College is a big investment, and you deserve to know what it gives back. Part of that value shows up in your paycheck. Even more shows up in who you become: the skills you build, the people who shape you, and the calling you're ready to live out. Here's how to weigh both sides at Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU).
In 2024, full-time workers with a bachelor's degree earned a median of $81,800 a year, compared with $50,600 for high school graduates. That's $31,200 more each year, or 62% higher earnings. Bachelor's degree holders also face lower unemployment than workers whose highest credential is a high school diploma.
These figures are national medians, not a promise of what any one graduate will earn. Still, across the U.S. workforce, the long-term advantages of a degree are hard to ignore.
$31,200
More Per Year
Source: College Board, Education Pays 2026.
Earnings vary by field, experience, location, and other factors.
Where you go matters too. A degree should do more than get you hired. At IWU, you'll learn from faculty who invest in you, gain real experience in your field, and grow in Christian character alongside people who push you to be your best.
You'll graduate prepared for your career and for the life of purpose God is calling you to. Every student's path looks a little different, so explore the costs, outcomes, and experiences that fit yours.
97%
Career Outcomes Rate
Among IWU's Class of 2025 graduates with known outcomes, 97% were working, in grad school, serving in the military, or volunteering within six months.
71%
Graduate Within Six Years
On IWU's Marion campus, 61.1% of students earn their degree within four years, and 71.4% finish within six years.
32%
Less Federal Student Debt
IWU graduates leave with an average of $26,718 in federal student debt, compared with $39,075 nationally. That's $12,357 less.
~$2M
40-Year Return
An education from IWU's Marion campus carries an estimated 40-year return on investment of about $1.97 million, in 2023 dollars.
Sources: IWU Career Development, Class of 2025; National Center for Education Statistics; IWU Institutional Research; Education Data Initiative; Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. Figures reflect IWU's Marion campus.
Join more than 2,000 students in Marion, Indiana, where small classes, invested faculty, and a Christ-centered community prepare you for what's next. The IWU Career Promise stands behind eligible graduates.
Keep working while you earn your degree. Flexible online classes, career-focused programs, and transfer credit for eligible coursework help you build on the experience you already have.
Go deeper in Scripture and grow as a ministry leader. Wesley Seminary prepares you for a lifetime of faithful service in your church, your community, and wherever God leads you next.
The published price is only part of the story. Scholarships, grants, and eligible transfer credit can lower what you pay, so your real cost may look very different. Compare programs, explore your aid options, and reach out when you're ready to talk through your next step.
True value weighs what you put in against what your education prepares you to give back.
