Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses
Angola, Indiana · Private Nonprofit · 39.9% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 53/100 · Below Average Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Trine University Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses is the adult-learner and online-program arm of Trine University, headquartered in Angola, Indiana. ROI score is 53 (Below Average Value). The data has a peculiar quirk: completion rate is reported as 0, which is functionally a non-applicable placeholder for a non-traditional program where 'completion' is measured differently than for traditional first-time-full-time freshman cohorts. That zero crushes the score in the formula, but it overstates the actual ROI problem. Tuition is $7,176 - well below traditional Trine undergrad pricing - with average net price of $15,788 (~$63,152 over four years) reflecting that adult learners often combine work with study and bring credits in. Average earnings six years out are $40,000, climbing to a median $57,165 by year ten - solid for adult learners who already had work history. The 9.2-year payback period is genuinely good. Median debt of $25,000 produces a 0.63 debt-to-earnings ratio. The 73% three-year repayment rate is reasonable. For working adults completing a degree while employed, this program type offers real value - particularly in the Drafting/Design Engineering and Accounting tracks, both of which post strong ROI grades.
How Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses 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 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.
Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $7,176/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $7,176/yr |
| Average net price | $15,788/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $63,152 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $57,165 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $40,000 |
| Median debt at graduation | $25,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $265 |
| Estimated payback period | 9.2 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 0.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 607 |
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: $7,176/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 $15,788/year, or roughly $63,152 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 N/A/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 $25,000, which works out to about $265 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($40,000) and comes to 0.63, 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 | N/A |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $12,932 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $21,499 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | N/A |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
The under-$30,000 net price bracket is not reported, which is unusual - likely because few adult learners with very low household income enroll, and Scorecard suppresses small cells.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $30,001-$48,000 bracket pays $12,932 and the $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $21,499. Across the middle range, four-year cost is roughly $52,000-$86,000, with significant variance.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
The $75,001-$110,000 and $110,001-plus brackets have no reported data, again typical for adult-learner suppression in Scorecard. Working adults in those bands typically pay full freight at roughly $7,000-$8,000 per year tuition plus fees. Employer tuition reimbursement, where available, can materially shift the math.
Earnings by Major
Top 6 most popular majors at Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $57,055 | C+ |
| Accounting | $65,503 | C+ |
| Psychology | $46,798 | D |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $48,877 | D |
| Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians | $77,517 | B |
| Marketing | $51,244 | - |
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.
Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians
Drafting/Design Engineering is the standout: $65,013 first-year and $77,517 four-year median earnings against $27,000 median debt produce a 0.42 debt-to-earnings ratio and a B ROI grade - the strongest on this profile. Indiana and Midwest manufacturing demand for CAD and design technicians is robust, and the program serves working professionals adding credentialed expertise to existing technical careers.
Accounting
Accounting earns C+ ROI: $45,913 first-year and $65,503 four-year median earnings against $20,683 median debt (0.45 debt-to-earnings). 9 graduates per cohort. For working adults pursuing CPA pipelines or moving from bookkeeping into formal accounting roles, this is a reasonable bet - earnings outcomes reflect both the credential value and the pre-existing work experience adult learners bring.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration is the largest reported program at 23 graduates with $43,504 first-year and $57,055 four-year median earnings against $23,250 median debt (0.53 debt-to-earnings) - a C+ ROI grade. Solid degree-completion track for working professionals targeting management roles in Indiana/Ohio/Michigan regional employers.
Psychology
Psychology shows D ROI: $37,096 first-year against $27,000 median debt produces a 0.73 debt-to-earnings ratio. 8 graduates per cohort. Like most psychology bachelor's programs, the degree alone does not strongly drive earnings - adult learners pursuing this track usually have specific career-change goals (counseling, social services) that require graduate study to monetize.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 68.5% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 72.5% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 64.0% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 70.8% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses’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 | 39.9% |
| Enrollment | 607 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 18.0% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,289 |
SAT and ACT data are not reported, fitting the adult-learner profile where standardized tests are usually waived. The completion-rate-as-zero is a data anomaly worth flagging: traditional cohort tracking does not capture how adult learners actually progress, and the headline number should not be taken at face value for a working-adult audience.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses (this school) | 53 | $15,788 | $57,165 |
| Bryan College-Dayton | 54 | $20,614 | $54,434 |
| Heritage University | 51 | $14,598 | $49,416 |
| Briar Cliff University | 46 | $23,907 | $54,475 |
| Bethel University | 34 | $18,610 | $48,860 |
| Anderson University | 32 | $25,021 | $48,899 |
Who Thrives Here
The 18% Pell rate suggests most students are above traditional aid thresholds. Strongest tracks are Drafting/Design Engineering (B grade, the standout), Accounting (C+), and Business Administration (C+). The fit profile: working adults in Indiana, Ohio, or Michigan who want a flexible online or regional-campus degree completion path with applied technical or business focus.
The Verdict: Proceed With Caution
The money case for Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses is mixed, and worth a hard look before you commit. At $15,788 per year after aid, the typical graduate earns $57,165 ten years after entry, which means it takes about 9.2 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 0.0% graduation rate.
Median debt of $25,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $40,000 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.63, 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.
Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses: Common Questions
Is Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses worth it?
In our view, the money case is mixed and worth a hard look before you commit. Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses scores 53/100 on our ROI scale. At $15,788 a year after aid the typical graduate earns $57,165 ten years after entry, so it takes about 9.2 years to earn the cost back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
How much does Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses 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 $15,788 a year, or roughly $63,152 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 Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $57,165 ten years after enrolling, roughly $15,365 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 Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses?
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 9.2 years for Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $25,000, against average earnings of $40,000 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.63. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
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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.