2026 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools in Indiana

[Nursing Practice](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/nursing-practice/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 11 schools to find the best return on investment for nursing practice students.
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2026 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools in Indiana
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in nursing practice, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Nursing Practice Schools
Leading the list is Purdue University Northwest, our #1 best value for nursing practice in Indiana. Set in the suburb of Hammond, Purdue University Northwest is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,357, with out-of-state students paying around $15,504. Students borrow a median of $24,552 to complete the nursing practice program here. Soon after graduation, nursing practice degree recipients from Purdue University Northwest generally make around $51,424. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 72% of applicants are accepted.
Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value nursing practice schools. Set in the city of Indianapolis, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,762, compared with $34,891 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for nursing practice graduates is $28,408. Nursing Practice graduates of Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis earn a median of $89,364 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Southern Indiana came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value nursing practice schools. University Of Southern Indiana is a large public school located in the suburb of Evansville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,066, with out-of-state students paying around $22,907. Students borrow a median of $25,089 to complete the nursing practice program here. Early-career nursing practice graduates make about $91,255. That is a strong return on a $25,089 median debt. University Of Southern Indiana admits about 96% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in nursing practice will find it at Indiana State University, which ranked #4. Indiana State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Terre Haute. In-state tuition and fees average $10,258, with out-of-state students paying around $22,322. Nursing Practice graduates carry a median of $30,155 in student loans. Early-career nursing practice graduates make about $95,570. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 81%.
Purdue University Main Campus is a great value for students pursuing a degree in nursing practice, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue University Main Campus is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $9,992 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $28,794. Students borrow a median of $20,455 to complete the nursing practice program here. Early-career nursing practice graduates make about $63,111. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 50%.
Goshen College came in at #6 for value in nursing practice this year. Goshen College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Goshen. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $38,890. Nursing Practice graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Nursing Practice graduates of Goshen College earn a median of $71,791 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 84%.
Ball State University earned the #7 position for value in nursing practice this year. Ball State University is a very large public school located in the city of Muncie. Students from in state pay about $11,082 in tuition and fees, compared with $29,630 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the nursing practice program here. Early-career nursing practice graduates make about $47,863. That is a strong return on a $26,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 86%.
Indiana Wesleyan University National And Global earned the #8 position for value in nursing practice this year. Set in the rural area of Marion, Indiana Wesleyan University National And Global is a large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,648. Nursing Practice graduates carry a median of $31,000 in student loans. Early-career nursing practice graduates make about $90,378. Set against $31,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
University Of Saint Francis Fort Wayne came in at #9 for value in nursing practice this year. Set in the city of Fort Wayne, University Of Saint Francis Fort Wayne is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $36,460 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for nursing practice graduates is $32,570. Soon after graduation, nursing practice degree recipients from University Of Saint Francis Fort Wayne generally make around $82,099. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 96%.
Valparaiso University landed the #10 spot for nursing practice value this year. Set in the suburb of Valparaiso, Valparaiso University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $48,450 in tuition and fees. Nursing Practice graduates carry a median of $27,366 in student loans. Early-career nursing practice graduates make about $51,987. Set against $27,366 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Valparaiso University admits about 89% of applicants.
Marian University Indiana placed #11 among the best values for nursing practice. Marian University Indiana is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Indianapolis. Students from in state pay about $40,664 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for nursing practice graduates is $37,444. Early-career nursing practice graduates make about $71,111. That is a strong return on a $37,444 median debt. Marian University Indiana admits about 96% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 11 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.