Fort Wayne, Indiana Colleges: Costs & Earnings (2026 stats)
TL;DR
EDsmart Data analysis of 2024 College Scorecard data for Fort Wayne, Indiana shows: median public in-state tuition $10,329 (+87.4% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $47,327 (-12.9% vs U.S.) employment-outcome proxy 89.3% working & not enrolled at 8 years median graduate debt $20,500 (+52.6% vs U.S.) 11,584 students enrolled statewide.
Key Facts
- Institutions in this profile: 12 campuses
- Total college enrollment: 11,584 students
- Median public in-state tuition: $10,329 (+87.4% vs U.S.)
- Median earnings 10 years after entry: $47,327 (-12.9% vs U.S.)
- Working & not enrolled (8-yr cohort proxy): 89.3% (+1.4 pp vs U.S.)
- Median net price: $19,592 (+96.6% vs U.S.)
- Median student debt at graduation: $20,500 (+52.6% vs U.S. $13,432); regional median $14,004
- Average completion rate (institutions in state): 42.0%
- Median first-year retention (full-time, 4-yr): 63.0%
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Overview
EDsmart Data summarizes higher-education outcomes for campuses in Fort Wayne, Indiana—costs, debt, enrollment, completion, earnings, and standout institutions—against Indiana and U.S. medians from the College Scorecard.
Fort Wayne vs Indiana & national benchmarks
Medians aggregate institution-level College Scorecard fields unless noted. Enrollment is total undergraduate headcount summed across reporting campuses.
| Geography | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion rate | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Wayne, Indiana | $10,329 | $19,592 | $20,500 | 42.0% | 11,584 |
| Indiana (state median) | $6,518 | $9,763 | $16,712 | 53.4% | 309,215 |
| United States | $5,512 | $9,967 | $13,432 | 50.3% | 14,484,370 |
Earnings & employment outcomes: Fort Wayne, Indiana vs benchmarks
Scorecard does not publish formal job-placement rates. We use the share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled (working ÷ working + not working) as a federal employment-outcome proxy. 2-yr and 3-yr default rates are federal cohort default shares (0–1 scale). We show 2-yr default as the primary benchmark; 3-yr default appears only when enough campuses report non-suppressed values (otherwise —). 3-yr repayment progress is the share of completers making progress on loans after 3 years. Sample: bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200. Medians pool campus-level values.
| Geography | Median earnings (10 yr) | Working & not enrolled (8 yr) | Retention (FT yr 1) | 2-yr default | 3-yr default | 3-yr repayment progress | Debt ÷ earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Wayne, Indiana | $47,327 | 89.3% | 63.0% | 7.5% | — | 59.9% | 0.51 |
| Indiana (state median) | $51,943 | 91.8% | 75.6% | 4.6% | — | 72.5% | 0.45 |
| United States | $54,323 | 87.9% | 76.3% | 5.0% | — | 73.7% | 0.41 |
Other cities in Indiana (3+ campuses)
Other cities in the same state with at least three reporting campuses.
| City | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion | Enrollment | Earnings (10 yr) | Working (8 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Wayne, Indiana | $10,329 | $19,592 | $20,500 | 42.0% | 11,584 | $47,327 | 89.3% |
| Indianapolis | $13,200 | $20,262 | $16,500 | 55.1% | 86,148 | $56,978 | 92.6% |
| Bloomington | $8,649 | $19,058 | $10,727 | 80.2% | 37,915 | $63,742 | 92.5% |
| Bloomington | $8,649 | $19,058 | $10,727 | 80.2% | 37,915 | $63,742 | 92.5% |
| Muncie | $8,118 | $17,113 | $10,114 | 62.3% | 14,051 | $51,833 | 94.4% |
| Notre Dame | $53,230 | $26,728 | $24,000 | 72.9% | 10,915 | $59,354 | 92.5% |
| Marion | $8,208 | $19,882 | $24,250 | 50.8% | 8,630 | $59,986 | 91.8% |
| Marion | $8,208 | $19,882 | $24,250 | 50.8% | 8,630 | $59,986 | 91.8% |
| Terre Haute | $10,258 | $17,560 | $17,364 | 60.5% | 8,585 | $74,820 | 93.8% |
| United States | $5,512 | $9,967 | $13,432 | 50.3% | 14,484,370 | $54,323 | 87.9% |
Outcomes by sector in Fort Wayne, Indiana
Median campus-level metrics within each ownership type (public, private nonprofit, private for-profit).
