10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$144,544at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Purdue University Fort Wayne
⌖ Fort Wayne, IN · 35 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
10-year estimate · Negative payoff
−$144,544 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
With these assumptions, the added earnings do not recover the cost within ten years.
26.4 yrsModeled economic break-even
−62%Modeled 10-year ROI
$53,814Observed earnings · year 5
Not reachedMaximum annual price for positive 10-year payoff
What the numbers say about Purdue University Fort Wayne
What does Purdue University Fort Wayne cost?
Purdue University Fort Wayne reports an average annual net price of $13,171 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Purdue University Fort Wayne graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $53,814 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Purdue University Fort Wayne graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $21,500. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Purdue University Fort Wayne worth the same?
No. DegreeVerdict currently shows 35 field-and-credential outcomes at Purdue University Fort Wayne; reported earnings and debt can differ substantially by program category.
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$91,860
$8,000Annual price−$123,860
$13,000Current college-wide context−$143,860
$16,000Annual price−$155,860
$24,000Annual price−$187,860
$32,000Annual price−$219,860
$40,000Annual price−$251,860
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Higher Learning Commission
- Main award level
- Bachelor’s degrees
- Campus setting
- City
- Admissions
- Selective admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
Cost, debt, completion and earnings context
$13,171Average net price / year
$22,183Cost of attendance
$21,500Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$228/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$53,814Median earnings · year 5 after completion
36.3%Completion rate
83.9%Admission rate
5,484Student size
Institution debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded; missing and privacy-suppressed values remain unavailable.
WHO PAYS, WHO FINISHES, WHO EARNS
Outcomes are not the same for every family.
These federal cohorts add context that a single college average can hide. Missing figures remain unreported rather than estimated.
Complete within 150% of the expected time
33% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
267 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
50% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$41,402Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$48,212Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$50,641Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income40%
Middle income59%
Higher income68%
Source: College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Parent PLUS debt belongs to parents; student-debt measures exclude Parent PLUS and private loans. Cohort definitions differ by measure.
INDEPENDENT CENSUS EARNINGS VIEW
How earnings develop by field
Privacy-protected Census employment records follow graduate cohorts one, five and ten years after completion. This source is kept separate from College Scorecard because its population and methodology differ.
Field and credentialYear 1Year 5Year 10
Computer Programming.Master’s degree · Broad federal field 11
$77,273Year 1
$121,802Year 5
$141,539Year 10
Accounting and Related Services.Master’s degree · Broad federal field 52
$85,162Year 1
$108,803Year 5
$132,120Year 10
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 14
$65,246Year 1
$84,579Year 5
$119,554Year 10
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology.Master’s degree · Broad federal field 26
$43,047Year 1
$58,150Year 5
$107,201Year 10
Computer Programming.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 11
$60,377Year 1
$89,011Year 5
$96,791Year 10
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 15
$65,810Year 1
$83,137Year 5
$93,789Year 10
Computer Programming.Associate degree · Broad federal field 11
$42,371Year 1
$77,631Year 5
$92,948Year 10
Accounting and Related Services.Certificate, less than 1 year · Broad federal field 52
$51,223Year 1
$76,958Year 5
$88,826Year 10
Median annual earnings in 2023 dollars. Each time point may use a different pooled graduation cohort. Coverage is limited to institutions participating in the Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes program.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use only reportable field-and-credential records at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS PATH
Reported earnings over time
$44,088Year 1
$56,455Year 4
$53,814Year 5
Separate federal cohorts may underlie different measurement years.
The college average is not the whole story.
Observed earnings vary substantially by field and credential at the same institution.
1Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Master's Degree$122,5812Business/Commerce, General · Master's Degree$113,0013Computer Science · Bachelor's Degree$101,3964Mechanical Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$85,0755Educational Administration and Supervision · Master's Degree$83,2916Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians · Bachelor's Degree$81,2597Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Bachelor's Degree$74,9188Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management · Bachelor's Degree$73,576Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential, not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1Educational Administration and SupervisionMaster's Degree · $83,291 reported+16%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt2Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's Degree · $73,342 reported+13%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt3GerontologyUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $51,839 reported+7%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt4Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingMaster's Degree · $122,581 reported+2%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt5Student Counseling and Personnel ServicesMaster's Degree · $60,385 reported+0%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt6Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsBachelor's Degree · $70,428 reported-1%vs same-degree national median$26,000federal debt
Comparable colleges in IN
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Evansville, IN
University of Southern Indiana
- Annual net price
- $12,923
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $52,882
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -66%
Ball State University
- Annual net price
- $14,940
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $54,001
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -62%
Indiana State University
- Annual net price
- $10,873
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $53,967
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -60%
Indiana University-East
- Annual net price
- $8,134
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $53,596
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -60%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2023–24 awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Master's Degree | $122,581 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business/Commerce, General | Master's Degree | $113,001 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's Degree | $101,396 | $24,375 | Not reported |
| Mechanical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $85,075 | Not available | Not reported |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Master's Degree | $83,291 | Not available | 5 |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians | Bachelor's Degree | $81,259 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Bachelor's Degree | $74,918 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | Bachelor's Degree | $73,576 | Not available | Not reported |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians | Associate's Degree | $73,342 | Not available | Not reported |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | Bachelor's Degree | $72,564 | $22,590 | Not reported |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Bachelor's Degree | $70,428 | $26,000 | Not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | $69,013 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business/Commerce, General | Bachelor's Degree | $63,627 | $22,764 | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $60,816 | $24,000 | 1 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | Master's Degree | $60,385 | Not available | Not reported |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | Bachelor's Degree | $57,814 | $25,082 | Not reported |
| Public Administration | Bachelor's Degree | $53,257 | $22,242 | Not reported |
| Gerontology | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $51,839 | Not available | Not reported |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $50,366 | $24,696 | Not reported |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $49,582 | Not available | Not reported |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | Bachelor's Degree | $47,614 | $24,000 | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Bachelor's Degree | $46,723 | $30,000 | Not reported |
| Communication and Media Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $46,619 | $25,289 | Not reported |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Bachelor's Degree | $46,046 | $25,000 | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Bachelor's Degree | $45,525 | $25,834 | Not reported |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | Bachelor's Degree | $44,909 | $24,772 | Not reported |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | Bachelor's Degree | $44,533 | $20,487 | Not reported |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Bachelor's Degree | $44,299 | $24,106 | Not reported |
| Design and Applied Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $44,227 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | Bachelor's Degree | $42,133 | $22,809 | Not reported |
| Music | Bachelor's Degree | $38,682 | Not available | Not reported |
| English Language and Literature, General | Bachelor's Degree | $38,113 | $17,888 | Not reported |
| Fine and Studio Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $37,718 | $26,873 | Not reported |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $17,550 | Not reported |
| Mathematics | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $21,500 | Not reported |
Awards use first-major IPEDS completions aggregated to the same four-digit field and credential.
Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.