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Ball State University
Academics

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How strong are the academics at Ball State University?

Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.

15:1
Student to faculty ratio
26
Average class size
51%
4-year grad rate

Class Sizes

Class sizes likely stayed the same for you through high school. You'll find that college is much different. Some of the largest universities have classes that can seat hundreds of students in giant lecture halls. Conversely, as they progress and their focus narrows, higher-level courses can sometimes have just a handful of students.

Ball State has an average student-to-faculty ratio of 15:1. The typical school is 14:1. While this ratio is important, what’s more important is how big a typical class is.

Class Sizes
2-9
216
10-19
747
20-29
598
30-39
219
40-49
103
50-99
107
100+
65

Honors Programs

Ball State University has an honors program and/or honors college. Specifics of these programs vary, but benefits of being in an Honors Program might include priority registration, being part of a tight-knit community, and accessing unique learning opportunities.

Learn more about honors options on Ball State's website.

Outcomes

It’s critical to understand a school’s outcomes to understand if your four (or more) years at the school will be worth it. Here are some key statistics about the outcomes of students who enroll at Ball State University:

77%
First-year retention rate
51%
4-year grad rate
63%
6-year grad rate

The average base annual salary of students who were employed within six months of graduation is $40,000. This is less than the national average of $48,300.

$40,000
$48,300 (National Average)

Majors

Many students choose a school largely based on the what they want to study. The are Ball State University's most popular majors, ranked by how many people graduated with the concentration in the most recent year:

Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
Psychology, General
Business/Commerce, General
Elementary Education and Teaching
Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse
140.2
151.96
163.72
175.48
187.24
199

The Full List

Major Graduates
Architecture And Related Services
  • Architecture 56
  • Landscape Architecture 21
  • City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning 10
  • Environmental Design/Architecture 1
  • Architectural and Building Sciences/Technology 0
Area
  • Women's Studies 2
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 131
Business
  • Business/Commerce, General 153
  • Marketing/Marketing Management, General 68
  • Accounting 55
  • Finance, General 54
  • Construction Management, General 48
  • Operations Management and Supervision 29
  • Fashion Merchandising 25
  • Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General 23
  • Selling Skills and Sales Operations 23
  • Management Information Systems, General 21
  • Management Science 19
  • Real Estate 12
  • Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies 10
  • Hospitality Administration/Management, General 10
  • Actuarial Science 8
  • International Business/Trade/Commerce 5
  • Insurance 2
Communication
  • Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia 143
  • Journalism 61
  • Speech Communication and Rhetoric 41
  • Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication 35
  • Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication 35
  • Advertising 28
Communications Technologies/Technicians And Support Services
  • Recording Arts Technology/Technician 9
  • Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, and Special Effects 0
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
  • Computer Science 52
  • Network and System Administration/Administrator 18
Education
  • Elementary Education and Teaching 151
  • Early Childhood Education and Teaching 37
  • Music Teacher Education 34
  • Social Studies Teacher Education 25
  • Education/Teaching of Individuals in Elementary Special Education Programs 21
  • English/Language Arts Teacher Education 20
  • Education/Teaching of Individuals with Multiple Disabilities 15
  • Mathematics Teacher Education 14
  • Art Teacher Education 9
  • Drama and Dance Teacher Education 8
  • Physical Education Teaching and Coaching 7
  • Biology Teacher Education 3
  • Spanish Language Teacher Education 3
  • Special Education and Teaching, General 2
  • Foreign Language Teacher Education 2
  • Chemistry Teacher Education 2
  • Education/Teaching of Individuals with Hearing Impairments Including Deafness 1
  • French Language Teacher Education 1
  • Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs 0
  • German Language Teacher Education 0
  • Physics Teacher Education 0
  • Latin Teacher Education 0
  • Earth Science Teacher Education 0
  • Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas, Other 0
Engineering
  • Pre-Engineering 0
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians
  • Computer Engineering Technology/Technician 6
English Language And Literature/Letters
  • English Language and Literature, General 45
Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
  • Family Systems 27
  • Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services, Other 1
Foreign Languages
  • French Language and Literature 6
  • Spanish Language and Literature 5
  • Japanese Language and Literature 4
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 4
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 4
  • German Language and Literature 1
Health Professions And Related Programs
  • Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse 150
  • Audiology/Audiologist and Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist 35
  • Health and Wellness, General 15
  • Pre-Medicine/Pre-Medical Studies 13
  • Dietetics/Dietitian 12
  • Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist 10
  • Audiology/Audiologist 8
  • Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology/Technologist 2
  • Pre-Dentistry Studies 1
  • Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Other 1
  • Pre-Pharmacy Studies 0
History
  • History, General 37
Homeland Security
  • Criminal Justice/Safety Studies 99
Legal Professions And Studies
  • Legal Professions and Studies, Other 29
Liberal Arts And Sciences
  • Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies 199
Mathematics And Statistics
  • Mathematics, General 4
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Data Analytics, General 2
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 2
Natural Resources And Conservation
  • Environmental Science 26
Parks
  • Exercise Science and Kinesiology 56
  • Sport and Fitness Administration/Management 34
  • Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management, General 2
Philosophy And Religious Studies
  • Philosophy 8
  • Religion/Religious Studies 2
Physical Sciences
  • Chemistry, General 16
  • Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, General 8
  • Geology/Earth Science, General 8
  • Physics, General 7
  • Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, Other 4
  • Astronomy 1
Psychology
  • Psychology, General 175
  • Applied Behavior Analysis 57
Public Administration And Social Service Professions
  • Social Work 60
Social Sciences
  • Anthropology, General 29
  • Political Science and Government, General 21
  • Economics, General 19
  • Sociology, General 16
  • Geography 13
  • Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 3
Visual And Performing Arts
  • Art/Art Studies, General 83
  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 70
  • Interior Design 28
  • Dance, General 13
  • Commercial and Advertising Art 9
  • Music Performance, General 9
  • Fashion/Apparel Design 7
  • Music Theory and Composition 3
  • Jazz/Jazz Studies 3
  • Music, General 2
  • Fine Arts and Art Studies, Other 0

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