10-yr median earnings
$48,860
Federal aid recipients only
Private Nonprofit · Mishawaka, Indiana
Bethel University
Bethel University is a private nonprofit institution in Mishawaka, Indiana. as a private nonprofit, published Scorecard outcomes cover federal-aid recipients at this campus — endowment and sticker price sit outside those cohort fields.
- $48,860
- 10-yr median earnings
- 97.7%
- Acceptance rate
- $18,610
- Avg net price / yr
- 55.0%
- 150%-time completion
The verdict
Bethel University pairs above-median former-student earnings with open admission.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- Top 31%
- former-student earnings, US
- 97.7%
- acceptance rate
- 55.0%
- 150%-time completion
- +10%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Small
Carnegie: Master's (S)
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
How to read this Bethel University profile
Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Master's Colleges & Universities: Small Programs"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.
Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.
Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.
College Value Score
D
College Value Score
46/100
Bethel University
A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.
Earnings B-
$48,860
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price D
$18,610
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate D
55.0%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$25,000
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment D
55.6%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention D
72.4%
First-year students returning for year two
Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.
Avg net price
$18,610
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
55.0%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 55.0%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - Bethel University vs peers
Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.
How Bethel University ranks nationally
Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.
Bethel University: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$48,860 Top 31% higher than 69% of 5,103 US colleges
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
| Metric | Bethel University | National rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $48,860 | #1577 of 5103 | 69th |
| Average net price | $18,610 | #2811 of 5020 | 44th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 55.0% | #2602 of 4858 | 46th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,008 | #2176 of 5462 | 60th |
National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.
Quick Facts
1,008
Undergraduate enrollment
97.7%
Acceptance rate
1,014
SAT average
55.0%
150%-time completion
$48,860
10-yr median earnings
72.4%
First-year retention
How Bethel University ranks in Indiana
State rank among 126 reporting Indiana colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.
| Metric | Bethel University | State rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $48,860 | #47 of 126 | 63rd |
| Average net price | $18,610 | #42 of 96 | 56th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 55.0% | #53 of 87 | 39th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,008 | #39 of 100 | 61st |
Highest former-student earnings in Indiana
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | $101,253 | $42,513 |
| 2 | University of Notre Dame | $99,980 | $26,780 |
| 3 | Chamberlain University-Indiana | $92,405 | $16,149 |
| 4 | Butler University | $77,235 | $36,041 |
| 5 | Purdue University-Main Campus | $72,424 | $14,600 |
| 6 | Purdue University - Purdue Polytechnic Anderson | $72,424 | - |
| 7 | Purdue University - Purdue Polytechnic Indianapolis | $72,424 | - |
| 8 | Purdue University - Purdue Polytechnic South Bend | $72,424 | - |
| 9 | Purdue University - Purdue Polytechnic New Albany | $72,424 | - |
| 10 | Purdue University - Purdue Polytechnic Columbus | $72,424 | - |
| 11 | Purdue University - Purdue Polytechnic Kokomo | $72,424 | - |
| 12 | Purdue University - Purdue Polytechnic Richmond | $72,424 | - |
| 47 | Bethel UniversityThis school | $48,860 | $18,610 |
Admissions
| Admission Rate | 97.7% |
| SAT Average | 1,014 |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 440 – 570 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 460 – 580 |
| ACT (25th-75th) | 16 – 24 |
Costs & Financial Aid
Net price by family income at Bethel University
Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket
- $0 – $30k
$0 – $30k
$17,580 net price / yr
- $30k – $48k
$30k – $48k
$12,572 net price / yr
- $48k – $75k
$48k – $75k
$12,673 net price / yr
- $110k+
$110k+
$25,871 net price / yr
What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at Bethel University - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $34,600 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $34,600 |
| Average Net Price | $18,610 |
33.5%
Pell Grant Rate
45.8%
Federal Loan Rate
$25,000
Median Debt
$265/mo
Monthly Payment
Net price at Bethel University swings rather than trends
Across 11 reported years between 2013 and 2023, the average net price here has ranged from $16,996 to $19,726 without settling into a rise or a fall. Comparing only the first and last years would read as +11.3%, but the years in between do not follow that line, so the honest summary is the range rather than a trend. Budget against the upper end, not the average.
Lowest year
$16,996
Highest year
$19,726
Most recent (2023)
$19,726
11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
2013 · $17,7302023 · $19,726
Over the same years, enrollment went -32.3% (1,579 → 1,069 students).
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.
