Human Services at Grace College and Theological Seminary

Grace College graduates about $22,000 in debt for a bachelor's in human services—well below both the state median ($44,418) and national median ($31,573) for this field. While earnings data for this specific program isn't available due to small graduate cohorts, similar human services programs in Indiana suggest first-year earnings around $37,366. That produces a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.60, meaning graduates would owe roughly seven months' salary—a manageable starting point for a helping profession.

The trade-off here is familiar to anyone considering social services work: modest but stable earnings in exchange for meaningful work. Based on peer programs across Indiana, human services graduates typically earn between $36,000 and $40,000 in their first year. Grace's lower debt load helps offset these moderate earnings. A graduate making $37,000 could reasonably manage $250 monthly loan payments, leaving more breathing room than graduates from pricier Indiana programs who face similar salary prospects.

For families focused on affordability in a mission-driven field, Grace's combination of controlled debt and reasonable expected earnings makes sense. The risk is that without school-specific outcomes data, you're trusting that Grace's graduates perform similarly to other Indiana programs. If your child is drawn to human services work and values a Christian college environment, the financial framework here is sound—just recognize you're betting on comparable results rather than proven track record.