BSU vs. Bluefield State College

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

 BSU Bluefield State College
Location Muncie, IN Bluefield, WV
Setting Small City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 19,777 1,306
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #547 #986
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website bsu.edu bluefieldstate.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 BSU Bluefield State College
Tuition (In State) $8,434 $8,840
Tuition (Out of State) $25,918 $16,030
Room & Board $10,904 $10,200
Avg Net Price $12,615 $11,759
Avg Grant Aid $11,418 $10,160
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 96%

Admission

 BSU Bluefield State College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 22,859 813
Admitted 15,761 790
Acceptance Rate 68.9% 97.2%
Enrolled % 22.1% 33.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.52 3.41
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 23/28 17/22
SAT Range 1090/1260 870/1080
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, 2024

Academics

 BSU Bluefield State College
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (18%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Health Professions (29%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (16%)
  • Engineering Technology (16%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Education (9%)

Outcomes

 BSU Bluefield State College
Graduation Rate 55% 22%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $42,500 $31,800
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 30%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $19,000
Median Loan Payment $258 $196

Diversity

 BSU Bluefield State College
% Men 35% 40%
% Women 65% 60%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very Low
HBCU No Yes
% White 81% 85%
% Black 8% 9%
% Hispanic 4% 1%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 1%
% International 2% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 BSU Bluefield State College
% In-State 90% 54%
% Out-of-State 9% 46%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Ball State University is larger than than Bluefield State College based on total student enrollment (19,777 students vs. 1,306 students)

BSU vs. Bluefield State College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, BSU or Bluefield State College?

  • Bluefield State College is 4.8% more expensive to attend than BSU for in-state tuition ($8,840.00 vs. $8,434.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 61.7% higher at BSU than Bluefield State College ($25,918.00 vs. $16,030.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Bluefield State College than BSU ($11,759 vs. $12,615)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Bluefield State College are 6.9% lower than costs at Ball State University ($10,200 vs. $10,904)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Ball State University than Bluefield State College (97% vs. 96%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Ball State University students is 12.4% larger than aid received Bluefield State College ($11,418 vs. $10,160)

BSU vs. Bluefield State College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Ball State University (1070) is 136 points higher than at Bluefield State College (934)
  • Incoming BSU students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at Bluefield State College (20)
  • Accepted freshman BSU students have a 0.11 point higher average high school GPA (3.52) than students at Bluefield State College (3.41)
  • Bluefield State College has a higher acceptance rate (97.2%) than BSU (68.9%)

BSU vs. Bluefield State College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, BSU or Bluefield State College? 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 Bluefield State College and BSU.

  • The graduation rate at BSU is higher than Bluefield State College (55% vs. 22%)
  • Graduates from Ball State University earn on average $10,700 more per year than Bluefield State College graduates after ten years. ($42,500 vs. $31,800)
  • Bluefield State College students graduate with a $6,000 lower median federal student loan debt than BSU graduates. ($19,000 vs. $25,000)
  • Bluefield State College graduates are paying $62 less per month on federal student loans than BSU graduates. ($196 vs. $258)
  • More BSU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Bluefield State College students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 30%)

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