Ball State University

www.bsu.edu/

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2020 Undergraduate Tuition

$9,482

1.33% growth from 2019

2020 Average Net Price

$13,195

After Financial Aid

2018 Student Loan

4.29%

Default Rate

2020 Acceptance Rate

87%

20,167 Applicants

2020 Enrolled Students

21,597

72.1% Full-Time

2020 Graduation Rate

66.7%

2,400 Graduates

About

Ball State University is a higher education institution located in Delaware County, IN. In 2020, the most popular Bachelor's Degree concentrations at Ball State University were Liberal Arts & Sciences (249 degrees awarded), Digital Communication & Multimedia (220 degrees), and General Business (170 degrees).

In 2020, 6,486 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Ball State University. 69.6% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 30.4% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (5,128 degrees), 12.4 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, black or african american (414 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at Ball State University is $9,482, which is $−19,081 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,563).

Photo by Daniel Hartwig

Costs

The median undergraduate tuition at Ball State University is $9,482, which is $−19,081 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,563).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $13,195.

In 2020, 69% of undergraduate students attending Ball State University received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 53% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$9,482

2020 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2020, the cost of tuition at Ball State University was $9,482. The cost of tuition at Ball State University is $−19,081 less than than the overall (public and private) national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,563).

This chart compares the tuition costs of Ball State University (in red) with those of other similar universities.

Average Net Price

$13,195

2020 Value

2.5%

1 Year Growth

In 2020 Ball State University had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $13,195. Between 2019 and 2020, the average net price of Ball State University grew by 2.5%.

This chart compares the average net price of Ball State University (in red) with that of other similar universities.

Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

Other Student Expenses

$10,702

Room and Board

$1,384

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at Ball State University was of $10,702 in 2020. During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,384. The cost of room and board increased by 4.57% between 2019 and 2020. The cost of books and supplies increased by 2.22% during the same period.

This chart compares the average student costs at Ball State University (in red) with that of similar universities.

Financial Aid by Income Level

69%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

53%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

69% of undergraduate students at Ball State University received financial aid through grants or loans in 2020. This represents a decline of 2.82% with respect to 2019, when 71% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

This chart compares the average award discount at Ball State University (in red) with that of other similar universities.

The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

Student Loan Default Rate

Cohort default rates only account for borrowers who default in the first three years, and some schools only have a small proportion of borrowers entering repayment. These rates should be interpreted with caution, as they may not be reflective of the entire school population.

4.29%

2018 Default Rate

224

Number of Defaults

In 2018 the default rate for borrower's at Ball State University was 4.29%, which represents 224 out of the 5226 total borrowers.

A cohort default rate is the percentage of a school's borrowers who enter repayment on certain Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans during a particular federal fiscal year (FY), October 1 to September 30, and default or meet other specified conditions prior to the end of the second following fiscal year.

Admissions

Ball State University received 20,167 undergraduate applications in 2020, which represents a 13.5% annual decline. Out of those 20,167 applicants, 17,555 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 87% acceptance rate.

There were 21,597 students enrolled at Ball State University in 2020, and N/A% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

Ball State University has an overall enrollment yield of 20.3%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

87%

Acceptance Rate in 2020

17,555

Accepted Out of 20,167

In 2020, the undergraduate acceptance rate of Ball State University was 87% (17,555 admissions from 20,167 applications). This is higher than the acceptance rate of 2019, which was 76.7%. Between 2019 and 2020, the number of applicants declined by −13.5%, while admissions declined by −1.81%.

This chart compares the acceptance rate of Ball State University (in red) with that of other similar universities.

SAT Scores

N/A%

Submission Percentage

N/A

Scores Submitted

N/A% of enrolled first-time students at Ball State University in 2020 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

This chart shows the SAT scores for the 25th and 75th percentile of applicants broken out into each section of the test that their are evaluated on.

Enrollment

Ball State University has a total enrollment of 21,597 students. The full-time enrollment at Ball State University is 15,580 students and the part-time enrollment is 6,017. This means that 72.1% of students enrolled at Ball State University are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at Ball State University, both undergraduate and graduate, is 75.6% White, 8.69% Black or African American, 6.85% Hispanic or Latino, 3.38% Two or More Races, 1.97% Asian, 0.13% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.13% American Indian or Alaska Native.

Students enrolled at Ball State University in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Female (46.2%), followed by White Male (29.9%) and Black or African American Female (6.01%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Female (49.3%), followed by White Male (21.1%) and Hispanic or Latino Female (5.38%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

72.1%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Ball State University, both undergraduate and graduate, is 21,597 students. The full-time enrollment at Ball State University is 15,580 and the part-time enrollment is 6,017. This means that 72.1% of students enrolled at Ball State University are enrolled full-time compared with 76.5% at similar Doctoral Universities.

This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at Ball State University (in red) compares to similar universities.

Retention Rate over Time

80%

2020 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at Ball State University was 80%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Doctoral Universities (85%), Ball State University had a retention rate lower than its peers.

This chart shows the retention rate over time at Ball State University (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity

White
16,323
Black or African American
1,876
Hispanic or Latino
1,479

The enrolled student population at Ball State University is 75.6% White, 8.69% Black or African American, 6.85% Hispanic or Latino, 3.38% Two or More Races, 1.97% Asian, 0.13% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.13% American Indian or Alaska Native. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Doctoral Universities is 50% White, 15% Hispanic or Latino, and 9.69% Black or African American.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 403 students (1.87%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2020, 2548 more women than men received degrees from Ball State University. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at Ball State University is white (5,128 degrees awarded). There were 12.4 times more white graduates than the next closest race/ethnicity group, black or african american (414 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at Ball State University is Liberal Arts & Sciences (249 degrees awarded), followed by Digital Communication & Multimedia (220 degrees) and General Business (170 degrees).

