Getting in
For Fall 2025, 22,193 first-year students applied to Ball State, 19,141 were admitted and 3,720 enrolled: an acceptance rate of 86.2%.
Source: Ball State Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C1. Read Oct 1, 2026.
By school or major. Ball State's Common Data Set reports one first-year acceptance rate for the whole university, with no rate by college or major.
Source: Ball State Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Early plans. Ball State has no early decision or early action plan; the Common Data Set answers no to both. Its December 1 date is a priority deadline for scholarships, not an early round.
Source: Ball State Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), sections C21 and C22. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Programs with extra requirements
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
You apply to Ball State, and most majors need nothing more. Some ask for more than the application:
- School of Music; Theatre and Dance; Sports Production (Sports Link); Radiography; B/MD Pathway; Architecture, Interior Design, Urban Planning and Environmental Design. Additional steps beyond the university application, such as an audition, a portfolio or an essay, depending on the major.
Source: Ball State Admissions, Admission Criteria for First-Time Freshmen (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Majors
94 majors across 7 schools. Every bachelor's degree major in Ball State's official 2026-2027 Undergraduate Catalog, grouped by the college that offers it, with the degree it leads to. Minors, certificates, licenses and associate degrees are left out.
Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning7
- Architecture (B.Arch.)
- Architecture (B.A. or B.S.)
- Construction Management (B.A. or B.S.)
- Environmental Design (B.A. or B.S.)
- Interior Design (B.A. or B.S.)
- Landscape Architecture (B.L.A.)
- Urban Planning and Development (B.U.P.D.)
Source: Ball State 2026-2027 Undergraduate Catalog, Programs of Study (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Miller College of Business17
- Accounting (B.A. or B.S.)
- Business Administration (B.A. or B.S.)
- Business Analytics and Information Systems (B.A. or B.S.)
- Business Information Systems (B.A. or B.S.)
- Economics (B.A. or B.S.)
- Entrepreneurship and Innovation (B.A. or B.S.)
- Fashion Industry Studies (B.A. or B.S.)
- Finance (B.A. or B.S.)
- Hospitality Innovation and Leadership (B.A. or B.S.)
- Human Resource Management (B.A. or B.S.)
- Logistics and Supply Chain Management (B.A. or B.S.)
- Management and Leadership (B.A. or B.S.)
- Marketing (B.A. or B.S.)
- Professional Selling (B.A. or B.S.)
- Property Management (B.A. or B.S.)
- Risk Management and Insurance (B.A. or B.S.)
- Business Education (teaching major) (B.A. or B.S.)
Source: Ball State 2026-2027 Undergraduate Catalog, Programs of Study (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
College of Communication, Information, and Media8
- Applied Cybersecurity (B.S.)
- Communication Studies (B.A. or B.S.)
- Computer and Information Technology (B.A. or B.S.)
- Journalism (B.A. or B.S.)
- Media (B.A. or B.S.)
- Media Design and Development (B.A. or B.S.)
- Strategic Communication (B.A. or B.S.)
- Journalism (teaching major) (B.A. or B.S.)
Source: Ball State 2026-2027 Undergraduate Catalog, Programs of Study (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
College of Fine Arts15
- Music Education (B.M.E.)
- Animation (B.F.A.)
- Art (B.A.)
- Dance (B.A. or B.S.)
- Dance (B.F.A.)
- Graphic Design (B.F.A.)
- Graphic Design Studies (B.S.)
- Music (B.A. or B.S.)
- Music Media Production (B.S.)
- Music Performance (B.M.)
- Studio Art (B.F.A.)
- Theatre (B.A. or B.S.)
- Theatre (B.F.A.)
- Art Education (teaching major) (B.A. or B.S.)
- Theatre (teaching major) (B.A. or B.S.)
Source: Ball State 2026-2027 Undergraduate Catalog, Programs of Study (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
College of Health9
- Communication Sciences and Disorders (B.S.)
- Dietetics (B.S.)
- Exercise Science (B.A. or B.S.)
- Nursing (B.S.)
- Public Health (B.S.)
- Respiratory Therapy (B.S.)
- Social Work (B.S.W.)
- Sport Administration (B.A. or B.S.)
- Physical Education and Health (teaching major) (B.A. or B.S.)
Source: Ball State 2026-2027 Undergraduate Catalog, Programs of Study (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
College of Sciences and Humanities30
- General Studies (B.G.S.)
- Actuarial Science (B.S.)
- Anthropology (B.A. or B.S.)
- Astronomy (B.A. or B.S.)
- Biochemistry (B.A. or B.S.)
- Biology (B.A. or B.S.)
- Biomedical Science (B.A. or B.S.)
- Chemistry (B.A. or B.S.)
- Computer Science (B.A. or B.S.)
