Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana · Public · 13,988 undergraduates · bsu.edu
Test policy (fall 2027)
Test optional
Sending scores is your choice
Admit rate
86%
of 22,193 applicants
SAT (middle 50%)
1090 to 1240
of enrolled freshmen
Annual cost (2027-28)
$28,290Est.Estimate
$47,510 out of state
Your chances and merit aid at Ball State University
See where you stand for admission, how much merit aid you could get, and what you'd pay after it.
We started you at a typical enrolled freshman here. Move the sliders to match you.
Your admission chances
86% of applicants admitted
Target
Your SAT is inside the range where the middle half of enrolled freshmen scored, and your GPA is in the middle half of freshmen's.
Estimated merit aid
a year
Your cost after merit aid
$47,510
a year in 2027-28, from a $47,510 sticker price (out of state)
What to do with your 1170
Send your score
About 68% of freshmen here didn't send a score. We estimate their typical SAT at about 1030, and yours is above it.
Reach, target and likely are a rough guide from your test score and how selective the college is. Admissions also weigh your courses, grades, essays and activities. Merit aid figures are estimates, before any need-based aid.
Admissions
Test policy for fall 2027
Test optional
You choose whether to send an SAT or ACT score. If you send one, it's considered.
- Superscores: it combines your best section scores from different test dates.
- Reviews applications as they arrive, so applying early helps.
- CLT accepted alongside SAT/ACT.
Source: Test Score Information | Ball State University · Checked October 17, 2026
Application deadlines
- Nov15Other deadline · November 15, 2026
- Dec1Priority deadline · December 1, 2026Apply by this date for the best chance at admission and scholarships.
- Mar1Priority deadline · March 1, 2027Apply by this date for the best chance at admission and scholarships.
Who gets in
86%
of applicants were admitted: 19,141 of 22,193 for fall 2025.
Test scores of enrolled freshmen (fall 2025)
The shaded part shows the middle half of enrolled freshmen who sent scores: a quarter scored below it and a quarter above. 31% of them sent SAT scores and 1% sent ACT scores.
SAT total 1090 to 1240
Reading and Writing 560 to 650
Math 530 to 610
ACT composite 23 to 27
How enrolled freshmen scored on the SAT
- 1400 to 16002.6%
- 1200 to 139939%
- 1000 to 119957%
- 800 to 9991.9%
- 600 to 7990.2%
- 400 to 5990%
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
High school GPA of enrolled freshmen
Average GPA: 3.58
- 4.024%
- 3.75 to 3.9916%
- 3.50 to 3.7415%
- 3.25 to 3.4916%
- 3.00 to 3.2415%
- 2.50 to 2.9914%
- Below 2.500.1%
Cost and financial aid
The sticker price is what a year costs before any aid. Most students pay less after grants and scholarships.
Sticker price for 2027-28Estimate
$28,290
a year, in state
$47,510
a year, out of state (tuition $28,430)
- Tuition (in state)$9,210
- Fees$2,200
- Food and housing$13,200
- Books and supplies$800
- Transportation and other$2,880
Ball State University published $27,498 in state for 2026-27. Its 2027-28 prices aren't out yet.
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
What families actually pay
What a year cost on average after grants and scholarships, for freshmen who got federal aid in 2023-24 (in-state students), by family income.
- $0 to $30,000$8,013
- $30,001 to $48,000$7,780
- $48,001 to $75,000$10,537
- $75,001 to $110,000$16,425
- Over $110,000$23,618
Financial aid
82%
of a student's financial need is covered, on average
$10,044
average need-based grant to freshmen, money you don't repay
19%
of freshmen got merit aid without financial need, $7,875 on average
- FAFSA
- Required for need-based aid. It's the free federal aid form.
- CSS Profile
- Not required. Only the FAFSA is needed.
- Aid priority date: 4/15
- Send your aid forms by this date to be first in line for the college's grant money.
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
AP credit
AP exams that earn credit can replace college courses, so you pay for fewer of them and may graduate sooner.
