Martin University
Indianapolis, Indiana · Private Nonprofit
ROI Score: 2/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Martin University earns an overall ROI score of 2 (Below Benchmark). The small private nonprofit in Indianapolis, IN, founded to serve African-American and adult learners, charges $13,200 in tuition but average net price is $18,114 - net price exceeds tuition, meaning costs beyond tuition exceed institutional aid. Four-year cost is $72,456. The outcomes are severe: earnings are $21,300 six years out and barely grow to $22,544 at 10 years. Completion is reported at 0% for the latest cohort, which at this enrollment is a reporting artifact rather than a graduation rate. Median debt is $42,002 against a 1.972 debt-to-earnings ratio - students owe nearly two full years of wages. Payback shows 999 years, meaning earnings essentially never recoup cost. The three-year repayment rate is 19.8%, and the seven-year rate is 21.1%. The school serves a heavily Pell-eligible (52.5%) working-adult population in Indianapolis, and its mission to provide access to non-traditional students is real, but the financial outcomes for the typical enrollee are deeply concerning.
How Martin 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 Score2/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Debt-to-earnings1.97 - Median debt is larger than one year of average earnings six years after entry (a ratio above 1.0).
- 6-year graduation rate0.0% - 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.
- Payback period>50 years - In our estimate, the earnings premium over a high school completer is small next to the cost, so the cost may not be recouped within a working career.
Martin University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $13,200/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $13,200/yr |
| Average net price | $18,114/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $72,456 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $22,544 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $21,300 |
| Median debt at graduation | $42,002 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $445 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 0.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 150 |
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: $13,200/year, which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $18,114/year, or roughly $72,456 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 $17,905/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay N/A/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $42,002, which works out to about $445 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($21,300) and comes to 1.97, 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least 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 | $17,905 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | N/A |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $14,412 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $22,652 |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30K pay $17,905 net per year - about $72K total. Pell-eligible students borrow heavily relative to the wage outcomes the institution produces. This is the bracket where the financial risk is most severe, given the high Pell concentration and the wage data showing no meaningful return on investment.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The 30-48K bracket is not reported. The 48-75K bracket pays $14,412 - lower than the under-30K figure, suggesting inverted aid. The 75-110K bracket pays $22,652. Flag: inverted bracket between low- and middle-income tiers. Aid structure is not transparently progressive.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Net price for over-110K is not reported. The small enrollment and Pell concentration mean the institution sees few high-income families. The financial-fit case for any income tier is weak given the universal outcomes data.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 12.2% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 19.8% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 14.0% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 21.1% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Martin University’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2023).
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
| Enrollment | 150 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 52.5% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,315 |
Admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data, nor are SAT or ACT mid-ranges. Martin University historically operates with open or near-open admissions serving non-traditional and adult students. The Scorecard reports a 0% completion rate for the latest cohort, but that figure should not be read as a graduation rate: at this enrollment a single small cohort swings it, and our own historical series ranges from 4% for 2018 to 33% for 2023. Prospective students should ask the institution directly for its current graduation figures.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Martin University (this school) | 2 | $18,114 | $22,544 |
| Bethel University | 34 | $18,610 | $48,860 |
| Anderson University | 32 | $25,021 | $48,899 |
| Trinity College of Florida | 6 | $20,297 | $32,465 |
| Bennett College | 6 | $28,299 | $36,654 |
| Saint Augustine's University | 6 | $24,313 | $35,730 |
Who Thrives Here
Martin University fits adult, primarily Black, primarily working-class Indianapolis residents seeking a degree pathway. Pell rate is 52.5% and enrollment is just 150 - exceptionally small. The institution's intent to serve an underserved population is genuine, and the financial outcome data shows $42,002 median debt against $22,544 ten-year median earnings.
The Verdict, Historically: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Martin University announced it is closing and has given up its accreditation. The assessment below describes how this school performed while it was operating, and is not a recommendation about where to enroll now.
Under our methodology, Martin University scores 2/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $18,114 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $22,544 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 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 to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 0.0% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.97 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 19.8% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $42,002 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $21,300 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.97. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
If you borrowed to attend, check closed school discharge first.
Federal student loans can sometimes be discharged in full if your school closed while you were enrolled or shortly after you withdrew. Eligibility depends on your withdrawal date and whether you completed your program or transferred the credits. Refinancing federal loans into a private loan gives up this and every other federal protection permanently, so check discharge before you refinance anything.
Martin University: Common Questions
Is Martin University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Martin University scores 2/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $18,114 a year after aid against $22,544 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Martin 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 $18,114 a year, or roughly $72,456 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 Martin University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $22,544 ten years after enrolling, at or below the $41,800 median for high-school graduates (NCES, 2022). With little earnings gap to cover the cost, the financial return is hard to make.
How long does it take to pay off Martin 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 more than 50 years for Martin University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Martin University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $42,002, against average earnings of $21,300 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.97. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so how much you borrow really matters.
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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.