HEAD-TO-HEAD · 30-YEAR ROI

Indiana University vs Purdue University

Purdue University clears +$3.05M in 30-year net value, Indiana University +$1.86M — both pay off, Purdue University by +$1.19M.

Two Indiana public flagships, priced the way an in-state student actually pays. Same state, same residency — so the only thing moving the number is the school.

IPEDS 2023 tuition · FREOPP 2021 earnings · BEA 2023 cost-of-living · resident (in-state) pricing · same model as /worth-it · both schools NPV-positive.

Indiana University · Bloomington, IN

30-year net value
+$1.86M
Total cost of attendance
$100,680
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$60,043
Breaks even by age
38

Purdue University · West Lafayette, IN

clears more

30-year net value
+$3.05M
Total cost of attendance
$86,568
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$71,382
Breaks even by age
30
How this is computed (and what it isn’t)

Each school runs through the /worth-it model at its resident tuition rate, with the same loan assumptions, the same 30-year horizon, and each state’s own cost-of-living. The “30-year net value” is the projected accumulated value of the degree over that horizon, in real dollars — the same figure the calculator headlines.

We only publish pairs where both schools clear positive net value, so the comparison is “both pay off, one clears more,” never “this school is a bad bet.” Earnings are rolled up from at least three FREOPP programs per school (ADR-0032), so a single high-earning major can’t distort the number.

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “Indiana University vs Purdue University: 30-year ROI head-to-head.” Data: IPEDS 2023 · FREOPP 2021 · BEA 2023. https://le-teen.com/compare/indiana-vs-purdue

Keep comparing

Questions

Is Indiana University or Purdue University a better return on investment?
On a 30-year net-value basis at resident (in-state) pricing, Purdue University clears +$3.05M and Indiana University +$1.86M — both are solidly positive, so neither is a bad bet; Purdue University comes out ahead by +$1.19M. Figures from IPEDS 2023 tuition, FREOPP 2021 earnings, and BEA 2023 cost-of-living, run through the same model as the LE TEEN calculator.
How much more does Purdue University pay off than Indiana University?
About +$1.19M over a 30-year horizon (+$3.05M vs +$1.86M in projected net value). That gap reflects each school's net price and its graduates' median earnings — not a judgment that either degree fails to pay off, since both clear positive.
What is the 30-year net value of a degree from Indiana University?
+$1.86M at resident (in-state) pricing — total cost of attendance $100,680, median earnings ten years out $60,043, breaking even around age 38. Run your own assumptions on the /worth-it calculator.