AP exams that earn credit
42 of 42
Earn credit with a score of 3
42 exams
A 3-credit course is worth
about $920Est.Estimate
at 2027-28 tuition for in-state students
Credit for each AP exam
| Exam | Score needed | Credits | Counts as |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-D Art and Design | 3 | 3 | ADS 990 |
| 3-D Art and Design | 3 | 3 | ADS 990 |
| 3-D Art and Design | 4 | 3 | ADS 102 |
| African American Studies | 3 | 3 | AFAM 100 |
| African American Studies | 5 | 6 | AFAM 100 & AFAM 150 |
| Art History | 3 | 3 | AHS 100 |
| Art History | 4 | 3 | AHS 101 |
| Art History | 5 | 6 | AHS 101 & 102 |
| Biology | 3 | 3 | BIO 100 |
| Biology | 4 | 4 | BIO 111 |
| Biology | 5 | 8 | BIO 111 & 112 |
| Calculus AB | 3 | 3 | MATH 161 |
| Calculus AB | 4 | 4 | MATH 165 |
| Calculus BC | 3 | 6 | MATH 161 & 162 |
| Calculus BC | 4 | 8 | MATH 165 & 166 |
| Calculus BC: AB Subscore | 3 | 3 | MATH 161 |
| Calculus BC: AB Subscore | 4 | 4 | MATH 165 |
| Chemistry | 3 | 3 | CHEM 100 |
| Chemistry | 4 | 7 | CHEM 108 & 111 |
| Chemistry | 5 | 8 | CHEM 111 & 112 |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 3 | 12 | CH 101, 102, 201 |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 4 | 16 | CH 101, 102, 201 & 202 |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 5 | 20 | CH 101, 102, 201, 202 & 301 |
| Comparative Government and Politics | 3 | 3 | POLS 280 |
| Computer Science A | 3 | 4 | CS 120 |
| Computer Science Principles | 3 | 3 | CS 110 |
| Drawing | 3 | 3 | AFA 990 |
| Drawing | 4 | 3 | AFA 101 |
| English Language and Composition | 3 | 3 | ENG 103 |
| English Language and Composition | 5 | 6 | ENG 103 & 104 |
| English Literature and Composition | 3 | 3 | ENG 206 |
| Environmental Science | 3 | 3 | NREM 101 |
| European History | 3 | 3 | HIST 999 |
| French Language and Culture | 3 | 14 | FR 101, 102, 201 & 202 |
| French Language and Culture | 4 | 20 | FR 101, 102, 201, 202, 301 & 302 |
| German Language and Culture | 3 | 14 | GER 101, 102, 201 & 202 |
| German Language and Culture | 4 | 17 | GER 101, 102, 201, 202 & 301 |
| German Language and Culture | 5 | 20 | GER 101, 102, 201, 202, 301 & 302 |
| Human Geography | 3 | 3 | GEOG 121 |
| Italian Language and Culture | 3 | 8 | ITAL 101 & 102 |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 3 | 12 | JAPAN 101, 102, 201 |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 4 | 16 | JAPAN 101, 102, 201 & 202 |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 5 | 20 | JAPAN 101, 102, 201, 202 & 301 |
| Latin | 3 | 3 | LAT 302 |
| Macroeconomics | 3 | 3 | ECON 116 |
| Macroeconomics | 4 | 3 | ECON 116 or 202 |
| Microeconomics | 3 | 3 | ECON 116 |
| Microeconomics | 4 | 3 | ECON 116 or 201 |
| Music Aural Subscore | 3 | 3 | MUSE 265 |
| Music Non-Aural Subscore | 3 | 3 | MUSE 265 |
| Music Theory | 3 | 3 | MUSED 265 |
| Physics 1 | 3 | 4 | PHYC 110 |
| Physics 2 | 3 | 5 | PHYC 120 |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 3 | 4 | PHYC 112 |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 4 | 5 | PHYC 122 |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 3 | 4 | PHYC 110 |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 4 | 5 | PHYC 120 |
| Pre-Calculus | 3 | 3 | MATH 990 |
| Psychology | 3 | 3 | PSYS 100 |
| Seminar | 3 | 3 | ID 990 |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 3 | 14 | SP 101, 102, 201, 202 |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 5 | 17 | SP 101, 102, 201, 202 & 301 |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 3 | 14 | SP 101, 102, 201, 202 |
| Statistics | 3 | 3 | MATH 181 |
| Statistics | 4 | 3 | ECON 221 |
| United States Government and Politics | 3 | 3 | POLS130 |
| United States History | 3 | 3 | HIST 202 |
| United States History | 4 | 6 | HIST 201 & 202 |
| World History: Modern | 3 | 3 | HIST 152 |
| World History: Modern | 4 | 6 | HIST 151 & 152 |
Source: AP credit policy
After college
Graduate within 6 years
62%
Come back for a second year
78%
Typical earnings
$56,674
a year, 10 years after starting here
- Ball State University$55,034
- All colleges$54,301
Median yearly earnings of graduates five years after finishing a bachelor's in this major. 46 majors here have earnings data.
Keep exploring
Figures marked Estimate are our estimates, not numbers the college published. Check each college's own site before you apply. SAT is a trademark of College Board, and ACT is a trademark of ACT, Inc. Sharp is not affiliated with either, or with Ball State University. The Ball State University logo is a trademark of the college.