| Sector | Campuses | Median earnings (10 yr) | Working share (8 yr) | Retention | 2-yr default | 3-yr default | 3-yr repayment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private nonprofit | 3 | $47,327 | 88.0% | 59.4% | 7.6% | — | 49.0% |
Top 10 colleges in Fort Wayne, Indiana by graduation rate (150% time)
Ranked by 150% time completion rate (4-year bachelor's-predominant institutions, enrollment ≥ 500). Higher rate = more students finishing within 150% of normal time.
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Rank 1, Graduation Rate, 55.0%, University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne
University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne
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Rank 2, Graduation Rate, 47.8%, Indiana Institute of Technology
Indiana Institute of Technology
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Rank 3, Graduation Rate, 36.3%, Purdue University Fort Wayne
Purdue University Fort Wayne
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Rank 4, Graduation Rate, 28.0%, Indiana Institute of Technology-College of Professional Studies
Indiana Institute of Technology-College of Professional Studies
Top 10 colleges in Fort Wayne, Indiana by employment outcome (8 yrs after entry, working & not enrolled)
Ranked by share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled — a federal outcome proxy, not a verified job-placement rate. Enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, Employment Outcome, 93.0%, University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne
University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne
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Rank 2, Employment Outcome, 90.6%, Purdue University Fort Wayne
Purdue University Fort Wayne
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Rank 3, Employment Outcome, 88.0%, Indiana Institute of Technology
Indiana Institute of Technology
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Rank 4, Employment Outcome, 88.0%, Indiana Institute of Technology-College of Professional Studies
Indiana Institute of Technology-College of Professional Studies
Top 10 most selective colleges in Fort Wayne, Indiana (lowest admission rate)
Ranked by lowest admission rate (most selective first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500 and a reported admission rate.
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Rank 1, Admission Rate, 70.4%, Indiana Institute of Technology
Indiana Institute of Technology
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Rank 2, Admission Rate, 83.9%, Purdue University Fort Wayne
Purdue University Fort Wayne
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Rank 3, Admission Rate, 96.0%, University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne
University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne
Top 10 colleges in Fort Wayne, Indiana by entry-level earnings (1 yr post-completion, program)
Ranked by median program-level earnings one year after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; reflects completers in reported CIP programs, not all entrants.
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Rank 1, Entry-Level Earnings, $77,456, Indiana Institute of Technology
Indiana Institute of Technology
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Rank 2, Entry-Level Earnings, $77,456, Indiana Institute of Technology-College of Professional Studies
Indiana Institute of Technology-College of Professional Studies
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Rank 3, Entry-Level Earnings, $74,478, University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne
University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne
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Rank 4, Entry-Level Earnings, $70,046, Purdue University Fort Wayne
Purdue University Fort Wayne
Top 10 colleges in Fort Wayne, Indiana by early-career earnings (4 yr post-completion, program)
Ranked by median program-level earnings four years after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; program cohort, not institution-wide median.
