U.S. median for this major: $74,373.
College Scorecard field of study; 45 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 36% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $24,903.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $15,571. College Scorecard.
PNW Accounting: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.
Accounting nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →
Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income
Uses PNW's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $1,432 | $6,387 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $2,428 | $10,829 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $7,026 | $31,336 | under 1 year |
| $75–110k | $12,452 | $55,536 | 1.7 years |
| $110k+ | $13,645 | $60,857 | 1.8 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (28% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Accounting graduates 4 years after graduating ($69,186) minus $35,534 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $33,652 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.
Accounting at Indiana colleges
Every Indiana college we cover that reports Accounting graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants. Colleges marked "mostly 2-year" or "bachelor's & associate" award more associate degrees than bachelor's; their bachelor's programs often serve working adults finishing a degree (for example, nurses completing a BSN), so their graduates' earnings can run higher than those of students starting college at 18.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Notre Dame | $115,909 | $19,000 | $26,780 | 95% |
| 2 | Saint Mary's College | $98,107 | $27,000 | $25,292 | 69% |
| 3 | Butler University | $93,584 | $23,250 | $36,041 | 80% |
| 4 | Purdue University | $90,119 | $19,500 | $14,600 | 83% |
| 5 | University of Indianapolis | $78,477 | $24,234 | $21,602 | 56% |
| 6 | Marian University | $76,780 | $27,500 | $24,018 | 67% |
| 7 | Oakland City University | $76,123 | — | $15,210 | 66% |
| 8 | Ball State University | $75,559 | $24,000 | $14,940 | 62% |
| 9 | Manchester University | $75,295 | $27,000 | $18,805 | 46% |
| 10 | University of Evansville | $74,569 | $22,340 | $18,499 | 64% |
| 11 | Anderson University | $74,525 | — | $25,021 | 54% |
| 12 | Valparaiso University | $71,848 | $27,000 | $18,578 | 70% |
| 13 | University of Southern Indianabachelor's & associate | $70,953 | $21,096 | $12,923 | 48% |
| 14 | Purdue University Northwest | $69,186 | $25,099 | $6,079 | 43% |
| 15 | Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | $67,767 | $38,935 | $22,866 | 67% |
| 16 | Grace College and Theological Seminary | $65,541 | $19,500 | $19,932 | 69% |
| 17 | Trine University | $65,503 | $20,683 | $25,355 | 64% |
| 18 | Indiana Institute of Technology | $62,603 | $29,048 | $23,206 | 48% |
| 19 | Indiana State University | $61,660 | $24,300 | $10,873 | 43% |
10 more Indiana colleges offer Accounting but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Accounting graduates
Accountant / auditor
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.0% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Financial Managers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +9.7% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Financial and Investment Analysts
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +7.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.
What families pay at PNW, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About PNW
- Acceptance rate: 72% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 43% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $48,318
- Full cost breakdown · all 48 majors · overview
Related majors at PNW
- Finance$65,912
- Business Administration$57,191
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Business—
- Marketing$63,333
- Human Resources$67,466
PNW Accounting questions
How much do PNW Accounting graduates earn?
Accounting graduates of Purdue University Northwest earn a median $69,186 four years after graduating and $49,993 one year after. The U.S. median for Accounting graduates across 741 colleges is $74,373.
How much debt do PNW Accounting graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Accounting graduates of Purdue University Northwest is $25,099, about 36% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,903.
Is PNW a good school for Accounting in Indiana?
On pay, Accounting graduates of Purdue University Northwest earn $69,186 four years out, $2,662 below the median for the same major across 23 Indiana colleges ($71,848) and $5,187 below the U.S. median ($74,373). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does PNW rank for Accounting in Indiana?
Of 19 Indiana colleges reporting Accounting graduate earnings, Purdue University Northwest ranks 14th; among the 18 that mostly award bachelor's degrees it ranks 13th. The highest is University of Notre Dame at $115,909.
What jobs do Accounting graduates get?
A common career is accountant / auditor, with a median wage of $82,360 in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area and $83,680 nationally. Others include financial managers and financial and investment analysts.
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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Purdue University Northwest Accounting: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/purdue-university-northwest/majors/accounting (College Scorecard and BLS data).