Indiana University-East
Richmond, Indiana · Public · 67.2% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 50/100 · Below Average Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Indiana University-East earns an overall ROI score of 50 out of 100, placing it in Below Average Value - a notable step above the Below Benchmark tier and reflecting a low-cost public model where the math works when students complete. Net price is just $8,134 (in-state tuition $8,424, with aid offsetting most of that), and average earnings six years after enrollment are $32,400, climbing to a median $47,156 by year 10. The earnings premium of 37.4% is the standout strength (79/100 sub-score). The challenges are completion (39.6%, 20/100) and repayment (56.2% three-year rate, 13/100). Median debt of $18,000 is modest and produces a 0.556 debt-to-earnings ratio with a 14.2-year payback period. IU-East is a small regional public in Richmond on the Ohio border, serving commuter and online students across East-Central Indiana and Western Ohio. The low net price combined with a strong nursing program and several B-grade majors (math, business administration operations) makes this a genuine value pick for committed, prepared in-state students.
How Indiana University-East 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.
- 6-year graduation rate39.6% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
Indiana University-East
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $8,424/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $22,811/yr |
| Average net price | $8,134/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $32,536 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $47,156 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $32,400 |
| Median debt at graduation | $18,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $191 |
| Estimated payback period | 14.2 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 39.6% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,589 |
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: $8,424/year ($22,811/year out-of-state), which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $8,134/year, or roughly $32,536 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 $5,154/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $16,067/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $18,000, which works out to about $191 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($32,400) and comes to 0.56, 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 | $5,154 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $5,454 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $7,100 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $13,260 |
| $110,001+ | $16,067 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay just $5,154 per year - exceptional value. Pell grants and state aid absorb most of the cost. Over four years that is roughly $21,000 against average graduate earnings of $32,400. Completion remains the variable: at 39.6%, not finishing is the dominant risk.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $30,001-$48,000 bracket pays $5,454 and the $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $7,100. Both remarkable values for any four-year degree pathway. Working-class Indiana families face a four-year cost of $22,000-$28,000, which is genuinely affordable.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
The $75,001-$110,000 bracket pays $13,260 and the $110,001-plus bracket pays $16,067.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Indiana University-East with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology | $49,596 | D |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $62,886 | B |
| Mathematics | $71,223 | B |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $51,990 | C |
| Registered Nursing | $82,212 | B |
| Teacher Education | $47,103 | C |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $53,389 | D |
| Communication and Media Studies | $56,141 | C |
| English Language and Literature | $38,061 | D |
| Social Work | $43,470 | C+ |
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 graduates 45 students per year with $72,491 first-year earnings rising to $82,212 by year four. Median debt of $27,000 produces a 0.372 debt-to-earnings ratio and a B ROI grade. The combination of low total program cost, strong NCLEX outcomes, and competitive starting wages makes this a strong nursing value.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration Operations is the highest-volume program at 118 graduates per year. First-year earnings of $47,114 climb to $62,886 by year four, with median debt of $20,789 producing a 0.441 ratio and a B ROI grade. The combination of high volume, strong earnings curve, and modest debt makes this the school's most reliable broad-appeal program for career-shifting working adults.
Mathematics
Mathematics graduates 70 students annually with $58,764 first-year earnings climbing to $71,223 by year four. Median debt of $22,388 produces a 0.381 ratio and a B ROI grade. The strong outcomes likely reflect graduates pipelining into actuarial, statistical, data analytics, and teaching positions. Volume of 70 for a math program at a small regional public is unusually high and suggests the program serves as a feeder to specialized roles.
Psychology
Psychology is the second-largest cohort at 126 graduates with weak outcomes: $33,938 first-year earnings rising to $49,596 by year four, median debt of $26,893 producing a 0.792 ratio and a D ROI grade. As elsewhere, ROI requires graduate school. The high volume of 126 graduates means this single program drags meaningfully on the school's overall ROI score.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice graduates 46 students with $45,204 first-year earnings rising to $51,990 by year four. Median debt of $28,686 - unusually high for this major - produces a 0.635 ratio and a C ROI grade. Graduates work in regional law enforcement, corrections, and federal positions including the Federal Correctional Institution in Terre Haute. Earnings curve is flatter than business or nursing.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 50.1% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 56.2% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 45.2% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 45.6% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Indiana University-East’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 | 67.2% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 470-570 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 490-600 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 19-24 |
| Enrollment | 2,589 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 35.4% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,046 |
IU-East admits 67.2% of applicants with SAT mid-ranges of 470-570 math and 490-600 reading, and ACT composite 19-24. The school is moderately accessible with modest academic filtering.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana University-East (this school) | 50 | $8,134 | $47,156 |
| Ball State University | 54 | $14,940 | $51,833 |
| Southwest Minnesota State University | 52 | $15,291 | $51,342 |
| Wayne State College | 46 | $15,360 | $47,075 |
| Southwestern Oklahoma State University | 46 | $14,459 | $45,744 |
| Purdue University Fort Wayne | 35 | $13,171 | $45,872 |
Who Thrives Here
Enrollment of 2,589 with a 35.4% Pell rate signals a school serving a meaningful share of working-class students in Richmond and surrounding counties (Wayne, Henry, Randolph). Strong fit: working adults pursuing nursing, mathematics, or business operations degrees (the three B-grade programs), and place-bound East-Central Indiana students who need an affordable in-state option.
The Verdict: Proceed With Caution
The money case for Indiana University-East is mixed, and worth a hard look before you commit. At $8,134 per year after aid, the typical graduate earns $47,156 ten years after entry, which means it takes about 14.2 years to earn the cost back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years. Whether it's worth it comes down to your major and your aid package.
What it has going for it: a strong earnings premium over high school graduates. What to keep an eye on: its 39.6% graduation rate, a three-year loan repayment rate of 56.2% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $18,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $32,400 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.56, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
Indiana University-East: Common Questions
Is Indiana University-East worth it?
In our view, the money case is mixed and worth a hard look before you commit. Indiana University-East scores 50/100 on our ROI scale. At $8,134 a year after aid the typical graduate earns $47,156 ten years after entry, so it takes about 14.2 years to earn the cost back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
How much does Indiana University-East 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 $8,134 a year, or roughly $32,536 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 Indiana University-East graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $47,156 ten years after enrolling, roughly $5,356 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 Indiana University-East?
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 14.2 years for Indiana University-East. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Indiana University-East graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $18,000, against average earnings of $32,400 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.56. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at Indiana University-East?
The six-year graduation rate is 39.6%. 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.