Ball State University is a selective, state-assisted doctoral institution located in Muncie, Indiana, a midsized Midwestern city one hour northeast of Indianapolis. Our vibrant campus is home to thousands of undergraduate and graduate students from across the country and abroad.
Ball State is redefining education by providing relevant, immersive learning experiences that engage high-caliber students in intense interdisciplinary projects both in and out of the classroom. Our expert, collaborative faculty mentor students and encourage innovation and creativity in education.
Our nationally recognized academic programs and cutting-edge technology resources prepare students for productive careers and leadership in many specialized fields. At the same time, our community projects across the state help spur economic development and advance the quality of life in Indiana.
At the heart of Ball State’s educational experience is immersive learning. Through intense, collaborative, hands-on projects, teams of students from diverse majors work closely with faculty mentors and community partners to produce a tangible outcome or product-—such as a film, business plan, product design, or exhibit. These real-world, student-driven experiences in every college on campus sharpen teamwork and communication skills, connect students with industry professionals, and give graduates an advantage in the job market.
TRADITION+INNOVATION
Total on- and off-campus enrollment exceeds 22,000 students, with about 1,250 enrolled in the Honors College. Ball State has about 650 international students on campus. Ball State’s average class size is 31 students, and the student-to-faculty ratio is 18 to 1.
Ball State’s academic offerings include 170 bachelor’s degree programs, 94 master’s programs, 17 doctoral programs, seven associate programs, and two specialist programs in seven colleges:
• Applied Sciences and Technology
• Architecture and Planning
• Communication, Information, and Media
• Fine Arts
• Miller College of Business
• Sciences and Humanities
• Teachers College
Founded in 1918, Ball State is ranked a doctoral/research-intensive institution by the Carnegie Foundation and is fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
Ball State is one of the area’s largest employers, with more than 2,800 full-time faculty, staff, and service employees, including 940 full-time faculty members. The university offers competitive salaries, wages, and benefits as well as training and professional development opportunities, fee remission programs for university courses, health and wellness programs, and advancement potential.
Our 660-acre campus includes 104 academic, administrative, auxiliary, and residential buildings, plus about 400 acres of research property. Technology resources include a campuswide high-speed wireless network and about 200 computer labs. About 95 percent of students have their own computers.
RANKINGS+RECOGNITIONS
Ball State University’s programs and students have earned numerous national rankings and recognitions. Here is a sampling.
Quality: The Princeton Review has named Ball State one of the best universities in the Midwest the past six years.
Tops for Innovation: U.S. News & World Report ranked Ball State in the top 20 on its “Up and Comers” list.
Emerging Media: Ball State has won two Campus Technology Innovator Awards for emerging media initiatives.
Mobile Media: Ball State was named Academic Institution of the Year by the Mobile Marketing Association for mobile communications, product development, research, and education and placed second behind Harvard in AT&T’s Big Mobile on Campus Challenge.
Digital Design: Architect magazine ranked Ball State among the nation’s top three schools in digital design and fabrication and the top six committed to social justice.
Green Campus: Ball State is listed as one of the nation’s top environmentally responsible universities by Kiwi magazine, The Princeton Review, and the National Wildlife Federation. Ball State is building the nation’s largest closed geothermal energy system.
Campus Diversity: For two years in a row, Minority Access recognized Ball State as a university committed to diversity.
Nationally Ranked or Recognized Academic Programs: Undergraduate and graduate programs that have achieved recent national rankings and/or awards include.
• Accounting
• Architecture
• Business administration
• Educational leadership
• Elementary education
• Entrepreneurship
• Finance
• Information and communication sciences
• Journalism
• Landscape architecture
• Music
• Nursing
• Professional selling
• Risk management and insurance
• Telecommunications
• Theatre and dance
• Urban planning