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Terre Haute, Indiana city hallPhoto: Huwmanbeing (original), Yassie (jpeg conversion) · Public domain
Colleges in and near Terre Haute

Terre Haute is a college town: 16 of every 100 residents are students

Indiana State University (5,969 students on campus) and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (2,245) are inside the city. Across Indiana, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town16% of residents are studentsIndiana State UniversityRose-Hulman Institute of Technology

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Terre Haute. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
3
9,118 students on campus
Nearest college
1.7 mi
Indiana State
Residents in college
16%
Above IN (6%)
Nearest community college
68.9 mi
Ivy Tech · $5,154 tuition
Nearest public university
1.7 mi
Indiana State · $10,258 in-state
Students on campus in Terre Haute
8,214
next to 58,764 residents

What stands out about college in Terre Haute

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town16 of every 100 Terre Haute residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Indiana.Two colleges within 3 milesIndiana State University admits 81% of applicants; Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology admits 77%. Together they have 8,214 students on campus.In-state price at Indiana StateLiving in Indiana, Indiana State University charges $10,258 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $22,322. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 68.9 miles awayIvy Tech Community College in Indianapolis: tuition and fees $5,154 a year for Indiana residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Terre Haute

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

16 of every 100 Terre Haute residents are in college (IN: 6).

8,214students on campus at Terre Haute’s 2 colleges, next to 58,764 residents (dorm students count as residents)
6,118college students live in Terre Haute households rather than dorms
32.9median age · IN 38.1
51%of residents are men · IN 50% (±0.9 points)
48%of homes rented · IN 29%
$922median rent · 13% below the state
Terre HauteTerre Haute, IN
Cost of living$922/mo median rentB−SafetyCrime reported to the FBIDHealthCDC estimatesDJobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundDHandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Terre Haute’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income D

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 24.4% of Terre Haute residents are below the poverty line, 21.2% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 3 points either way). 48% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living B−

The Cost grade counts the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent, leaving it out only where students are a quarter of residents or more. Here they are 16%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health D

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Terre Haute’s median age is 32.9 (Indiana 38.1), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety D

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Terre Haute

Two private colleges within 5.6 miles, and one public college within 1.7 miles.

5 mi10 mi15 miIndiana StateRose-Hulman Institute of TechnologySaint Mary-of-the-Woods CollegeTerre Haute
University or collegeCommunity college
Indiana State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 5,969 on campus · In Terre Haute81%admitted$11knet price43%graduate$48kearningsRose-Hulman Institute of TechnologyUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 2,245 on campus · In Terre Haute77%admitted$43knet price78%graduate$101kearningsSaint Mary-of-the-Woods CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 904 on campus · 5.6 mi · Saint Mary of the Woods72%admitted$32knet price47%graduate$44kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $30–48k, where Terre Haute’s median household income ($43,126) falls.

Indiana State UniversityIn Terre Haute · sticker $24,535$6,571a year
Rose-Hulman Institute of TechnologyIn Terre Haute · sticker $77,890$33,742a year
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College5.6 mi · Saint Mary of the Woods · sticker $49,512$36,071a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Terre Haute: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k$100k$120k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Indiana StateRose-Hulman Institute of TechnologySaint Mary-of-the-Woods College
Indiana State University43% graduate$48k earnings$24k typical debt
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology78% graduate$101k earnings$25k typical debt
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College47% graduate$44k earnings$20k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in Terre Haute

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field across Terre Haute’s 2 colleges, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Engineering 20%Business 15%Health professions 11%Education 6%Computer science 6%Psychology 6%Everything else 36%

Biggest programs

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingIndiana State University · 184 graduates a year
$82k4 yrs out
Mechanical EngineeringRose-Hulman Institute of Technology · 121 graduates a year
$96k4 yrs out
Construction ManagementIndiana State University · 116 graduates a year
$95k4 yrs out
Psychology, GeneralIndiana State University · 97 graduates a year
$43k4 yrs out
Air TransportationIndiana State University · 94 graduates a year
$71k4 yrs out
CriminologyIndiana State University · 93 graduates a year
$52k4 yrs out
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/TechniciansIndiana State University · 77 graduates a year
$80k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsIndiana State University · 67 graduates a year
$44k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Terre Haute

Is Terre Haute a college town?

Yes. 16 of every 100 Terre Haute residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Indiana. Indiana State University has 5,969 students on campus, next to 58,764 residents.

What colleges are in Terre Haute?

Indiana State University and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology are inside the city. Ivy Tech Community College is 68.9 miles away in Indianapolis.

Why is Terre Haute’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 24.4% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 21.2% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 3 points).

What is the closest community college to Terre Haute, and what does it cost?

Ivy Tech Community College in Indianapolis, 68.9 miles away. Tuition and fees are $5,154 a year for Indiana residents; the federal net price, $7,258, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Indiana State University?

Indiana State University admitted 81% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Terre Haute. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →