Choosing a College
What type of college should I go to?
Two-Year College
Four-Year College
Public College
A college supported by state funding. For Indiana residents, Indiana public colleges have lower tuition than private colleges. Public colleges can be two- or four-year institutions.
Private College
Nonprofit colleges usually have smaller enrollments than public institutions, and they mainly offer bachelor’s degrees. Private colleges often charge higher tuition than public colleges.
Research Institution
A research institution has professors who do research in their fields, as well as teach. Many four-year public colleges are also research institutions.
For-Profit College
These colleges run as businesses and usually offer one- to two-year degrees in high-demand industries. Be careful around for-profit colleges that are not accredited, sound too good to be true or charge high tuition. More information on these schools can be found here.
Online Schools
Special-Focus Colleges
Ready to Apply?
Learn more by checking out our guide
for applying to colleges & schools in Indiana.
How should I choose the
right college?
Choosing the right college for you is important. Not only does each career path require a unique kind of degree, some require specific majors. Plus, you’ll want to consider things like cost, how much independence you want, how big you want your school to be and the culture around extracurricular activities like collegiate sports.
You should visit the colleges you’re interested in to see how you like them. You can take an in-person or virtual tour of the campus, talk to advisors and current students, and get a feel for the environment overall. Ask a professor if you can sit in on a class, or find a group of students to talk to about their experience there.
Learn more about what you can get out of campus tours with BigFuture’s Campus Visit Guide.
Additional resources for choosing a college
If you still need a little help deciding which type of school to attend, check out the College Navigator tool, which provides more details around individual schools, programs of study, and more, and may help you decide which school is the best fit for you.