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Rank 1, Early-Career Earnings, $101,396, Purdue University Fort Wayne
Purdue University Fort Wayne
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Rank 2, Early-Career Earnings, $90,363, Indiana Institute of Technology
Indiana Institute of Technology
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Rank 3, Early-Career Earnings, $90,363, Indiana Institute of Technology-College of Professional Studies
Indiana Institute of Technology-College of Professional Studies
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Rank 4, Early-Career Earnings, $81,680, University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne
University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne
Top 10 colleges in Fort Wayne, Indiana by mid-career earnings (6 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings six years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, Mid-Career Earnings, $47,944, University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne
University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne
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Rank 2, Mid-Career Earnings, $42,873, Purdue University Fort Wayne
Purdue University Fort Wayne
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Rank 3, Mid-Career Earnings, $29,717, Indiana Institute of Technology
Indiana Institute of Technology
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Rank 4, Mid-Career Earnings, $29,717, Indiana Institute of Technology-College of Professional Studies
Indiana Institute of Technology-College of Professional Studies
Top 10 colleges in Fort Wayne, Indiana by 8-year earnings (8 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings eight years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, 8-Yr Earnings, $50,591, University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne
University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne
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Rank 2, 8-Yr Earnings, $44,192, Purdue University Fort Wayne
Purdue University Fort Wayne
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Rank 3, 8-Yr Earnings, $39,554, Indiana Institute of Technology
Indiana Institute of Technology
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Rank 4, 8-Yr Earnings, $39,554, Indiana Institute of Technology-College of Professional Studies
Indiana Institute of Technology-College of Professional Studies
Top 10 colleges in Fort Wayne, Indiana by long-term earnings (10 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings ten years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr Earnings, $55,362, University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne
University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne
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Rank 2, 10-Yr Earnings, $47,327, Indiana Institute of Technology
Indiana Institute of Technology
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Rank 3, 10-Yr Earnings, $47,327, Indiana Institute of Technology-College of Professional Studies
Indiana Institute of Technology-College of Professional Studies
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Rank 4, 10-Yr Earnings, $45,872, Purdue University Fort Wayne
Purdue University Fort Wayne
Top 10 colleges in Fort Wayne, Indiana by 10-year ROI
Ranked by 10-year return on investment (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200 and a computed ROI in the EDsmart dataset.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr ROI, $163,936, Purdue University Fort Wayne
Purdue University Fort Wayne
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Rank 2, 10-Yr ROI, $154,336, University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne
University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne
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Rank 3, 10-Yr ROI, $99,244, Indiana Institute of Technology-College of Professional Studies
Indiana Institute of Technology-College of Professional Studies
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Rank 4, 10-Yr ROI, $88,084, Indiana Institute of Technology
Indiana Institute of Technology
Top 10 most affordable colleges in Fort Wayne, Indiana (net price)
Ranked by lowest average net price (most affordable first). Uses overall net price, or mid-income bracket net price for public schools when available. Enrollment ≥ 300.
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Rank 1, Net Price, $13,171, Purdue University Fort Wayne
Purdue University Fort Wayne
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Rank 2, Net Price, $18,196, University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne
University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne
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Rank 3, Net Price, $20,473, Indiana Institute of Technology-College of Professional Studies
Indiana Institute of Technology-College of Professional Studies
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Rank 4, Net Price, $23,206, Indiana Institute of Technology
Indiana Institute of Technology
Top 10 colleges in Fort Wayne, Indiana by first-year retention (full-time)
Ranked by first-year, full-time retention rate (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, First-Year Retention, 70.7%, University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne
University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne
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Rank 2, First-Year Retention, 66.6%, Purdue University Fort Wayne
Purdue University Fort Wayne
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Rank 3, First-Year Retention, 59.4%, Indiana Institute of Technology
Indiana Institute of Technology
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Rank 4, First-Year Retention, 54.5%, Indiana Institute of Technology-College of Professional Studies
Indiana Institute of Technology-College of Professional Studies
In-state tuition: Fort Wayne, Indiana vs benchmarks
Sticker price
Fort Wayne, Indiana median in-state tuition is $10,329, +87.4% vs the U.S. median.
Student debt: Fort Wayne, Indiana vs benchmarks
Borrowing
Median debt at graduation in Fort Wayne, Indiana is $20,500 (+52.6% vs U.S. median $13,432). Regional median: $14,004.