The most specialized majors across all degree types at Ball State University, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Education (2,346 degrees awarded), Architecture and Related Services (110 degrees), and Communications (494 degrees).

Common Jobs by Major

Elementary & middle school teachers

Most Common Job

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Ball State University are Elementary & middle school teachers (1,815,053 people), Secondary school teachers (424,082 people), Education administrators (292,507 people), Other managers (272,445 people), and Postsecondary teachers (180,221 people).

The most specialized majors at Ball State University are Education (2,346 degrees awarded), Architecture and Related Services (110 degrees), Communications (494 degrees), Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (170 degrees), and Visual & Performing Arts (281 degrees).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Nuclear medicine technologists and medical dosimetrists

Highest Paying Job

The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Ball State University are Nuclear medicine technologists and medical dosimetrists, Surgeons, Dentists, Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents, and Physicians

Common Industries by Major

Elementary & secondary schools

Most Common Industry

The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Ball State University are Elementary & secondary schools (2,955,036 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (437,899 people), General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (235,505 people), Architectural, engineering & related services (189,854 people), and Computer Systems Design (181,454 people).

Majors Awarded

IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by Ball State University.

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
249 degree-majorss awarded
Digital Communication & Multimedia
220 degree-majorss awarded
General Business
170 degree-majorss awarded

In 2020, the most common bachelors degree concentration at Ball State University was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 249 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from bachelors degree programs at Ball State University according to their major.

Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

1,969

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2020

4,517

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2020

In 2020, 1,969 degrees were awarded to men at Ball State University, which is 0.436 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (4,517).

This chart displays the sex disparity between the top 5 majors at Ball State University by degrees awarded.

Most Common Male Majors

In 2020, 158 degrees were awarded to men at Ball State University in General Business, which is 1.36 times more than the 116 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2020, 984 degrees were awarded to women at Ball State University in Other Special Education & Teaching, which is 14.7 times more than the 67 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

47%

100% Completion Time

62%

150% Completion Time

In 2020, 47% of students graduating from Ball State University completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 62% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 63% within 200%.

The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Doctoral Universities Carnegie Classification group.

Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.

Graduation Rate by Race and Sex

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

White Female

Highest Graduation Rate (71%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate at Ball State University is Female and White (71% graduation rate). Across all Doctoral Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (72.4%).

The department of education defines graduation rate as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within 150% of "normal time" to completion.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) categorizes any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the graduation rate of those students is shown in the chart below. Additionally, 0.958% of graduates (23 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

White
5,128 degrees awarded
Black or African American
414 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
369 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at Ball State University is white (5,128 degrees awarded). There were 12.4 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, black or african american (414 degrees).

1.67% of degree recipients (108 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic

White Female
3,565 degrees awarded
White Male
1,563 degrees awarded
Black or African American Female
286 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at Ball State University is white female (3,565 degrees awarded). There were 2.28 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white male (1,563 degrees).

Operations

Ball State University has an endowment valued at nearly $213M, as of the end of the 2020 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of $19.9M (9.32%), compared to the 3.43% average return ($10.5M on $307M) across all Doctoral Universities.

In 2020, Ball State University had a total salary expenditure of $494M. Ball State University employs 241 Instructors, 234 Assistant professors, and 226 Associate professors. Most academics at Ball State University are Female Instructors (146), Male Professors(135), and Male Assistant professors (124).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Ball State University are: Service, with 488 employees, Office and Administrative Support, with 459 employees, and Management with 290 employees.

Endowment

$213M

2020 Endowment

0.0733%

growth from 2019

Ball State University has an endowment valued at about $213M, as of the end of the 2020 fiscal year. The endowment of Ball State University grew 0.0733% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $93.3M lower than than the median endowment of Doctoral Universities according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.

This line chart shows how the endowment at Ball State University (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.

The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Doctoral Universities: Higher Research Activity Carnegie Classification grouping.

Government Grants and Contracts

Grants & Contracts

$3.84M - Federal
$2.32M - State
$0 - Local

As of 2020, Ball State University received $3.84M in grants and contracts from the federal government, $2.32M from state grants and contracts, and $0 from local grants and contracts.

Salary Expenditure

$229M

2020 Salaries

1.4%

decline from 2019

In 2020, Ball State University paid a median of $229M in salaries, which represents 46.3% of their overall expenditure ($494M) and a 1.4% decline from the previous year. This is compared to a 0.55% growth from 2018 and a 1.28% growth from 2017.

The median for similar Doctoral Universities is 238M (42.6% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$75.1M

Instructional Salaries

1,047

Number of Employees

In 2020, Ball State University paid a total of $75.1M to 1,047 employees working as instructors, which represents 32.8% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $70.3M (29.6%) for similar Doctoral Universities.

Occupations by Share

Instructor

Most Common Instructor

241 Employees

Service

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

488 Employees

In 2020, the most common positions for instructional staff at Ball State University were Instructor with 241 employees; Assistant professor with 234 employees; and Assistant professor with 226 employees.

In 2020, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Ball State University were Service with 488 employees; Office and Administrative Support with 459 employees; and Management with 290 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Sex

Most Common Demographic

Female Instructor
Male Professor
Male Assistant professor

In 2020, the most common demographic for instructional staff at Ball State University was Female Instructor with 146 employees, Male Professor with 135 employees, and Male Assistant professor with 124 employees.

This chart shows the sex split between each academic rank present at Ball State University.