U of A vs. IU

Deciding between University of Arizona and Indiana University Bloomington? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

University of Arizona
Indiana University Bloomington

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

  • Overview

  • Location
  • U of A Tucson, AZ
  • IU Bloomington, IN
  • Setting
  • U of A Large City
  • IU Small City
  • Total enrollment
  • U of A 56,365
  • IU 48,424
  • Type
  • U of A Public 4 Year
  • IU Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • U of A #292
  • IU #207
  • Religious Affiliation
  • U of A -
  • IU -
  • Status
  • U of A Non-profit
  • IU Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • U of A
  • IU
  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • U of A $13,926
  • IU $12,144
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • U of A $42,278
  • IU $41,891
  • Room & Board
  • U of A $16,746
  • IU $13,984
  • Average Net Price
  • U of A $19,055
  • IU $17,270
  • Average Grant Aid
  • U of A $13,776
  • IU $10,487
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • U of A 95%
  • IU 73%
  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • U of A 58,339
  • IU 67,658
  • Admitted
  • U of A 50,252
  • IU 52,918
  • Acceptance Rate
  • U of A 86.1%
  • IU 78.2%
  • Enrolled
  • U of A 18.4%
  • IU 18.2%
  • Typical SAT score
  • U of A 1290
  • IU 1290
  • Typical ACT score
  • U of A 25
  • IU 30
  • Average High School GPA
  • U of A 3.48
  • IU 3.74
  • Typical High School Grades
  • U of A B+
  • IU A-
  • Admissions Standards
  • U of A Difficult
  • IU Very High
  • Applicant Competition
  • U of A
  • IU
  • ACT Range
  • U of A 21/29
  • IU 27/33
  • SAT Range
  • U of A 1150/1420
  • IU 1170/1400
  • Submit Test Scores
  • U of A Test optional
  • IU Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • U of A
  • IU
  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • U of A 20:1
  • IU 18:1
  • Popular Majors
  • U of A
    • Business (16%)
    • Social Sciences (10%)
    • Biology (9%)
    • Psychology (7%)
    • Visual and Performing Arts (5%)
  • IU
    • Business (21%)
    • Communication (10%)
    • Social Sciences (8%)
    • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (8%)
    • Education (7%)
  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • U of A 61%
  • IU 72%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • U of A $54,000
  • IU $56,200
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • U of A 66%
  • IU 72%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • U of A $19,000
  • IU $22,500
  • Median Loan Payment
  • U of A $196
  • IU $232
  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • U of A 45%
  • IU 50%
  • % Women
  • U of A 55%
  • IU 50%
  • Racial Diversity
  • U of A High
  • IU Medium
  • HBCU
  • U of A No
  • IU No
  • % White
  • U of A 52%
  • IU 71%
  • % Asian
  • U of A 6%
  • IU 4%
  • % Black
  • U of A 4%
  • IU 4%
  • % Hispanic
  • U of A 25%
  • IU 5%
  • % Native American
  • U of A 1%
  • IU 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • U of A 0%
  • IU 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • U of A 4%
  • IU 4%
  • % International
  • U of A 6%
  • IU 11%
  • % Unknown Race
  • U of A 1%
  • IU 0%
  • Students

  • % In-State
  • U of A 50%
  • IU 55%
  • % Out-of-State
  • U of A 45%
  • IU 41%
  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • U of A Yes
  • IU Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • U of A No
  • IU No
  • Meal Plan
  • U of A Yes
  • IU Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • U of A Yes
  • IU No
  • Daycare Facility
  • U of A No
  • IU Yes

Comparable Facts

Compare University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ with Indiana University Bloomington in Bloomington, IN on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

University of Arizona is larger than IU based on total student enrollment (56,365 students vs. 48,424 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • University of Arizona is located in Tucson, AZ (Large City setting); Indiana University Bloomington is in Bloomington, IN (Small City setting).
  • University of Arizona is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. Indiana University Bloomington is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: University of Arizona 20:1; Indiana University Bloomington 18:1.

U of A vs. IU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, U of A or IU? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Indiana University Bloomington than U of A ($17,270 vs. $19,055).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Indiana University Bloomington are 16.5% lower than at University of Arizona ($13,984 vs. $16,746).
  • University of Arizona is 14.7% more expensive for in-state tuition than IU (about $1,782 more per year; $13,926.00 vs. $12,144.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 0.9% higher at U of A than at Indiana University Bloomington (about $387 more per year; $42,278.00 vs. $41,891.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at University of Arizona than at Indiana University Bloomington (95% vs. 73%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Arizona students is 31.4% larger than aid received by Indiana University Bloomington students ($13,776 vs. $10,487).

U of A vs. IU Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, U of A or IU? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between IU and U of A.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at University of Arizona (1290) is the same as at IU (1290).
  • Incoming IU students have a 5 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (30 vs. 25 at U of A).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: University of Arizona 1150/1420; Indiana University Bloomington 1170/1400.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: University of Arizona 21/29; Indiana University Bloomington 27/33.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: U of A - Test optional; IU - Test optional.
  • Accepted freshman IU students have a 0.26 point higher average high school GPA (3.74) than students at U of A (3.48).
  • U of A has a higher acceptance rate (86.1%) than IU (78.2%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 18.4% at U of A vs. 18.2% at IU.

U of A vs. IU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for U of A and IU? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • Indiana University Bloomington's six-year graduation rate (72%) is higher than University of Arizona's (61%).
  • Graduates from Indiana University Bloomington earn a median of about $2,200 more per year than U of A graduates about ten years after starting college ($56,200 vs. $54,000), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, University of Arizona graduates have a $3,500 lower median loan debt than IU graduates ($19,000 vs. $22,500).
  • Among borrowers, U of A graduates have an estimated $36 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than IU graduates ($196 vs. $232).
  • More IU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former U of A students, three years after graduation. (72% vs. 66%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.