Median earnings (10 years out): Fort Wayne, Indiana vs benchmarks
Payoff
Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in Fort Wayne, Indiana center around $47,327 (-12.9% vs U.S.).
Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.
Employment outcome proxy: Fort Wayne, Indiana vs benchmarks
Working & not enrolled
The share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled—our Scorecard employment proxy—is 89.3% at the median Fort Wayne, Indiana campus (+1.4 pp vs U.S.).
Percent of 8-year cohort working and not enrolled (not a formal placement rate).
Analysis & insights
EDsmart Data aggregates institution-level College Scorecard data for this profile. Highlights below compare local medians to U.S. and regional benchmarks.
Costs & borrowing
Fort Wayne, Indiana median public in-state tuition is $10,329, about +87.4% vs the national median. Versus the Great Lakes region, tuition is +83.6%.
Median graduate debt is $20,500 (+52.6% above the U.S. median of $13,432). Low sticker prices do not always mean low borrowing—living costs, time-to-degree, and aid mix matter.
Earnings, employment & retention
Among bachelor's-predominant campuses with ≥200 students, median 10-year earnings in Fort Wayne, Indiana are $47,327, about -12.9% vs the U.S. campus median ($54,323).
The median campus reports 89.3% of its 8-year cohort as working and not enrolled—our closest federal proxy to a placement rate. The U.S. campus median is 87.9% (+1.4 pp). Formal job-placement statistics are not published in Scorecard; treat this as a comparative outcome indicator, not a hire guarantee.
First-year, full-time retention at the median campus is 63.0% vs a U.S. median of 76.3%—a leading indicator for completion and time-to-degree.
Loan repayment indicators at the median campus: 2-yr default 7.5% (U.S. 5.0%); 3-yr repayment progress 59.9% (U.S. 73.7%). 3-yr default is omitted when most campuses report suppressed zeros.
Top employment-outcome campuses in this extract include University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne (93.0%), Purdue University Fort Wayne (90.6%), Indiana Institute of Technology (88.0%), Indiana Institute of Technology-College of Professional Studies (88.0%)—useful anchors for local reporting on where graduates are most often working rather than still enrolled.
Completion & workforce context
Within Fort Wayne, Indiana, sector medians diverge: Private nonprofit median 10-yr earnings $47,327 (3 campuses). Public campuses often dominate enrollment while private nonprofits can show higher earnings medians at selective institutions.
Average institution-level completion rate across all sectors in Fort Wayne, Indiana is 42.0% (national institution average about 50.3%).
FAQ
How many colleges are in Fort Wayne?
EDsmart Data analysis: this city profile covers 12 campuses in Fort Wayne, Indiana with College Scorecard cost or outcomes data.
How much does college cost in Fort Wayne?
EDsmart Data analysis: median in-state tuition in Fort Wayne is $10,329 and median net price is $19,592. For Indiana overall, medians are $6,518 and $9,763; U.S. medians are $5,512 and $9,967.
What do graduates earn in Fort Wayne?
EDsmart Data analysis: median 10-year earnings for campuses in Fort Wayne is $47,327 vs $51,943 for Indiana and $54,323 nationally.
What is student debt like for Fort Wayne colleges?
EDsmart Data analysis: median completer debt in Fort Wayne is $20,500 vs $16,712 for Indiana and $13,432 nationally.
What are the best colleges in Fort Wayne?
EDsmart Data analysis: top campuses on this page include University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne (graduation) and University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne (10-yr earnings). See Top 10 lists for admission, affordability, and employment metrics.
Are there HBCUs, Hispanic-serving, tribal, or religious colleges in Fort Wayne?
EDsmart Data analysis: among 12 campuses in Fort Wayne, Indiana, 2 religiously affiliated private nonprofit campuses (IPEDS RELAFFIL); most common affiliations: Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (1), Roman Catholic (1).
Sources & related
- Indiana college profile
- All college profiles
- National benchmarks
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard
- Download: JSON