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#4 Best Public Universities in Indiana

BSU Tuition & Cost

Muncie, Indiana

 5 Reviews

How much does it cost to attend?

In State Indiana Resident Sticker Price

$26,734
In State Costs for Ball State University
Fee Cost
Tuition$8,688
Other Fees$2,070
Books and Supplies$1,360
Room and Board $12,064
Other Expenses Budget$2,552

Out of State Resident Sticker Price

$44,742
Out of State Costs for Ball State University
Fee Cost
Tuition$26,696
Other Fees$2,070
Books and Supplies$1,360
Room and Board $12,064
Other Expenses Budget$2,552

In-State Tuition

In-state tuition at Ball State University for undergraduate students residing in Indiana is $8,688. Room and board charges total $12,064 per year. Students will also need to budget for books and supplies, which typically amount to $1,360 annually. Other administrative or academic fees are $2,070 for the year. Additionally, students should plan an estimated $2,552 for other miscellaneous expenses throughout the year. In sum, residents attending Ball State University full time should expect a total annual cost of $26,734.

Out-of-State Tuition

Undergraduate tuition at Ball State University is $26,696 for out-of-state students. Additionally, out-of-state students are charged $12,064 for room and board, $1,360 for textbooks and educational resources, plus fees of $2,070. Students are advised to budget $2,552 for other expenses. When these costs are combined, annual out-of-state charges total $44,742. This figure is 67.4% higher than what Indiana residents pay.

Housing Costs

On campus room and board is provided by the school at a cost of $12,064 per academic year. Students electing to live off campus elsewhere in Muncie should budget at least this amount.

Books and Supplies

The estimated annual cost for books and educational supplies is $1,360.

Other Living Expenses

If living on-campus, students should budget for $2,552 in additional living expenses. Off-campus students should budget for $2,552 in other miscellaneous living expenses.

All price data is sourced from the 2023/2024 U.S. Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics survey.
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Net Price

The average reported annual net price for Ball State University for students receiving grants or scholarship aid was $13,017* in 2019/2020. Net price includes tuition and required fees, books and supplies, and average cost for room and board and other expenses.

Average Net Price 2022/2023

$13,017

Below is the average net price by student family income.

Net Price by Income Ball State University
Family Income Net Price Paid
$0 to $30,000$7,233
$30,001 to $48,000$9,717
$48,001 to $75,000$14,882
$75,001 to $110,000$19,748
$110,000+$21,756

The net price provides a more realistic estimate of the true cost of attending Ball State University, once common grants and scholarships have been taken into account. It's important to note that your net price will fluctuate based on factors such as family income, assets and individual financial need. Net price is the out-of-pocket total cost that students end up paying or financing though student loans.

*Reported Average Annual Net Price for students receiving grant or scholarship aid reported to the U.S. Department of Education's Academic Year 2022/2023 IPEDS Survey. Financial aid is only available to those who qualify. Consult this school's net price calculator for further understanding of your potential net price.

Note that for colleges with no reported on-campus room and board, the average net price has been increased to account for living expenses. This number may not only reflect the net price paid to the school for tuition.

Financial Aid

75% of full-time undergrad Ball State University received financial aid in the form of grants, scholarships, fellowships from the institution or from Federal, State or local government agencies. This aid averaged $13,046 per student during the 2019/2020 school year. Grant and scholarship aid does not need to be paid back.

Pell Grants

39 percent of students received aid in the form of Pell Grants from the U.S. Federal Government. The average Pell Grant awarded for 2019/2020 was $5,691. To apply for a Pell Grant to attend Ball State University, the first step is to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Student Loans

90% of students received Federal Student Loans averaging $5,338 and 11% of undergrads took out private student loans averaging $14,736.

Finanical Aid Ball State University
Type Avg./Student Students Receiving
Total Grant and Scholarship Aid $13,046 75%
Institutional Grants and Scholarships $7,875 57%
Pell Grants $5,691 39%
Other Federal Grants $514 18%
State and Local Grants $7,642 40%
Federal Student Loans $5,338 90%
Other Student Loans $14,736 11%

Financial Aid Mix - $26,734 In-State Total Cost

CollegeSimply has modeled example payment coverage for the annual in-state tuition and living expenses of $26,734. Breakdown is based on average grant aid and federal loan aid which will vary based on your family income.

54%
22%
24%

Grants and Scholarships

54% - $13,046

Money granted to you by the U.S. Department of Education, Ball State University or other organizations. These are not loans and do not need to be repaid.

Federal Student Loans

22% - $5,338

Low interest student loans funded by the U.S. Department of Education. This amount will need to be repaid.

Out of Pocket Cost

24% -  $5,798

Covered by family savings, work or private student loans which you will have to repay.

