Colleges / Ball State University
College · Public · Muncie, IN · City
BSU

Ball State University

Muncie, IN

Address2000 W. University Ave, Muncie, IN 47306
Websitewww.bsu.edu
Price calculatorRun your numbers →
Admit rate86%
6-yr median pay$44k
Net price / yr$15k
Undergrad size13,988
§ I · The real read

What it's actually like.

The bet

Net price of $15k/yr for a shot at a $44k first-5-year salary. Math out whether that works for you — it does for some people, not for others.

Getting in

Admit rate of 86% means this is workable if your grades and essays are solid. Admitted students average SAT 1160 · ACT 24.

If you get in

13,988 undergrads. Medium. Clubs matter for finding your people.

Where you live

City campus — public transit, off-campus food, weekends happen nearby.

§ II · Cost & aid

Sticker vs. real.

Sticker cost of attendance is $26k/yr. After need-based aid, the average student pays $15k/yr. Merit aid varies. Run your EFC calculator before you rule anything out.

Sticker · 4 yrs$105k
Before any aid.
Net · 4 yrs$60k
What the average student pays.
Typical aid$45k
Difference over 4 years — higher for lower-income households.
Payback1.3x
4-yr net price ÷ first-5-year salary. Lower is better.

Where the money goes · annual sticker.

Tuition · in-state
$11.1k
Tuition · out-of-state
$29.6k
Room & board
$12.3k
Books & supplies
$1,400

How students pay for it.

Pell grants35%
Share of undergrads on federal Pell grants.
Federal loans43%
Share taking out federal student loans.
Median debt · grads$23k
What the median student owes at graduation. Non-completers: $7k.
3-yr default0%
Low — grads tend to pay on time.
§ III · Outcomes

Do people finish? Do they land?

1-yr retention77%
Watch this number.
Graduation · 6 yr62%
Majority finish.
6-yr median pay$44k
Cross-major. Your major's number can be very different.
10-yr median pay$52k
Ten years out — where grads tend to land career-wise.
Transfer out22%
Share of full-time students who transfer to another school.
§ IV · Campus & identity

Setting, size, and who this school is.

Setting
City
Control
Public
Undergrad size
13,988
Location
Muncie, IN
Region
Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI)
Carnegie class
Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity (R2)
Size & setting
Four-year · large · primarily residential
Undergrad program
Four-year · full-time, inclusive, lower transfer-in
Accreditor
Higher Learning Commission
Also known as
BSU · Ball U
§ · Who studies here

The student body at a glance.

  • White72%
  • Black11%
  • Hispanic8%
  • Two or more races5%
  • Asian2%
  • Unknown2%
  • International1%
First-gen students28%
Share whose parents didn't complete college.
Part-time7%
Mostly a full-time student body.
Veterans0%
Share using veteran education benefits.
Median family income$62k
Of enrolled students' households — useful for aid context.
§ V · Majors offered here · 90

What you can study.

Colleges / Ball State University
College · Public · Muncie, IN · City
BSU

Ball State University

Muncie, IN

Address2000 W. University Ave, Muncie, IN 47306
Websitewww.bsu.edu
Price calculatorRun your numbers →
Admit rate86%
6-yr median pay$44k
Net price / yr$15k
Undergrad size13,988
§ I · The real read

What it's actually like.

The bet

Net price of $15k/yr for a shot at a $44k first-5-year salary. Math out whether that works for you — it does for some people, not for others.

Getting in

Admit rate of 86% means this is workable if your grades and essays are solid. Admitted students average SAT 1160 · ACT 24.

If you get in

13,988 undergrads. Medium. Clubs matter for finding your people.

Where you live

City campus — public transit, off-campus food, weekends happen nearby.

§ II · Cost & aid

Sticker vs. real.

Sticker cost of attendance is $26k/yr. After need-based aid, the average student pays $15k/yr. Merit aid varies. Run your EFC calculator before you rule anything out.

Sticker · 4 yrs$105k
Before any aid.
Net · 4 yrs$60k
What the average student pays.
Typical aid$45k
Difference over 4 years — higher for lower-income households.
Payback1.3x
4-yr net price ÷ first-5-year salary. Lower is better.

Where the money goes · annual sticker.

Tuition · in-state
$11.1k
Tuition · out-of-state
$29.6k
Room & board
$12.3k
Books & supplies
$1,400

How students pay for it.

Pell grants35%
Share of undergrads on federal Pell grants.
Federal loans43%
Share taking out federal student loans.
Median debt · grads$23k
What the median student owes at graduation. Non-completers: $7k.
3-yr default0%
Low — grads tend to pay on time.
§ III · Outcomes

Do people finish? Do they land?

1-yr retention77%
Watch this number.
Graduation · 6 yr62%
Majority finish.
6-yr median pay$44k
Cross-major. Your major's number can be very different.
10-yr median pay$52k
Ten years out — where grads tend to land career-wise.
Transfer out22%
Share of full-time students who transfer to another school.
§ IV · Campus & identity

Setting, size, and who this school is.

Setting
City
Control
Public
Undergrad size
13,988
Location
Muncie, IN
Region
Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI)
Carnegie class
Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity (R2)
Size & setting
Four-year · large · primarily residential
Undergrad program
Four-year · full-time, inclusive, lower transfer-in
Accreditor
Higher Learning Commission
Also known as
BSU · Ball U
§ · Who studies here

The student body at a glance.

  • White72%
  • Black11%
  • Hispanic8%
  • Two or more races5%
  • Asian2%
  • Unknown2%
  • International1%
First-gen students28%
Share whose parents didn't complete college.
Part-time7%
Mostly a full-time student body.
Veterans0%
Share using veteran education benefits.
Median family income$62k
Of enrolled students' households — useful for aid context.
§ V · Majors offered here · 90

What you can study.