BSU vs. UM-Dearborn

Should I go to Ball State University or University of Michigan Dearborn? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if BSU or UM-Dearborn 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 Michigan Dearborn comparison
Ball State University University of Michigan Dearborn College 3 College 4
Ball State University University of Michigan Dearborn
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Overview

 BSU UM-Dearborn
Location Muncie, IN Dearborn, MI
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 20,440 8,035
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #515 #405
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website bsu.edu umich.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 BSU UM-Dearborn
Tuition (In State) $8,688 $14,544
Tuition (Out of State) $26,696 $30,960
Room & Board $12,064 $10,803
Avg Net Price $13,017 $12,798
Avg Grant Aid $13,046 $9,552
% Receiving Grant Aid 75% 96%

Admission

 BSU UM-Dearborn
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 28,668 12,373
Admitted 20,525 7,254
Acceptance Rate 71.6% 58.6%
Enrolled % 18.6% 15.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.52 3.66
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Challenging
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 25/30 23/30
SAT Range 1080/1250 990/1260
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 Apr 1, 2026

Academics

 BSU UM-Dearborn
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (18%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Biology (8%)

Outcomes

 BSU UM-Dearborn
Graduation Rate 55% 49%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $42,500 $52,800
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 46%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $25,750
Median Loan Payment $258 $266

Diversity

 BSU UM-Dearborn
% Men 6% 15%
% Women 21% 9%
Racial Diversity Very Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 81% 69%
% Black 8% 9%
% Hispanic 4% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 2% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 3%

Students

 BSU UM-Dearborn
% In-State 90% 93%
% Out-of-State 9% 3%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Ball State University is larger than than UM-Dearborn based on total student enrollment (20,440 students vs. 8,035 students)

BSU vs. UM-Dearborn Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, BSU or UM-Dearborn?

  • University of Michigan Dearborn is 67.4% more expensive to attend than BSU for in-state tuition ($14,544.00 vs. $8,688.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 16% higher at UM-Dearborn than Ball State University ($30,960.00 vs. $26,696.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Michigan Dearborn than BSU ($12,798 vs. $13,017)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Michigan Dearborn are 11.7% lower than costs at Ball State University ($10,803 vs. $12,064)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Michigan Dearborn than Ball State University (96% vs. 75%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Ball State University students is 36.6% larger than aid received University of Michigan Dearborn ($13,046 vs. $9,552)

BSU vs. UM-Dearborn Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Michigan Dearborn (1105) is 35 points higher than at BSU (1070)
  • Incoming UM-Dearborn students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at BSU (22)
  • Accepted freshman UM-Dearborn students have a 0.14 point higher average high school GPA (3.66) than students at BSU (3.52)
  • BSU has a higher acceptance rate (71.6%) than UM-Dearborn (58.6%)

BSU vs. UM-Dearborn Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, BSU or UM-Dearborn? 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 UM-Dearborn and BSU.

  • The graduation rate at BSU is higher than University of Michigan Dearborn (55% vs. 49%)
  • Graduates from University of Michigan Dearborn earn on average $10,300 more per year than BSU graduates after ten years. ($52,800 vs. $42,500)
  • Ball State University students graduate with a $750 lower median federal student loan debt than UM-Dearborn graduates. ($25,000 vs. $25,750)
  • BSU graduates are paying $8 less per month on federal student loans than UM-Dearborn graduates. ($258 vs. $266)
  • More BSU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UM-Dearborn students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 46%)

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