Top Indiana Colleges

Learn about 15 of the Top Colleges and Universities in Indiana

From a huge public university like Indiana University to a small liberal arts college like Wabash, Indiana offers a great range of options for higher education. The 15 top Indiana colleges listed below vary so much in size and mission that I have simply listed them alphabetically rather than force them into any sort of artificial ranking. The schools were chosen based on factors such as academic reputation, curricular innovations, first-year retention rates, six-year graduation rates, selectivity, financial aid and student engagement. Notre Dame is the most selective college on the list.

Compare Top Indiana Colleges: SAT Scores | ACT Scores

Top Ranked National Colleges and Universities: Private Universities | Public Universities | Liberal Arts Colleges | Engineering | Business | Women's | Most Selective

Butler University

Butler University Irwin Library
Butler University Irwin Library. PALNI Libraries / Flickr

DePauw University

DePauw University Performing Arts Center
DePauw University Performing Arts Center. Rovergirl88 / Wikimedia Commons

Earlham College

Earlham College
Themalau / Wikimedia Commons

Goshen College

Goshen College
Goshen College. taygete05 / Flickr
  • Location: Goshen, Indiana
  • Enrollment: 870 (800 undergraduates)
  • Type of Institution: private college affiliated with the Mennonite Church USA
  • Distinctions: 10 to 1 student / faculty ratio; college emphasizes building community; strong study abroad program; good grant aid; 1,189-acre nature sanctuary and a biology lab in the Florida Keys
  • For acceptance rate, financial aid, costs and other information, visit the Goshen College profile
  • GPA, SAT, and ACT Graph for Goshen Admissions

Hanover College

Hanover College
Hanover College. AdamC2028 / Wikimedia Commons

Indiana University

Indiana University Tower
Indiana University Tower. prw_silvan / Flickr
  • Location: Bloomington, Indiana
  • Enrollment: 49,695 (39,184 undergraduates)
  • Type of Institution: public research university
  • Distinctions: chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; membership in the Association of American Universities for research strengths; attractive 2,000-acre campus; Hoosiers compete in the NCAA Division I Big Ten Conference
  • For acceptance rate, financial aid, costs and other information, visit the Indiana University profile
  • GPA, SAT, and ACT Graph for Indiana Admissions

Indiana Wesleyan University

Indiana Wesleyan University
Indiana Wesleyan University. greatdegree / Flickr
  • Location: Marion, Indiana
  • Enrollment: 3,040 (2,782 undergraduates)
  • Type of Institution: private university affiliated with the Wesleyan Church
  • Distinctions: Christ-centered university identity; significant growth in recent decades; strong professional programs such as business and nursing; 345-acre campus
  • For acceptance rate, financial aid, costs and other information, visit the Indiana Wesleyan University profile
  • GPA, SAT, and ACT Graph for Indiana Wesleyan Admissions

Notre Dame

Main Building at the University of Notre Dame
Main Building at the University of Notre Dame. Allen Grove

Purdue University

Purdue University
Purdue University. linademartinez / Flickr

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Barbara Ann Spengler / Flickr

Saint Mary's College

Saint Mary's College Indiana
Saint Mary's College Indiana. Jaknelaps / Wikimedia Commons

Taylor University

Taylor University Tower
Taylor University Tower. Andyrowell94 / Wikimedia Commons
  • Location: Upland, Indiana
  • Enrollment: 2,170 (2,131 undergraduates)
  • Type of Institution: private interdenominational evangelical university
  • Distinctions: top ranked college for the Midwest region; good educational value; university experience emphasizes the integration of faith and learning; 12 to 1 student / faculty ratio
  • For acceptance rate, financial aid, costs and other information, visit the Taylor University profile
  • GPA, SAT, and ACT Graph for Taylor Admissions

University of Evansville

University of Evansville
University of Evansville. Avontbone / Wikimedia Commons
  • Location: Evansville, Indiana
  • Enrollment: 2,414 (2,248 undergraduates)
  • Type of Institution: private university affiliated with the Methodist Church
  • Distinctions: 12 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 18; students come from roughly 40 states and 50 countries; strong international efforts; popular professional programs such as business, education, exercise science and nursing; Purple Aces compete in the NCAA Division I Missouri Valley Conference
  • For acceptance rate, financial aid, costs and other information, visit the University of Evansville profile
  • GPA, SAT, and ACT Graph for Evansville Admissions

Valparaiso University

Valparaiso University Football
Valparaiso University Football. SD Dirk / Flickr

Wabash College

Wabash College
Wabash College. Courtesy of Wabash College

More Top Picks in the Midwest

Midwest Region
Midwest Region.

Expand your search to surrounding states. Check out these 30 top colleges and universities in the Midwest.

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Your Citation
Grove, Allen. "Top Indiana Colleges." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/top-indiana-colleges-788309. Grove, Allen. (2023, April 5). Top Indiana Colleges. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/top-indiana-colleges-788309 Grove, Allen. "Top Indiana Colleges." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/top-indiana-colleges-788309 (accessed March 19, 2024).