POPULATION (2021): 6.8 million
CAPITAL: Indianapolis
LARGEST PUBLIC UNIVERSITY IN INDIANA: Purdue University
LARGEST PRIVATE UNIVERSITY IN INDIANA: Indiana Wesleyan University
Indiana is a midwestern state with a lot of economic and geographic diversity. In the north, residents, and college students can enjoy Lake Michigan and its proximity to the booming city of Chicago. Gary, Indiana is just over the border from Illinois and has a huge industrial economy, which means a lot of jobs for students who attend college in the area.
The summers get quite warm, and the winters get quite cold, but the spring and fall offer great weather to enjoy all the state has to offer. The cities in Indiana are pretty well spread out, meaning that no matter where you attend college, the arts, culture, and fun of the big cities aren’t far. For those who enjoy the outdoors, forests and waterways are peppered all throughout the state and many students enjoy weekends at a lakehouse or hiking and camping in the hills.
Universities in Indiana – 4-Year Colleges and Online
There is a pretty good split of private and public colleges and universities in Indiana, with a lot of them in or around the capital/largest city Indianapolis. Here is a closer look at both the public and private school offerings for people looking to get a 4-year degree in Indiana.
Public Universities in Indiana
Purdue University in West Lafayette and Indiana University in Bloomington are the two largest public 4-year universities in the state of Indiana, and they have a fun rivalry in both athletics and academics. They are also comparable in size, each with close to 45,000 students at their respective campuses.
This may be confusing, but the third-largest public university in Indiana is the Indiana University – Purdue University college campus in Indianapolis, which is, indeed, a separate school from the two above and has nearly 30,000 students of its own.
Ball State University in Muncie, Vincennes University in the city with the same name, Indiana State University in Terre Haute, and the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville all have more than 10,000 students enrolled. The other public universities in Indiana are:
- Purdue University Northwest
- Indiana University South Bend
- Indiana University Southeast
- Indiana University Northwest
- Indiana University East
- Indiana University Kokomo
- IUPU – Columbus
- Indiana University Fort Wayne
- Purdue University Fort Wayne
Private Universities in Indiana
As far as enrollment is concerned, the public universities reign supreme in Indiana, but there are several smaller, private universities that offer 4-year degrees, with Notre Dame being the most recognizable:
- Indiana Wesleyan University
- University of Notre Dame
- University of Indianapolis
- Bulter University
- Trine University
- Marian University
- Valparaiso University
- Indiana Insitute of Technology
- University of Evansville
- University of Saint Francis
- Taylor University
Community Colleges in Indiana
There is one major, publicly subsidized community college system in Indiana, known as the Ivy Tech Community College System. They offer certificate programs and associate’s degrees in more than 70 different fields of study and have 46 sites of education throughout the state (19 full-service). Combined, the Ivy Tech system actually serves more students than any other college in the state of Indiana.
Prominent Online Colleges in Indiana
Indiana University, the flagship college in the state, offers more than 200 online programs to their students, many of which are self-paced and able to be taken during “off” time like summers and holidays, to let students study while they travel and explore or do anything else. Indiana State also has many online options, and the aforementioned Ivy Tech Community College system also has a plethora of online offerings students can take while they attend other universities.
Horizon University is fully online, and one of its headquarters is in Indianapolis.
Colleges and Universities in Fort Wayne, IN
Equidistant to Chicago and Indianapolis, Fort Wayne is a growing city with a lot of character… and a handful of 4-year universities:
- Indiana Institute of Technology
- Purdue – Fort Wayne
- Trine University
- University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne
Colleges and Universities in Indianapolis, IN
Any time a capital city is also the largest city in a state, you can rest assured that there will be a lot of institutions of higher learning, and Indianapolis is no exception. With a booming economy, a loyal arts community, and a beautiful downtown area where many students go to both study and enjoy themselves, any of these universities will allow students to enjoy everything Indianapolis has to offer:
- American College of Education
- Butler University
- Chamberlain University
- Horizon University (online)
- Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)
- Marian University
- Martin University
- National American University
- Purdue University Global Campus
- University of Indianapolis
Get to Know Indiana
The state motto is “The Crossroads of America,” and its location allows it to claim the Midwest or the Northeast, while still stretching all the way down to its southern border with Kentucky, which is very much a southern state. With the “crossroads” comes a lot of different feelings depending on where you decide to attend school.
Along the lakefront in the north, there is a little more grit, shared with Chicago, located just over the western border with Illinois. The center of the state, primarily Indianapolis, also offers a big city feel, but with a little more midwestern charm and a lot less snow. The cities in the south have a southern hospitality feel, and the entirety of the state is full of woodlands and waterways many students enjoy on their time off.