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Winona Lake - panoramio (3)Photo: Andrew Latham · CC BY-SA 3.0
Colleges in and near Winona Lake

Winona Lake is a college town: 21 of every 100 residents are students

Grace College and Theological Seminary (1,877 students on campus) is inside the town. Across Indiana, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town21% of residents are studentsGrace College and Theological Seminary

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 Winona Lake. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
2
2,979 students on campus
Nearest college
0.6 mi
Grace College and Theological Seminary
Residents in college
21%
Above IN (6%)
Nearest community college
99.3 mi
Ivy Tech · $5,154 tuition
Nearest public university
37.3 mi
Purdue University Fort Wayne · $9,532 in-state
Students on campus in Winona Lake
1,877
next to 5,126 residents

What stands out about college in Winona Lake

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

A college town21 of every 100 Winona Lake residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Indiana.A college in Winona LakeGrace College and Theological Seminary has 1,877 students on campus in Winona Lake, 69% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at Purdue University Fort WayneLiving in Indiana, Purdue University Fort Wayne charges $9,532 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $22,887. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 99.3 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 Winona Lake

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

21 of every 100 Winona Lake residents are in college (IN: 6).

1,877students on campus at Grace College and Theological Seminary, next to 5,126 residents (dorm students count as residents)
263college students live in Winona Lake households rather than dorms
28.9median age · IN 38.1
57%of residents are women · IN 50% (±4.3 points)
38%of homes rented · IN 29%
$1,132median rent · 7% above the state
Winona LakeWinona Lake, IN
Cost of living$1,132/mo median rentB−SafetyCrime reported to the FBIAHealthCDC estimatesA−Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundB+HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Winona Lake’s other numbers

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

Jobs & income B+

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 8.2% of Winona Lake residents are below the poverty line, 5.4% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 6 points either way). 49% 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 21%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health A−

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Winona Lake’s median age is 28.9 (Indiana 38.1), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety A

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 Winona Lake

Two private colleges within 14.5 miles. The nearest public four-year college, Purdue University Fort Wayne, is 37.3 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miGrace College and Theological SeminaryManchester UniversityWinona Lake
University or collegeCommunity college
Grace College and Theological SeminaryUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,877 on campus · In Winona Lake82%admitted$20knet price69%graduate$45kearningsManchester UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,102 on campus · 14.5 mi · North Manchester71%admitted$19knet price46%graduate$52kearnings

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 and the nearest public four-year college. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $75–110k, where Winona Lake’s median household income ($82,188) falls.

Purdue University Fort Wayne37.3 mi · Fort Wayne · sticker $22,183$18,430a year
Manchester University14.5 mi · North Manchester · sticker $49,993$21,075a year
Grace College and Theological SeminaryIn Winona Lake · sticker $41,838$22,963a 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: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Grace College and Theological SeminaryManchester UniversityPurdue University Fort Wayne
Purdue University Fort Wayne36% graduate$46k earnings$22k typical debt
Grace College and Theological Seminary69% graduate$45k earnings$20k typical debt
Manchester University46% graduate$52k earnings$27k 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 Winona Lake

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Grace College and Theological Seminary, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Business 27%Psychology 12%Theology 11%Education 10%Parks & recreation 10%Liberal arts 9%Everything else 22%

Biggest programs

Psychology, General34 graduates a year
$44k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations30 graduates a year
$67k4 yrs out
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness29 graduates a year
$42k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods22 graduates a year
$48k4 yrs out
Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries20 graduates a year
$45k4 yrs out
Design and Applied Arts14 graduates a year
$51k4 yrs out
Accounting and Related Services13 graduates a year
$66k4 yrs out
Marketing12 graduates a year
$55k4 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 Winona Lake

Is Winona Lake a college town?

Yes. 21 of every 100 Winona Lake residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Indiana. Grace College and Theological Seminary has 1,877 students on campus, next to 5,126 residents.

What colleges are in Winona Lake?

Grace College and Theological Seminary is inside the town. Ivy Tech Community College is 99.3 miles away in Indianapolis.

Why is Winona Lake’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 8.2% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 5.4% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 6 points).

What is the closest community college to Winona Lake, and what does it cost?

Ivy Tech Community College in Indianapolis, 99.3 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 Grace College and Theological Seminary?

Grace College and Theological Seminary admitted 82% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,000–1,200 on the SAT.

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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 Winona Lake. 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 →