Advantages & Disadvantages of Studying in Indianapolis

You consider studying in Indianapolis but want to learn more about the city, student life, extracurricular activities, quality of education, job prospects, nightlife and much more before making your final decision in this regard?

Great! This article is exactly for you since I will show you the pros and cons of studying in Indianapolis in the following chapters.

Study in Indianapolis – Overview

Advantages of Studying in Indianapolis

1. Rents in Indianapolis are still affordable for many students
2. Students in Indianapolis find a decent place to live rather quickly
3. Living costs in Indianapolis are lower than in many other big cities
4. Low overall financial pressure for people who study in Indianapolis
5. Decent bars and clubs in Indianapolis
6. You can join student clubs and extracurricular activities in Indianapolis
7. Relatively easy to get around for students in Indianapolis
8. Many national parks and nature reserves around Indianapolis
9. Students in Indianapolis can experience real seasons
10. Students find most things they need close to their homes
11. Students can make many day trips to other big cities
12. Students in Indianapolis can build a solid business network
13. Many student jobs in Indianapolis
14. Many big corporations to work for after graduation
15. Big variety of different colleges in Indianapolis
16. You can specialize in rather exotic majors as a student in Indianapolis
17. Decent libraries and other quiet spaces to prepare for exams
18. Indianapolis is a rather tolerant place
19. Easy to socialize in the Indianapolis region
20. Indianapolis may be an underrated student town

Rents in Indianapolis are still affordable for many students

One advantage of studying in Indianapolis is that rents are still affordable for many students and compared to other big cities in the US, rents are far lower.

In turn, while people studying in San José have to spend enormous amounts of money on housing, students in Indianapolis have a rather relaxed time in this regard.

Students in Indianapolis find a decent place to live rather quickly

Not only rents are still rather low, but it is also relatively easy to find a decent place to stay as a student in Indianapolis since housing shortage is not a big problem yet and you will therefore be in a relatively good position as a tenant compared to other big and more popular regions where overall demand for housing is often much higher.

Living costs in Indianapolis are lower than in many other big cities

Compared to other big cities, living costs in Indianapolis are also pretty low and this is great for you as a student since you don’t have to spend as much money on things of daily life compared to students in Los Angeles or other more expensive regions and will be able to afford much more for the same budget.

Low overall financial pressure for people who study in Indianapolis

Thanks to rather low living and housing costs, students in Indianapolis also don’t have to worry about money as much as students in more expensive regions and while many other students have to worry about their financial situation, you can be rather relaxed in this regard and will be better able to focus on your exams.

Decent bars and clubs in Indianapolis

While nightlife in Indianapolis is not as great as in many other big cities, you will still find a solid number of decent bars and clubs where you can party with your fellow students until the early morning and can just have a great time.

You can join student clubs and extracurricular activities in Indianapolis

Another upside to studying in Indianapolis is that you will also find many student clubs and extracurricular activities so you can not only get your degree but can also make many nice experiences on the side that can help you grow in character and can also make your student life in Indianapolis more interesting.

Relatively easy to get around for students in Indianapolis

Since public infrastructure is pretty decent in the Indianapolis region, you can also get around by public transport, car, bicycle or other means of transport and since traffic is not as bad as in many other big cities, you will likely also not lose much time in traffic jams in the Indianapolis region.

Many national parks and nature reserves around Indianapolis

You will also find many national parks and recreational areas where you can relax in and around Indianapolis so you can reload your batteries and can clear your mind in order to be able to study even harder after making those short vacations.

Students in Indianapolis can experience real seasons

Since summers in Indianapolis are pretty warm while summers are really cold, you can do water sports in summer and go skiing in winter and can just have a pretty interesting student life in Indianapolis in general.

Students find most things they need close to their homes

Thanks to solid supply of material goods, you also don’t have to search for a long time to find everything you need in the Indianapolis region.

Instead, you will find most things you need close to your home and can therefore study in a pretty efficient manner without having to waste lots of money on rather unimportant and unproductive things.

Students can make many day trips to other big cities

Since Indianapolis is relatively close to many other big cities, you can also make many nice day trips and can explore different regions which can make your student life even more interesting since you can get many different cultural influences and will most likely also become more tolerant in the long run.

Students in Indianapolis can build a solid business network

Since Indianapolis is an important economic region, you can also build a strong business network rather quickly since you will be able to meet many influential people and this network can greatly help you climb the career ladder rather quickly.

Many student jobs in Indianapolis

You will also find many student jobs and opportunities to work as an intern in Indianapolis and this can help you make additional money on the side.

Moreover, you can also gain some work experience and may have better chances of finding a job later on compared to people studying in smaller towns where internship opportunities are often rather limited.

Many big corporations to work for after graduation

Since there are many big corporations in the Indianapolis region, you will also find more than enough potential employers to work for and will have better career prospects than in smaller towns where you will often be rather constrained when it comes to job opportunities.

Big variety of different colleges in Indianapolis

Another benefit of studying in Indianapolis is that you will also have many colleges and universities to choose from and don’t have to rely on just a handful or even just a single college as would often be the case in really small towns.

You can specialize in rather exotic majors as a student in Indianapolis

Since there are so many different universities and courses you can take as a student in Indianapolis, you will also be able to specialize in rather exotic majors which you might not find in many other smaller cities.

