Butler University

Butler University's program mix is anchored in business, education, and liberal arts — a portfolio reflecting the institution's private, residential identity in Indianapolis. Digital Marketing is the largest program with 122 graduates, followed by Finance, Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, Teacher Education, and Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General.

Across 0 ranked programs serving roughly 1,254 students annually, the institution's strength concentrates in applied professional fields where graduates enter the workforce directly. The earnings pattern reflects Business as the economic anchor.

Accounting leads with median earnings of $93,584 four years after enrollment across 44 graduates, followed by Finance at $81,344 with 120 graduates and Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication at $75,382. These programs represent the institution's highest-return pathways, combining solid cohort scale with earnings that position graduates competitively in regional and national labor markets.

Butler University's program distribution emphasizes direct-to-workforce pathways where four-year earnings reflect immediate labor-market outcomes. The concentration in Business at 33%, Social Sciences at 8%, and Education at 7% creates a professional-school signature aligned with Indianapolis's regional economy and employer demand.

The [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how these dominant program families align with current labor-market trends and wage growth trajectories.

Butler University's published cost of attendance is $65,970. Net price by income band reflects the institution's need-based aid structure: low-income families see a net price of approximately $25,278, middle-income families pay around $32,679, and higher-income families pay approximately $41,134.

Azimuth ranks Butler University #1347 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown.

Butler participates in federal (Pell Grants, Direct Loans), state, and institutional aid programs. The institution's aid approach combines need-based scholarships with merit support; families apply using the FAFSA and CSS Profile to determine eligibility.

Understanding the full cost picture — including both net price and the aid packages available — helps families evaluate whether Butler's pricing aligns with their financial circumstances. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $26,000, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $52,434; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions.

For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $73,732, median federal debt of $26,000 projects to a monthly payment of about $294 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

Graduates of Butler University earn median 4-year earnings of $73,732, placing Butler University in the 74.5 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,058 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Butler University in the 49.2 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Azimuth ranks Butler University #321 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern reflects Butler University's concentration in business and professional fields.

Digital Marketing is the largest program with 122 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $70,154, performing at 1.0x the national benchmark for the field. The Finance program graduates 120 students earning $81,344, while Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication with 88 graduates earns $75,382.

Teacher Education and 60 graduates round out the institution's core program portfolio, anchoring Butler University's earnings profile in fields with stable employer demand and clear career pathways.