BSU vs. KU

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

 BSU KU
Location Muncie, IN Lawrence, KS
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 19,777 26,708
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #547 #252
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website bsu.edu ku.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 BSU KU
Tuition (In State) $8,434 $10,092
Tuition (Out of State) $25,918 $26,960
Room & Board $10,904 $10,136
Avg Net Price $12,615 $18,950
Avg Grant Aid $11,418 $11,140
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 87%

Admission

 BSU KU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 22,859 16,204
Admitted 15,761 14,234
Acceptance Rate 68.9% 87.8%
Enrolled % 22.1% 31.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.52 3.66
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 23/28 21/28
SAT Range 1090/1260 1090/1340
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 15, 2024

Academics

 BSU KU
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (18%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Health Professions (7%)

Outcomes

 BSU KU
Graduation Rate 55% 61%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $42,500 $54,600
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $20,500
Median Loan Payment $258 $211

Diversity

 BSU KU
% Men 35% 45%
% Women 65% 55%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 81% 72%
% Black 8% 4%
% Hispanic 4% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 5%
% International 2% 6%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 BSU KU
% In-State 90% 58%
% Out-of-State 9% 39%

Campus

 BSU KU
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

  • University of Kansas is larger than than BSU based on total student enrollment (26,708 students vs. 19,777 students)

BSU vs. KU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, BSU or KU?

  • University of Kansas is 19.7% more expensive to attend than BSU for in-state tuition ($10,092.00 vs. $8,434.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 4% higher at KU than Ball State University ($26,960.00 vs. $25,918.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Ball State University than KU ($12,615 vs. $18,950)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Kansas are 7.6% lower than costs at Ball State University ($10,136 vs. $10,904)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Ball State University than University of Kansas (97% vs. 87%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Ball State University students is 2.5% larger than aid received University of Kansas ($11,418 vs. $11,140)

BSU vs. KU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Kansas (1145) is 75 points higher than at BSU (1070)
  • Incoming KU students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at BSU (22)
  • Accepted freshman KU students have a 0.14 point higher average high school GPA (3.66) than students at BSU (3.52)
  • KU has a higher acceptance rate (87.8%) than BSU (68.9%)

BSU vs. KU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at KU is higher than Ball State University (61% vs. 55%)
  • Graduates from University of Kansas earn on average $12,100 more per year than BSU graduates after ten years. ($54,600 vs. $42,500)
  • University of Kansas students graduate with a $4,500 lower median federal student loan debt than BSU graduates. ($20,500 vs. $25,000)
  • KU graduates are paying $47 less per month on federal student loans than BSU graduates. ($211 vs. $258)
  • More KU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former BSU students, three years after graduation. (66% vs. 63%)

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