Huntington University
Huntington, Indiana · Private Nonprofit · 75.6% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 38/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Huntington University, a small Christian university in northeast Indiana, scores 38 in the Below Benchmark tier. The repayment rate is exceptional - 88.9% three-year repayment suggests graduates either earn enough to service debt or come from family backgrounds that support repayment. Completion at 63.6% is also above the small-private median. So why the low ROI score? The earnings side. The school's strengths are mission-driven and community-focused; the data reflects a graduate body that tends toward ministry, education, social services, and other lower-paid but stable callings. Huntington works for students who specifically value the Christian college experience and are not optimizing on financial outcomes.
How Huntington University scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score38/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period18.6 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Huntington University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $31,870/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $31,870/yr |
| Average net price | $19,310/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $77,240 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $46,672 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $32,600 |
| Median debt at graduation | $25,576 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $271 |
| Estimated payback period | 18.6 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 63.6% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,082 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $31,870/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $19,310/year, or roughly $77,240 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $10,796/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $27,226/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $25,576, which works out to about $271 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($32,600) and comes to 0.79, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $10,796 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $13,006 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $14,899 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $23,155 |
| $110,001+ | $27,226 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay just $10,796 net per year - the most generous low-income aid package among the brackets. With Pell stacking, the actual out-of-pocket can be very low. Combined with the 63.6% completion rate, this bracket gets the best deal at Huntington.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Brackets behave normally: $30,001-$48,000 pays $13,006, $48,001-$75,000 pays $14,899, $75,001-$110,000 jumps to $23,155 (a steep cliff). Middle-income families up to $75K get reasonable deals; the $75-110K bracket faces a sudden $8K jump that erases much of the value.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning $110,001+ pay $27,226 - close to full freight. At $109K over four years for $32,600 six-year average earnings, the math is poor on a financial-only basis. High-income families considering Huntington are typically choosing the religious community over financial value; for those families, the school delivers what it's selling, even if the ROI scoreboard doesn't reflect it.
Earnings by Major
Top 5 most popular majors at Huntington University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $46,073 | D |
| Registered Nursing | $71,310 | B |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $59,538 | - |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $48,400 | - |
| Graphic Communications | $34,787 | F |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Registered Nursing
Nursing is Huntington's strongest ROI program by far: 20 graduates with $71,934 first-year earnings (slightly higher than $71,310 four-year, a small Scorecard quirk) against $31,000 median debt - a 0.431 ratio and B grade. Indiana's healthcare labor market (Parkview Health, Lutheran Health Network in Fort Wayne, plus Indianapolis-area employers) absorbs BSN graduates at strong starting pay. The cost-outcome math works decisively here. For students focused on a nursing career within the Christian college framework, Huntington is a credible choice.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business graduates 19 students per year with $59,538 four-year earnings (first-year not reported, debt and ratio also missing). The four-year earnings figure is solid for a small Midwest Christian college - graduates feed into Indiana's diversified economy (manufacturing, healthcare admin, financial services). Without complete debt data the ratio cannot be calculated, but assuming typical $25K debt the math would land in C territory. A reasonable program for the right student.
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Film/Video (26 graduates - the largest program reported) shows $27,455 first-year and $46,073 four-year earnings against $26,996 debt - a 0.983 ratio and D grade. Huntington's film program is genuinely well-regarded within Christian higher ed and has produced graduates who work on faith-based film projects. But the labor market for film/video work pays poorly outside major coastal markets, and the debt-to-earnings ratio reflects that reality. Students entering this program should be clear-eyed about the financial trade-off they're making for the artistic and ministry training.
Graphic Communications
Graphic Communications (10 graduates) shows $16,522 first-year and $34,787 four-year earnings against $27,000 debt - a 1.634 ratio and F grade. The graphic-design field has been pressured by self-taught and bootcamp talent for a decade, and a $77K education for a credential that yields $17K starting earnings does not pencil. Students should consider this program only with realistic backup paths.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 86.4% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 88.9% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 82.9% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 84.1% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Huntington University’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 75.6% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 460-570 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 470-580 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 18-26 |
| Enrollment | 1,082 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 27.4% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,692 |
Huntington admits 75.6% of applicants with SAT mid-50% bands of Math 460-570 and Reading 470-580, plus ACT 18-26. The 63.6% completion rate is solid for this profile, suggesting the school's residential mission community provides retention support that exceeds what raw test scores would predict. Students who arrive committed to the Christian college experience tend to finish.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Huntington's strong repayment rate is genuinely distinctive - borrowers actually pay their loans, even if earnings ramp slowly. That's a meaningful signal of institutional culture even if it doesn't move the topline ROI score.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntington University (this school) | 38 | $19,310 | $46,672 |
| Palm Beach Atlantic University | 39 | $28,354 | $49,232 |
| Carson-Newman University | 39 | $20,251 | $48,382 |
| Houghton University | 38 | $20,519 | $46,721 |
| Wayland Baptist University | 38 | $20,590 | $51,838 |
| Cornerstone University | 37 | $20,301 | $47,314 |
Who Thrives Here
Huntington fits Indiana and Midwest Christian students who specifically want a small residential evangelical college experience and value the United Brethren in Christ heritage. Outcomes look strongest for nursing graduates ($71K first-year) and acceptable for business graduates. The film/video and graphic communications programs deliver weak ROI. Students should pick programs intentionally and ask about specific employment pipelines, especially in the strong nursing program.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Huntington University scores 38/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $19,310 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $46,672 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 18.6 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What it has going for it: high loan repayment success. What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.79 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a long payback period.
Median debt of $25,576 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $32,600 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.79. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Huntington University: Common Questions
Is Huntington University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Huntington University scores 38/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $19,310 a year after aid against $46,672 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 18.6 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Huntington University cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $19,310 a year, or roughly $77,240 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Huntington University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $46,672 ten years after enrolling, roughly $4,872 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Huntington University?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 18.6 years for Huntington University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Huntington University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $25,576, against average earnings of $32,600 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.79. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Huntington University?
The six-year graduation rate is 63.6%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.