Human Services at Purdue University Global

The numbers here reveal a troubling financial equation that Indiana parents should examine carefully. At $57,500 in median debt—nearly 30% more than the state median for human services programs—Purdue Global graduates are carrying substantially heavier loan burdens than peers at comparable Indiana schools. Meanwhile, first-year earnings of $36,020 trail the state median and place this program in just the 40th percentile among Indiana human services degrees.

What makes this particularly concerning is the debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.60, meaning graduates owe roughly 19 months of gross income. While human services is traditionally a lower-paying but stable field, almost every other Indiana program offers similar or better earnings outcomes with significantly less debt. Indiana Institute of Technology graduates, for instance, earn $4,000 more annually while Indiana Wesleyan grads achieve median earnings with about $13,000 less in typical debt.

The 4% earnings growth over four years—from $36,020 to $37,570—suggests limited room for graduates to quickly grow out of their debt burden. For families considering Purdue Global specifically for its online flexibility, this premium comes at a steep financial cost that will take years to resolve on a human services salary, especially when nearly half of students qualify for Pell grants and may have fewer family resources to help manage repayment.