment. Many of the university's students learn exclusively online, seeking one of 90 associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in fields like accounting, hospitality management, the psychology of human relations, or youth and family ministry. Online students at IWU can also take some of their classes at the university's regional campuses throughout Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio. All online courses at the university have capped class sizes to ensure that students can get to know their classmates and receive individual attention from their instructors. Dedicated online advisors help students transfer credits and navigate the enrollment process, and an off-campus library services team provides research assistance to distance learners. Undergraduate applicants to IWU typically must have a high school or GED diploma, though some programs require prospective students to hold an associate degree or at least 60 transferable credits from another accredited college or university.

Students at Saint-Mary-of-the-Woods College can choose from 13 fully online bachelor's programs rooted in the liberal arts and inspired by the college's Catholic identity. Online degrees at SMWC prepare graduates to succeed in professional fields such as healthcare administration, information technology, human services, and theology. All applicants must submit high school transcripts and ACT or SAT scores. Some programs also ask for a 500-word essay, resume, letter of recommendation, or additional materials. For example, the college's music therapy program requires two letters of recommendation, a bachelor's degree in music with a minimum 2.5 GPA, and a voice or instrumental audition recording. The SMWC Woods Online Scholarship provides up to $2,000 in annual aid specifically to distance learners. Although the college does not set minimum requirements to initially qualify for this scholarship, you must maintain at least a 2.5 GPA in your coursework to renew the award each year.

A Christian liberal arts college affiliated with the Church of the Brethren, Manchester University operates a main campus in North Manchester and an auxiliary campus in Fort Wayne, enrolling about 1,400 students annually. MU offers associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs, with more than 70 areas of study available. Though the school is associated with the Anabaptist Church of the Brethren, only about 6% of students identify with the denomination, and MU admits Christian students of all backgrounds. For undergraduates who wish to complete their degree as quickly as possible, MU offers an accelerated plan that enables students to graduate in just three years of full-time study. Participants complete the same number of credits but do so through a more intensive course load that includes summer sessions and some online courses. MU offers this accelerated track to students of all majors, and participants can save up to $25,000 on tuition and room and board.

Oakland City University, a Christian university founded in 1885, offers fully online undergraduate and graduate degrees in criminal justice, sports administration, operations management, and education. Incoming students can transfer up to 60 credits from another accredited institution toward a bachelor's at OCU or up to 30 credits toward select master's degrees. The university also grants credit for related professional experience. Online classes run for either five or eight weeks, depending on the area of study. All coursework features an asynchronous format, and online learners can remotely access academic coaching, career planning, writing, and financial literacy services. Applicants with fewer than 60 college-level credits must have a high school diploma or GED certificate to apply to a bachelor's program. Graduate applicants must hold a bachelor's degree, submit three professional recommendations, and provide a resume detailing at least two years of work experience. OCU does not require prospective students to take an entrance exam.

A small private college based in Terre Haute, the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology specializes in mathematics, science, and engineering. The school primarily offers an undergraduate education, with more than two dozen majors available such as biology, civil engineering, computer science, economics, data science, and software engineering. RHIT consistently ranks among the country's top undergraduate colleges for engineering and other STEM fields, and the school maintains a highly selective admissions policy. RHIT also offers a small selection of graduate programs, including chemistry, engineering management, biomedical engineering, and optical engineering. Many of the school's graduate degrees feature online components to accommodate working students. All RHIT students benefit from top-tier learning and research facilities, including cutting-edge labs and project space. The RHIT campus is home to several notable facilities, including the Oakley Observatory and the JRSI Laboratory, which focuses on medical technology research.

arlham College offers a liberal arts education rooted in Quaker values and serves approximately 1,000 students from its campus in Richmond. Primarily enrolling undergraduates, Earlham also offers a master of arts in teaching, a master of education, and nonsecular degrees in divinity, ministry, religion, and theopoetics. Undergraduates can choose from several majors in the arts and sciences, such as ancient and classical studies, environmental sustainability, German language and literature, and peace and global studies. All undergraduates benefit from the Earlham Program for an Integrated Curriculum (EPIC), an experience-based education model that informs most aspects of the academic journey. The EPIC program combines an academic major with relevant learning experiences, such as internships, research, study abroad opportunities, scholarship programs, and leadership development activities. Earlham provides financial support for many of these activities -- including study abroad experiences -- through its EPIC Advantage funding initiative.

With more than 70 undergraduate and graduate programs offered fully online, Ball State University easily takes the top spot on our list of the best online colleges in Indiana. Distance education programs at the university prepare students for diverse careers, including roles in applied behavior analysis, criminal justice and criminology, logistics and supply chain management, and public relations. Online courses at Ball State are delivered in an asynchronous format, meaning students can complete their coursework whenever their schedule allows. Students also enjoy the option to follow a hybrid approach, which combines the flexibility of online education with face-to-face instruction at the university's main campus in Muncie or a satellite campus outside of Indianapolis. To apply to Ball State as an undergraduate student, you must have a high school or GED diploma. As a test-optional institution, however, the university allows applicants to decide whether to submit ACT or SAT scores. Admission requirements for graduate programs vary, but all require applicants to have a bachelor's degree.

A private men's college located in Crawfordsville, Wabash College ranks among the top liberal arts colleges in the country. The school offers undergraduate degrees across 39 majors and minors, including subjects such as Asian studies, electronic music, financial economics, gender studies, and modern languages. Wabash also offers dual bachelor's/master's programs in accounting and engineering, which prepare students to complete their master's at partner schools such as Purdue or Columbia University. Wabash offers several cocurriculum programs through its WabashX program, expanding students' education beyond the classroom and providing specialized training for either graduate study or career preparation. Learners can pursue programs focusing on democracy and public discourse, global health, innovation and business, and digital arts. These programs provide unique professional and community opportunities; for example, global health students work with local clinics and community agencies to understand healthcare disparities.