Student Demographics
Race & ethnicity
Student body at a glance
66.3%
Female
32.5%
First Generation
Outcomes
72.4%
Retention Rate
$44,271
Median Earnings (6yr)
64.1%
Earning Over $25K
55.6%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Outcomes & debt snapshot
| Measure | Cohort / horizon | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Completion within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time | 55.0% |
| First-year retention | First-time, full-time freshmen | 72.4% |
| Median earnings | 6 years after entry | $44,271 |
| Median earnings | 10 years after entry | $48,860 |
| Share earning over $25,000 | Working, not enrolled | 64.1% |
| Loan repayment rate | Completers, 3 years after leaving | 55.6% |
| Median federal student debt | At completion | $25,000 |
| Estimated monthly payment | Standard 10-year plan | $265/mo |
Programs & Earnings
Field-of-study summary by credential
| Credential | Programs | Award count | Avg earnings | Top earnings | Avg debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 13 | 195 | $52,164 | $73,384 | $25,291 |
| Master's | 3 | 61 | $78,413 | $78,413 | $21,442 |
| Associate's | 1 | 14 | - | - | - |
Top programs at Bethel University by completer earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Business Administration, M…
Business Administration, Management and Operations
$78,413 median earnings
- Registered Nursing, Nursin…
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
$73,384 median earnings
- Business/Commerce, General
Business/Commerce, General
$68,689 median earnings
- Business Administration, M…
Business Administration, Management and Operations
$58,731 median earnings
- Teacher Education and Prof…
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
$53,186 median earnings
- Multi-/Interdisciplinary S…
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General
$53,152 median earnings
- Sports, Kinesiology, and P…
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
$48,243 median earnings
- Liberal Arts and Sciences,…
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
$45,366 median earnings
What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.
Nearby Schools
Lil Lou's Beauty and Barber College - South Bend
South Bend, IN
39 students
Indiana University-South Bend
South Bend, IN
3,933 students
Ross Medical Education Center-Granger
Mishawaka, IN
172 students
John Patrick University of Health and Applied Sciences
South Bend, IN
480 students
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN
8,818 students
Explore Data-Matched Colleges
Independent Scorecard matches among reporting colleges — not recommendations from the institution or a counselor.
Similar Enrollment and Sector
Other Private Nonprofit institutions closest in reported enrollment, preferring the same Carnegie classification.
Similar Reported Net Price
Other Private Nonprofit institutions with the nearest reported average net price.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at Bethel University? ▼
Bethel University is a private nonprofit institution in Mishawaka, Indiana. The acceptance rate is 97.7%. The average SAT score is 1,014. Undergraduate enrollment is 1,008 students.
How much do Bethel University former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at Bethel University who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $48,860 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $44,271.
How much does Bethel University cost? ▼
The average net price at Bethel University is $18,610. In-state tuition is $34,600 and out-of-state tuition is $34,600. Median student debt at graduation is $25,000.
What is the graduation rate at Bethel University? ▼
Bethel University has a 55.0% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 72.4%.
Is Bethel University worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at Bethel University is $25,000, while former students earn a median of $48,860 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 51% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 55.6% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $265.
Sources & methodology
Private-nonprofit profiles emphasize Scorecard cost-after-aid and completion alongside IPEDS Carnegie class. Endowment, gifts, and sticker price are not Scorecard fields on this page.
Figures are the Mar–Jul 2026 federal retrievals. Nonprofit campuses vary widely in aid practice — net price here is the Title-IV-recipient cohort average, not an individual award letter. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education - former-student earnings, cost & completion (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics - enrollment, admissions, Carnegie class & demographics (nces.ed.gov/ipeds).
- U.S. Treasury / IRS earnings linkage - median earnings 6 & 10 years after enrollment for federal-aid recipients (irs.gov).
- College Scorecard, Field of Study - program-level (credential) earnings & debt (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- Federal Student Aid (Title IV / NSLDS) - U.S. Department of Education - net price, student debt & aid-recipient repayment outcomes (studentaid.gov).
Where to go next from Bethel University
- Compare Bethel University against schools with similar outcomes at a lower average net price.Find similar schools that cost less
- Browse every reporting college in Indiana side by side.Browse Indiana
- See how fields of study differ on former-student earnings and debt.Explore programs
Nonprofit Scorecard medians describe federal-aid recipients who were working and not enrolled — they are not sticker-price ROI and not advice.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Private-nonprofit profiles compile Scorecard net-price and earnings cohorts with IPEDS structure fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.