Discover Ball State

Ball State's 103-year tradition of innovation and distinction began with the generosity of the five Ball brothers, local industrialists who produced the famous Ball canning jars. To help fill Indiana’s need for more and better teachers, they bought the property of a defunct school in Muncie and gave it to the state. What was founded as a small teacher training college in 1918 is now a comprehensive, world-class university.

We embrace the Ball family's legacy symbolized by the iconic Beneficence statue on our campus—the enduring values of excellence, innovation, courage, integrity, inclusiveness, social responsibility, and gratitude. These values will guide us for the next century.

We Fly

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We Fly with Our Inspiring Experience

Ball State is committed to your bright future. Our vibrant campus, welcoming culture, engaged professors, and focus on innovation and collaboration make us the perfect place to continue your educational journey. You belong here. We will inspire you to find your passion and purpose and propel you to a fulfilling career and a meaningful life. As Cardinals, We Fly.

We Fly with
Innovative Degrees

Ball State offers 110 majors and 12 preprofessional options in seven colleges. Our academic programs give you access to professional experiences and advanced technology from day one, and your degree will be valued by employers. In fact, 90% of our students quickly find jobs or get into graduate schools.

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90% career placement of new graduates

21,597 2020–21 Enrollment

Top 40 Best first-year experiences —U.S. News & World Report

We Fly with Immersive Learning

Our unique immersive learning opportunities at Ball State help you apply what you learn in classes and build relevant skills, practical experience, and valuable connections for your career and life after graduation. Student-led teams work with faculty mentors and actual clients to solve problems for communities, businesses, and organizations in Indiana and beyond. These hands-on, real-world projects produce tangible results, educating students while serving our neighbors. You will make a difference in the world and gain a distinctive advantage in the job market.

Schools Within the Context of Community
The Broken Plate
Ball State at the Games
Prism Project
Maplewood Mansion Learning Lab
Maring-Hunt Community Garden

We Fly with Real-World Research

Whatever your major, you will work on important research alongside Ball State professors and other students. Several faculty projects are funded by federal agencies, including the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and NASA. You can pursue your own faculty-mentored projects and present them at our Student Symposium, where you can compete for cash prizes. In the lab and field, we have the curiosity, courage, determination, and dedication to shape the future.

Nature Research in Outdoor Labs

Professor and students working in the river

Nature Research in Outdoor Labs

Science students research natural resources, ecosystems, biodiversity, and environmental issues in outdoor laboratories on and off campus. Our Field Station and Environmental Education Center has six properties featuring forests, meadows, tallgrass prairies, wetlands, and agricultural land. The 17-acre Christy Woods in the heart of Ball State’s campus emphasizes native plants and native ecosystems of Indiana. Classes and research groups also use local rivers and Lake Michigan for aquatic and fish studies.

Students observing archaeological artifacts

Archaeology on a Buried Battlefield

Our students have been in the trenches helping researchers unearth artifacts and history from an 18th-century battlefield in Ohio since 2010. Federally funded projects through Ball State’s Applied Anthropology Laboratories are providing new insights about the 787-acre site of Fort Recovery and its role in the war for control of America’s early frontier. Students have assisted with excavations and created a documentary, exhibits, and interpretive signs for the site. Today, a team from Ball State is designing a traveling exhibit for Native American communities.

Student working in a lab

Summer Chemistry Research Immersion

Starting in their first year, our chemistry students gain extensive lab experience through a unique Summer program that is one of the nation’s largest of its kind for undergraduates. The Chemistry Research Immersion Summer Program (CRISP) enrolls more than 30 students annually, providing a valuable opportunity to work daily on original research projects with peers and a faculty mentor for 10 weeks. The students build high-end technical skills using sophisticated equipment, and they learn how to present their discoveries to others.

