Staff Report

NEW YORK — As a new school year has gotten underway, SmartAsset has released its ninth annual Best Value Colleges study, which includes a look at institutions in the Hoosier state.

SmartAsset is an online source for consumer-focused financial information and advice.

The analysis compared institutions across five metrics, including scholarships, starting salary, tuition, living costs and retention rate to determine the “Best Value Colleges” in Indiana.

Purdue University in West Lafayette came out at No. 1 on SmartAsset’s top 10 list for Indiana, with what SmartAsset computed as a college education value index of 86.80.

Following Purdue on the list (and the college education value index computed for each by SmartAsset) were: Notre Dame (75.14), Wabash College (74.58), Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (72.83), Indiana University in Bloomington (71.33), DePauw University (61.31), Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (60.42), Taylor University (58.39), Trine University (56.60) and Valparaiso University (56.48).

Here’s a look at the metrics SmartAsset used for the top five schools:

1. Purdue University (West Lafayette)

• Average scholarships/grants: $9,996
• Median starting salary: $66,500
• Tuition: $11,791
• Student living costs: $15,139
• Student retention rate: 91%

2. University of Notre Dame (South Bend)

• Average scholarships/grants: $43,563
• Median starting salary: $73,000
• Tuition: $63,001
• Student living costs: $21,724
• Student retention rate: 98%

3. Wabash College (Crawfordsville)

• Average scholarships/grants: $35,167
• Median starting salary: $65,900
• Tuition: $51,507
• Student living costs: $16,048
• Student retention rate: 85%

4. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (Terre Haute)

• Average scholarships/grants: $25,827
• Median starting salary: $80,500
• Tuition: $58,848
• Student living costs: $21,035
• Student retention rate: 91%

5. Indiana University (Bloomington)

• Average scholarships/grants: $11,596
• Median starting salary: $57,900
• Tuition: $12,604
• Student living costs: $16,636
• Student retention rate: 90%

To see the entire list, additional details about the study, including its methodology, and an interactive map, follow this link.