Decent libraries and other quiet spaces to prepare for exams

Students in Indianapolis also have many decent libraries and other quiet places to study where they can really focus on exam preparation without being distracted.

In turn, they are able to prepare for their exams in a proper manner and can get really good grades, at least if they are willing to study hard.

Indianapolis is a rather tolerant place

You should also know that Indianapolis is one of the most tolerant places in Indiana and you will be welcome no matter where you come from and may also be able to meet many people from all over the US.

Easy to socialize in the Indianapolis region

Thanks to student clubs and other organizations you can join, you will also be able to meet many other students in a playful manner and can make many new social connections and friends rather quickly.

Indianapolis may be an underrated student town

Since you will have many amenities as a student and can benefit from decent public infrastructure while living costs are still pretty low, Indianapolis may be considered an underrated student city and may become much more popular in the near future.

As you can see, there are many reasons for studying in Indianapolis.

Yet, you should also know the drawbacks of studying in Indianapolis so you can better decide whether you still want to study in Indianapolis or rather want to spend your student life in a different city instead.

Disadvantages of Studying in Indianapolis

1. Indianapolis is not the most popular student town
2. Students in Indianapolis often live in rather dodgy neighborhoods
3. Some students no longer feel safe in certain parts of Indianapolis
4. Indianapolis is too cold for many students
5. Nightlife in Indianapolis is not as great as in many other big cities
6. Hard to find world-class education in the Indianapolis region
7. You may not meet as many international students as in other big cities
8. Not as many renowned guest professors as in top universities
9. Students in Indianapolis can’t enjoy the beach
10. You may have to deal with pretty high tuition costs
11. Student loan debt may financially constrain you for quite a long time
12. Your peers may not understand your decision of studying in Indianapolis

Indianapolis is not the most popular student town

One problem with studying in Indianapolis is that it is just not the most popular student town.

In fact, Indianapolis is just not focusing on student preferences as much as other college towns and is rather focused on the working population instead so students may not find as many nice things to do as in other more vibrant cities that are focusing more on young people.

Students in Indianapolis often live in rather dodgy neighborhoods

If you are on a tight budget, you may also have to stay in a rather dodgy district and this may greatly decrease overall quality of student life in Indianapolis quite a lot since you may just not feel welcome and may also not be able to focus on your studies.

Some students no longer feel safe in certain parts of Indianapolis

You should also note that Indianapolis is not the safest place and has to deal with pretty high crime rates.

In turn, some students no longer feel safe in certain parts of the city and this issue may become even worse in the long run due to many social problems the city has to deal with.

Indianapolis is too cold for many students

Another downside to studying in Indianapolis is that winters can be pretty cold and if don’t like cold weather at all, you may be better off studying in Austin or other warmer places instead.

Nightlife in Indianapolis is not as great as in many other big cities

While nightlife in Indianapolis is considered decent by many people, it is also not as great as nightlife in NYC or other more vibrant cities and you may therefore get bored in this regard if you are the kind of party person who wants to go out almost every day.

Hard to find world-class education in the Indianapolis region

You should also know that most universities in Indianapolis are not really great and you will therefore have a hard time finding world-class education in this region which may be bad for your CV and your career prospects in the long run.

You may not meet as many international students as in other big cities

Since Indianapolis is not the most popular city from a global perspective, you will also not be able to meet many international students in this region and may miss out on many interesting conversations you could have with people from all over the globe.

Not as many renowned guest professors as in top universities

Another disadvantage of studying in Indianapolis is that there are also not as many great guest professors as in other big cities with more renowned universities and you may there not get the same variety of education as in other places in the US.

Students in Indianapolis can’t enjoy the beach

Since Indianapolis is not located at the coast, you will also not be able to enjoy the beach and may envy your friends who might be studying in San Diego or other coastal towns where they can go surfing on a regular basis.

You may have to deal with pretty high tuition costs

You should also know that studying in Indianapolis can be pretty expensive due to high tuition costs and you should therefore take your time and make sure that you are willing to spend lots of money on college education before making your final decision in this regard.

Student loan debt may financially constrain you for quite a long time

Due to high tuition costs, you may also have to finance your studies with significant amounts of student loan debt which you would have to pay back later in life and this may greatly constrain you for many years.

Your peers may not understand your decision of studying in Indianapolis

Since Indianapolis is not the most popular student town, your family and friends may also not understand your decision of studying in Indianapolis and may also worry about your well-being quite a lot due to high crime rates and you may therefore have a pretty hard time convincing them that studying in Indianapolis is a good idea.

Top 10 Studying in Indianapolis Pros & Cons – Summary List

Is Indianapolis A Great City For Students?

While studying in Indianapolis can make quite a lot of sense since living and housing costs are still affordable and students find many opportunities to socialize and have a great time in this city, you should also know that overall quality of education is not great and Indianapolis is also not the safest city.

Alternative Cities To Study

If you don’t want to study in Indianapolis anymore, you should also have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of studying in Phoenix

Advantages and disadvantages of studying in Fort Worth

Advantages and disadvantages of studying in Columbus

Sources

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/indianapoliscitybalanceindiana

Own research.

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.