Professor working in a lab with students

Beating Deadly Infections

Pioneering research by biology professor Susan McDowell and her students could offer doctors a new weapon for fighting deadly bacteria that resist antibiotics. The team worked with the University of New Mexico’s Center for Molecular Discovery to develop a drug that can block bacteria’s ability to hide inside host cells, making antibiotics and the immune system more effective. The students found a molecule that works and published their results in a journal.

89% Of Classes Taught by Faculty

14:1 student-faculty ratio

Average class size of 22 students

We Fly with Dedicated Professors

Because our faculty teach most of Ball State’s classes, you’ll learn directly from passionate scholars who are experts in their disciplines. Our faculty love to teach, and they treat their students as learning partners. They will inspire you with innovative ideas and high expectations, and they will help you meet them. They’ll give you personal attention and mentor you in the classroom and beyond.

See Their Work

We Fly with 
Personal Support

You may be stepping out on your own when you come to Ball State, but you are not alone. We work hard to provide students the plentiful resources of a large university and the personal touches of a small college. From academic guidance to health services, we support you on the path to a fulfilling career and a meaningful life.

Academic Advising

From day one, you’ll work with a professional academic advisor to choose your major, map out a four-year degree plan, and select courses.

Learn about Academic Advising

Career Planning

Starting in your freshman year, the Career Center can help you explore career options, build job skills, and land internships and employment.

Learn about the Career Center

Health Care

Ball State’s Student Health Center includes a medical clinic, pharmacy, women’s center, physical therapy unit, and health education.

Learn about the Health Center

Our Counseling Center provides free and confidential psychological services, including workshops, support groups, therapy, and self-help resources.

Learn about the Counseling Center

Accessibility

Ball State has a national reputation for supporting students with disabilities. We are known for our accessible campus facilities and offer many services.

Learn about accessibility services for students

We Fly with Our Engaging Campus

Place matters, and that is particularly true on Ball State’s beautiful, perfectly sized campus. Our people, our culture, and our amenities foster a close-knit community while offering a vibrant array of activities and opportunities. New and renovated facilities provide a healthy, safe, and technology-rich environment that is disability- and eco-friendly. Our campus is also alcohol- and tobacco-free.

Housing

Explore our on-campus residence halls, student services, and living-learning communities.

Dining

Discover our dining locations and options across campus, including available meal plans.

Recreation

See all the recreation programs and facilities that are available to our students.

We Fly with
Arts and Culture

Celebrate creativity, diversity, and even your own artistic talents through hundreds of cultural events at Ball State. Most are free or discounted for students. You are sure to have a good time and learn something new about the world and maybe yourself.

See What's Coming Up

357 Student Organizations

Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award —Insight into Diversity

150+ Study Abroad Programs

We Fly with
Clubs and Causes

Find your unique place and voice at Ball State through hundreds of student-run organizations and special programs on campus. Whether you’re into gaming or global missions, performing arts or politics, recreation or religion, our groups connect students with similar interests and offer social, service, and leadership opportunities. Have fun while making a difference!

Multicultural Organizations
Fraternities & Sororities
Student Voluntary Services

Where Do I Start?

Finding a student organization that is right for you has never been easier. Our Benny Link website provides a searchable list of all recognized groups at Ball State, arranged alphabetically and by category, along with information about upcoming events. We also kick off each year with a student activity fair during Welcome Week, where you can meet and connect with members of any groups that interest you.

Visit Benny Link


Keep Exploring Ball State

The best way to get a true feel for Ball State is to spend some time with us. See our campus, learn about your academic area of interest, and interact with our staff, students, and faculty through on-campus or virtual visit events and tours. Browse our viewbook or request more information from our admissions office. You'll discover why Ball State is the right choice for you.

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Paying for College

Tuition & Fees

We make a high-quality college education accessible and affordable with tuition that's among the lowest in the Midwest. Calculate your potential costs.

Financial Aid & Scholarships

About 90% of our new freshmen receive merit- or need-based financial aid, including scholarships, grants, and work-study. See how we can assist you.