Student Loans

To gauge a more realistic picture of what it really could cost you out of pocket to go to Ball State University, we've modeled a ten year student loan with an original principal value of $52,068. The loan balance of $52,068 is a four year multiple of the $13,017 average net price. This is a estimate of what you could owe upon graduation if you were to qualify for average financial aid and what a degree really may cost. Should you not qualify for financial aid, you may owe significantly more when you graduate. Based on these assumptions, a monthly repayment of $592 could be required to pay off your student loan. The total of all payments including interest would sum $71,042.00.

Please note that financial aid is not guaranteed and is only available for qualifying students. Federal Student Loans are not grants and must be repaid with interest. The current Stafford loan interest rate is 6.53%.

Example Loan $52,068
Stafford Loan Interest Rate 6.53%
Time to Pay Off Student Loan 10 years
Example Monthly Payment $592.02
Total Interest Paid $18,974.00
Sum of All Loan Payments $71,042.00

Student Loan Affordability

In order to afford student loan payments and still meet all your other costs of living, it is recommended not to borrow more than you can pay back using 10% of your monthly income earned after graduation. If you're considering attending Ball State University, should consider if it will be realistic to make the post graduation loan payments based on your expected salary.

Using the 10% of salary threshold, an annual income of $71,042.00 would be needed to afford a $592.02 monthly payment in the example $52,068.00 loan modeled above. This assumes a repayment over 10 years. You can change the terms of this example loan using the student loan calculator below. View statistics about Ball State University student loan debt and graduate salaries under student outcomes.

Projected 4 Year Degree Price

4 Year Sticker Price

$106,936
Year Indiana Residents Non Residents
1 $26,734 $44,742
2 $28,605 $47,874
3 $30,608 $51,225
4 $32,750 $54,811

Based on published tuition prices, we estimate the current cost of a 4 year bachelor's degree and living expenses at Ball State University to be $106,936 - assuming graduation in normal time. The estimation assumes a 7% annual increase over the next 4 years which is the national trend.

Credit Hour Cost and Price per Class

Credit Hour and Class Costs at Ball State University
Price Per Credit 3 Credit Class 4 Credit Class
Indiana Residents $336 $1,008 $1,344
Out of State Residents $1,118 $3,354 $4,472

Estimated cost for a class at Ball State University based on published credit hour prices. Note that not all schools allow single class enrollment. These prices should be used for comparison purposes as to how much it may cost to take a class at Ball State University versus other colleges.

Tuition Payment Plans Available

Ball State University Payment Plans
Tuition Payment Plan Yes
Prepaid Tuition Plan No
Alternative Tuition Plan Yes
Guaranteed Tuition Plan No

Tuition History

Historical in-state and out-of-state tuition and price increases for Ball State University.

YearIn-StateOut-of-stateAnnual Increase
2023$8,688$26,696 3%
2022$8,434$25,918 -12.4%
2021$9,628$26,862 1.5%
2020$9,482$26,470 1.3%
2019$9,358$26,138 1.3%
2018$9,234$25,806 1.3%
2017$9,112$25,280 1.3%
2016$8,992$24,766 1.8%
2015$8,836$24,354 1.8%
2014$8,682$23,948 2.2%
2013$8,498$23,462 7.4%
2012$7,912$21,892 5.4%
2011$7,508$20,960 -4.1%
2010$7,830$20,398 4.4%
2009$7,500$19,304 4%
2008$7,212$18,280 5.9%
2007$6,810$17,186 5.5%
2006$6,458$16,218 13.9%
2005$5,672$15,132 15.1%
2004$4,930$13,348 4.9%
2003$4,700$12,480 16.5%
2002$4,034$10,910 5.3%
2001$3,830$10,290 3.9%
2000$3,686$9,846 6.7%
1999$3,454$9,316 4.2%
1998$3,316$8,872 4%
1997$3,188$8,448 4.6%
1996$3,048$7,824 6.4%
1995$2,864$7,244 7.8%
1994$2,656$6,584 7.8%
1993$2,464$5,872 8.1%
1992$2,280$5,360 8.1%
1991$2,110$4,870 5.9%
1990$1,992$4,590 6.2%
1989$1,876$4,320 218.5%
1988$589$1,344

Is it Worth the Cost?

To make a comparative assessment if BSU is worth the price, measures of it's relative value for tuition dollar can be examined. We've calculated an academic national percentile rating of 54.16/100 for Ball State University. Considering an average net price paid of $13,017, this leads to an overall value ranking of 59/100. This places the school 264th on our national Best Value Colleges ranking as a provider of a very high value education compared to actual overall price paid.

College Savings Calculator

Plan and Save for College

Discover how much will you need to start saving now to afford Ball State University in the future.

Student Loan Calculator

Estimate Loan Payments

Modify the loan assumptions to fit your financial situation and likely tuition price. Then calculate your payoff and loan payments for a Ball State University student loan.

Prepayment Option

Costs for Similar Colleges 

Explore costs at colleges similar to BSU

Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=150136 IPEDS survey data for Ball State University.

Last updated February 24, 2025