BSU vs. Iowa

Should I go to Ball State University or University of Iowa? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if BSU or Iowa is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Ball State University vs. University of Iowa comparison
Ball State University University of Iowa College 3 College 4
Ball State University University of Iowa
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Overview

 BSU Iowa
Location Muncie, IN Iowa City, IA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 20,440 30,042
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #515 #225
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website bsu.edu uiowa.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 BSU Iowa
Tuition (In State) $8,688 $9,016
Tuition (Out of State) $26,696 $30,979
Room & Board $12,064 $12,616
Avg Net Price $13,017 $20,121
Avg Grant Aid $13,046 $9,512
% Receiving Grant Aid 75% 74%

Admission

 BSU Iowa
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 28,668 25,682
Admitted 20,525 21,746
Acceptance Rate 71.6% 84.7%
Enrolled % 18.6% 23.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.52 3.81
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Challenging Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 25/30 22/28
SAT Range 1080/1250 1130/1320
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline May 1, 2026

Academics

 BSU Iowa
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (18%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Communication (8%)

Outcomes

 BSU Iowa
Graduation Rate 55% 71%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $42,500 $59,800
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 70%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $21,616
Median Loan Payment $258 $223

Diversity

 BSU Iowa
% Men 6% 12%
% Women 21% 14%
Racial Diversity Very Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 81% 67%
% Black 8% 3%
% Hispanic 4% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 2% 12%
% Unknown Race 1% 4%

Students

 BSU Iowa
% In-State 90% 52%
% Out-of-State 9% 46%

Campus

 BSU Iowa
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of Iowa is larger than than BSU based on total student enrollment (30,042 students vs. 20,440 students)

BSU vs. Iowa Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, BSU or Iowa?

  • University of Iowa is 3.8% more expensive to attend than BSU for in-state tuition ($9,016.00 vs. $8,688.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 16% higher at Iowa than Ball State University ($30,979.00 vs. $26,696.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Ball State University than Iowa ($13,017 vs. $20,121)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Ball State University are 4.6% lower than costs at University of Iowa ($12,064 vs. $12,616)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Ball State University than University of Iowa (75% vs. 74%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Ball State University students is 37.2% larger than aid received University of Iowa ($13,046 vs. $9,512)

BSU vs. Iowa Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, BSU or Iowa? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Iowa or BSU .

  • The average SAT score at University of Iowa (1164) is 94 points higher than at BSU (1070)
  • Incoming Iowa students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at BSU (22)
  • Accepted freshman Iowa students have a 0.29 point higher average high school GPA (3.81) than students at BSU (3.52)
  • Iowa has a higher acceptance rate (84.7%) than BSU (71.6%)

BSU vs. Iowa Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, BSU or Iowa? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Iowa and BSU.

  • The graduation rate at Iowa is higher than Ball State University (71% vs. 55%)
  • Graduates from University of Iowa earn on average $17,300 more per year than BSU graduates after ten years. ($59,800 vs. $42,500)
  • University of Iowa students graduate with a $3,384 lower median federal student loan debt than BSU graduates. ($21,616 vs. $25,000)
  • Iowa graduates are paying $35 less per month on federal student loans than BSU graduates. ($223 vs. $258)
  • More Iowa graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former BSU students, three years after graduation. (70% vs. 63%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/