- Criminal Justice and Criminology (B.A. or B.S.)
- Data Analytics (B.S.)
- English (B.A.)
- Environmental Geoscience (B.A. or B.S.)
- Forensic Science (B.S.)
- Geography (B.A. or B.S.)
- History (B.A. or B.S.)
- Legal Studies (B.A. or B.S.)
- Mathematical Sciences (B.A. or B.S.)
- Meteorology and Climatology (B.A. or B.S.)
- Modern Languages (B.A.)
- Natural Resources and Environmental Management (B.A. or B.S.)
- Physics (B.A. or B.S.)
- Political Science (B.A. or B.S.)
- Pre-Engineering (B.A. or B.S.)
- Psychological Science (B.A. or B.S.)
- Sociology (B.A. or B.S.)
- English/Language Arts (teaching major) (B.A. or B.S.)
- Modern Languages (teaching major) (B.A. or B.S.)
- Science (teaching major) (B.A. or B.S.)
- Social Studies (teaching major) (B.A. or B.S.)
Source: Ball State 2026-2027 Undergraduate Catalog, Programs of Study (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Teachers College8
- Early Childhood and Early Childhood Special Education (dual major) (B.A. or B.S.)
- Elementary Education, Special Education, Exceptional Needs (dual major) (B.A. or B.S.)
- Applied Behavior Analysis with an Emphasis in Autism (B.A. or B.S.)
- Early Childhood Education (Pre-K Only Track, No License) (B.A. or B.S.)
- Family and Child (B.A. or B.S.)
- Early Childhood Education (Birth-Grade 3) (teaching major) (B.A. or B.S.)
- Elementary Education (Grades K-6) (teaching major) (B.A. or B.S.)
- Special Education: Exceptional Needs P-12 (teaching major)
Source: Ball State 2026-2027 Undergraduate Catalog, Programs of Study (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Deadlines for Fall 2027
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
| Plan | Apply by | Decision | Binding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Priority deadline, fullest scholarship consideration | December 1 | not published | No |
| Priority deadline | March 1 | not published | No |
Ball State reviews applications on a rolling basis and decides once your materials are in; it publishes no decision dates. After a priority deadline, applications are considered as space allows, and everything must arrive at least two weeks before classes start. The Honors College priority deadline is November 15. The enrollment confirmation deadline is May 1.
Source: Ball State Admissions, Dates and Deadlines (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Testing
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
Ball State is test-optional: you decide whether to send SAT, ACT or CLT scores. If you send them, it superscores, using your best scores.
Source: Ball State Admissions, Admission Criteria for First-Time Freshmen (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
The Common Data Set also marks the SAT or ACT as not required for admission, but considered if submitted, for fall 2027 applicants, with scores due by August 1.
Source: Ball State Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C8. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Applying next year?
For students applying in fall 2027, entering fall 2028
Not announced yet. When we checked Ball State's admission pages on October 1, 2026, we found no announced changes for fall 2028 entry. The deadlines and rules above are for fall 2027 entry.
Source: Ball State Admissions, Admission Criteria for First-Time Freshmen (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Cost, and what families paid after aid
The published cost of a year at Ball State, 2026-2027:
| Item | In-state | Out-of-state |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $8,948 | $27,496 |
| Required fees | $2,134 | $2,134 |
| Food and housing (on campus) | $12,832 | $12,832 |
| Books and supplies | $782 | $782 |
| Transportation | $436 | $436 |
| Other expenses | $2,366 | $2,366 |
| Total | $27,498 | $46,046 |
For a full-time undergraduate living on campus, fall and spring.
Source: Ball State Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), sections G1 and G5. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Average net price per year, by family income, 2023-24:
| Family income | Paid after grants |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $7,834 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $9,848 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $14,333 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $19,567 |
| Over $110,000 | $23,479 |
| All incomes | $14,940 |
What first-year, full-time, in-state students who received federal aid paid after grants and scholarships, by family income, in 2023-24, the latest year the Department of Education publishes. Your own price comes from Ball State's aid offer.
Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Similar schools
Chosen for how close each is to Ball State University on acceptance rate, public or private, location and majors offered.
Illinois State UniversityNormal, IL · Public85.5% admitted$19,398 average net price
Wayne State UniversityDetroit, MI · Public83.6% admitted$12,766 average net price
Michigan Technological UniversityHoughton, MI · Public85.5% admitted$14,182 average net price
Western Michigan UniversityKalamazoo, MI · Public85.3% admitted$15,273 average net price
University of CincinnatiCincinnati, OH · Public88% admitted$25,648 average net price
Admitted: each school's latest first-year acceptance rate, so the year can differ from school to school; each school's page names its year and source. Average net price: what federal aid recipients paid per year after grants, 2023-24, and the in-state figure for a public university.