Colleges

Private for-profit · Community college

Denmark College

Merrillville, Indiana · Large suburb

0%
Transfer rate
$14,739
Avg net price
75%
Grad / completion
$23,538
Median earnings

Denmark College is a private for-profit certificate-granting institution in Merrillville, Indiana (large suburb setting), enrolling 175 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.

Private for-profitSmall · 175 undergradsLarge suburbCold winters

About Merrillville, Indiana

Merrillville is a town in Ross Township, Lake County, Indiana, United States. Merrillville occupies what used to be woodland belonging to the Potawatomi Indians. In 1834, a clearing was created for ceremonial purposes and called McGwinn Village. A year later, a white man, Jeremiah Wiggins, settled in the place; McGwinn Village became Wiggins Point. Merrillville is a hub for retail trade in Northwest Indiana. The US 30 corridor between Taft Street and Colorado Street harbors a large concentration of big-box retailers, hotels, restaurants, and automobile dealerships. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large suburb
Highest degree offered
Certificate
Nearest big city
32 miles to Chicago, IL
To Great Lakes shore
11 miles
Nearest airport
11 miles to Gary/Chicago (GYY)

How Denmark College compares

Graduation rate75%

Higher than 70% · #12 of 46 in Indiana

First-year retention89%

Higher than 80%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$23,538

Higher than 12% · #34 of 42 in Indiana

Average net price$14,739

Cheaper than 51% · #12 cheapest of 51 in Indiana

Median debt at graduation$8,965

Lower than 67%

Student–faculty ratio16 : 1

Lower than 49%

Undergraduate enrollment175

Larger than 41%

Percentiles compare Denmark College with the nation's 3,519 two-year and certificate schools, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count two-year and certificate schools in Indiana.

Student body

Undergraduates by gender

175undergrads
  • Women3520%
  • Men14080%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White14%
  • Black55%
  • Hispanic29%
  • Asian0.6%
  • Other or multiracial1.1%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
175
Student–faculty ratio
16 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
64%
First-generation students
51%
Students over 25
48%
Median family income
$14,536

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Cost

In-state tuition
—
Room & board
—
Total cost of attendance
—
Average net price
$14,739

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated
75%
First-year retention
89%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$15,969
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$23,538
Median debt at graduation
$8,965
Students with federal loans
66%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
25%

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
No
Application fee
$100

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$14,002
$30–48k
$13,722
$48–75k
$14,061
$75–110k
$20,166
$110k+
$20,166

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Denmark College funds essentially no grants of its own — almost all aid here comes from federal (Pell), state, or outside sources rather than the school's own discount. Its sticker price is what it is.

Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid, 2022–23 full-time first-year undergraduates.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$23,538
Typical debt at graduation
$8,965
Debt vs. one year's pay
38%
Out-earn a HS grad
36%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.8 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

Campus climate

Summer high
84°F
Winter low
15°F
Annual rain
39.9″
Annual snow
29.7″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.55.1JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Lowell, IN US station (14.5 mi from campus).

What Denmark College graduates study — and earn

Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services
65 grads$19k 1 yr$18k 5 yr$13k debt
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services
9 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Denmark College

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Denmark College side by side →

Empire Beauty School-Indianapolis

For-profit

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Students
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Tuition
—
Transfer
—
Earnings
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Tuition
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Transfer
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Tuition
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Transfer
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Earnings
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The Salon Professional Academy-Evansville

For-profit

Evansville, Indiana · Midsize city · 5 mi to Evansville

Students
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Tuition
—
Transfer
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Earnings
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Summit Salon Academy-Kokomo

For-profit

Kokomo, Indiana · Small city · 49 mi to Indianapolis

Students
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Tuition
—
Transfer
0%
Earnings
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Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Highland

For-profit

Highland, Indiana · Large suburb · 24 mi to Chicago

Students
319
Tuition
—
Transfer
0%
Earnings
$22k

Colleges near Denmark College

Paul Mitchell the School-Merrillville

Merrillville, IN · Private for-profit · Certificate · 107 students

1 mi

Stellar Career College-Crown Point

Crown Point, IN · Private for-profit · Associate · 81 students

2 mi

Lil Lou's Beauty and Barber College

Gary, IN · Private for-profit · Certificate · 40 students

4 mi

Don Roberts School of Hair Design

Schererville, IN · Private for-profit · Certificate · 25 students

5 mi

Indiana University-Northwest

Gary, IN · Public · Bachelor's · 2,661 students

6 mi

Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Highland

Highland, IN · Private for-profit · Certificate · 319 students

8 mi

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, IN · Public · Bachelor's · 5,671 students

10 mi

Lil Lou's Beauty and Barber College-Hammond

Hammond, IN · Private for-profit · Certificate · 26 students

13 mi

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.