Graduates of Purdue University Northwest earn median earnings of $73,337 four years after enrollment, placing Purdue University Northwest in the 74.3 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure sits below the $56,249 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $15,457 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 92.9 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures still represent lifetime returns relative to IN's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $32,990 — the state median earnings of working adults with only a high school credential. The program mix at Purdue University Northwest is anchored in Health, which accounts for 17% of degrees, followed by Engineering at 7% and Education at 4%. Nursing combines meaningful cohort scale with solid earnings, making it a notable contributor to the institution's overall return profile. Azimuth ranks Nursing #55 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology, with 603 graduates earning median earnings of $88,935. The Teacher Education program graduates 59 students with median earnings of $49,224, and Azimuth ranks Communication and Media Studies #143 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 57 graduates earning median earnings of $49,326.
Graduates of Purdue University Northwest earn median earnings of $73,337 four years after enrollment, placing Purdue University Northwest in the 74.3 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure sits below the $56,249 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $15,457 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 92.9 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures still represent lifetime returns relative to IN's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $32,990 — the state median earnings of working adults with only a high school credential. The program mix at Purdue University Northwest is anchored in Health, which accounts for 17% of degrees, followed by Engineering at 7% and Education at 4%. Nursing combines meaningful cohort scale with solid earnings, making it a notable contributor to the institution's overall return profile. Azimuth ranks Nursing #55 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology, with 603 graduates earning median earnings of $88,935. The Teacher Education program graduates 59 students with median earnings of $49,224, and Azimuth ranks Communication and Media Studies #143 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 57 graduates earning median earnings of $49,326.
Latest FE earnings field: 10-year
How graduate earnings grow across the currently available FE horizons.
Financial justification for the investment.
Graduates of Purdue University Northwest earn median earnings of $73,337 four years after enrollment, placing Purdue University Northwest in the 74.3 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure sits below the $56,249 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $15,457 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 92.9 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures still represent lifetime returns relative to IN's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $32,990 — the state median earnings of working adults with only a high school credential. The program mix at Purdue University Northwest is anchored in Health, which accounts for 17% of degrees, followed by Engineering at 7% and Education at 4%. Nursing combines meaningful cohort scale with solid earnings, making it a notable contributor to the institution's overall return profile. Azimuth ranks Nursing #55 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology, with 603 graduates earning median earnings of $88,935. The Teacher Education program graduates 59 students with median earnings of $49,224, and Azimuth ranks Communication and Media Studies #143 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 57 graduates earning median earnings of $49,326.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
Purdue University Northwest's program mix is anchored in Health, with meaningful enrollment in business, education, and liberal arts fields. Business accounts for 17% of graduates, Engineering represents 7%, and Education makes up 4% — a distribution that reflects the university's regional mission serving northwest Indiana's healthcare and professional workforce needs. Across 37 programs serving roughly 1,564 students annually, 23 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold. Nursing is the program combining the largest cohort scale with strong earnings, graduating 603 students with median earnings of $88,935 four years after enrollment. Azimuth ranks Nursing #55 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The highest four-year earnings at Purdue University Northwest come from Mechanical Engineering, where 48 graduates earn $91,229; Azimuth ranks that program #150 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Other sizable programs include Teacher Education (59 graduates, $49,224) and Communication and Media Studies (57 graduates, $49,326). Several of Purdue University Northwest's strongest-earning programs — particularly nursing and health fields — are high-mobility pathways where graduates enter the workforce directly into roles with steady regional demand. Programs like Biology, General and Accounting serve students who may be oriented toward grad-school-dependent or locally anchored career tracks where four-year earnings undercount longer-term trajectory. The supply-demand map provides context for how these program families align with national labor-market demand, and the program-ranking methodology explains how Azimuth evaluates programs across cohort scale, earnings, and benchmark performance.
Lower quartile, 10-year field
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Graduates of Purdue University Northwest earn median earnings of $73,337 four years after enrollment, placing Purdue University Northwest in the 74.3 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure sits below the $56,249 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $15,457 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 92.9 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures still represent lifetime returns relative to IN's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $32,990 — the state median earnings of working adults with only a high school credential. The program mix at Purdue University Northwest is anchored in Health, which accounts for 17% of degrees, followed by Engineering at 7% and Education at 4%. Nursing combines meaningful cohort scale with solid earnings, making it a notable contributor to the institution's overall return profile. Azimuth ranks Nursing #55 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology, with 603 graduates earning median earnings of $88,935. The Teacher Education program graduates 59 students with median earnings of $49,224, and Azimuth ranks Communication and Media Studies #143 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 57 graduates earning median earnings of $49,326.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
