BSU vs. WSU

Should I go to Ball State University or Wayne State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if BSU or WSU 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. Wayne State University comparison
Ball State University Wayne State University College 3 College 4
Ball State University Wayne State University
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Overview

BSU WSU
Location Muncie, IN Detroit, MI
Setting Small City Large City
Enrollment 20,440 23,553
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #515 #580
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website bsu.edu wayne.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

BSU WSU
Tuition (In State) $8,688 $12,493
Tuition (Out of State) $26,696 $28,615
Room & Board $12,064 $11,762
Avg Net Price $13,017 $16,021
Avg Grant Aid $13,046 $10,862
% Receiving Grant Aid 75% 95%

Admission

BSU WSU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 28,668 15,190
Admitted 20,525 12,461
Acceptance Rate 71.6% 82%
Enrolled % 18.6% 24%
Avg High School GPA 3.52 3.42
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 25/30 21/28
SAT Range 1080/1250 1040/1260
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 Aug 1, 2026

Academics

BSU WSU
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (18%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Biology (7%)

Outcomes

BSU WSU
Graduation Rate 55% 26%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $42,500 $51,000
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 38%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $22,258
Median Loan Payment $258 $230

Diversity

BSU WSU
% Men 6% 12%
% Women 21% 19%
Racial Diversity Very Low High
HBCU No No
% White 81% 57%
% Black 8% 19%
% Hispanic 4% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 2% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 5%

Students

BSU WSU
% In-State 90% 95%
% Out-of-State 9% 2%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Wayne State University is larger than than BSU based on total student enrollment (23,553 students vs. 20,440 students)

BSU vs. WSU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, BSU or WSU?

  • Wayne State University is 43.8% more expensive to attend than BSU for in-state tuition ($12,493.00 vs. $8,688.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 7.2% higher at WSU than Ball State University ($28,615.00 vs. $26,696.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Ball State University than WSU ($13,017 vs. $16,021)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Wayne State University are 2.6% lower than costs at Ball State University ($11,762 vs. $12,064)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Wayne State University than Ball State University (95% vs. 75%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Ball State University students is 20.1% larger than aid received Wayne State University ($13,046 vs. $10,862)

BSU vs. WSU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Ball State University (1070) is the same at WSU (1070)
  • Incoming WSU students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at BSU (22)
  • Accepted freshman BSU students have a 0.1 point higher average high school GPA (3.52) than students at WSU (3.42)
  • WSU has a higher acceptance rate (82%) than BSU (71.6%)

BSU vs. WSU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, BSU or WSU? 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 WSU and BSU.

  • The graduation rate at BSU is higher than Wayne State University (55% vs. 26%)
  • Graduates from Wayne State University earn on average $8,500 more per year than BSU graduates after ten years. ($51,000 vs. $42,500)
  • Wayne State University students graduate with a $2,742 lower median federal student loan debt than BSU graduates. ($22,258 vs. $25,000)
  • WSU graduates are paying $28 less per month on federal student loans than BSU graduates. ($230 vs. $258)
  • More BSU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former WSU students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 38%)

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