Ball State University

Location and Contact Information

The campus is in a small city.

Overview

Ball State University, a state-assisted residential university, was established in 1918. The university traces its origins to the foundation of a normal school in 1899, which became Palmer University in 1902. The university was renamed Indiana Normal College between 1905 and 1907 and then Ball Teachers College in 1922.

The university adopted its present name in 1965.

Ball State University covers more than 1,000 acres in Muncie, Indiana.

The university is ranked a doctoral/research-intensive institution by the Carnegie Foundation and is fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Ball State was listed among 70 colleges and universities making the most promising and innovative changes in 2008 by U.S. News & World Report, which also recognized the school for first-year "programs to look out" by the publication for six years in a row.

The school was named one of the best universities in the Midwest by The Princeton Review for five years. The academic units of the university are organized into the following colleges:

• College of Applied Sciences and Technology
• College of Architecture and Planning
• College of Communication, Information, and Media
• College of Fine Arts
• College of Sciences and Humanities
• Miller College of Business
• Teachers College

Ball State University includes more than 25 Greek fraternities and sororities, which are governed by the Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic Council and National Pan-Hellenic Council. The university also has Greek Peer Mentors, including students from the various fraternity and sorority communities.

Among the notable alumni of Ball State University are David Letterman of the Late Show; Joyce DeWitt, television actor; Andy Devine, character actor, who played football at the university; John Schnatter, founder and chairman of Papa John's Pizza restaurants; Jim Davis, cartoonist creator of Garfield; sportswriters Jason Whitlock; Mike Houston, ESPN producer; NFL player Reggie Hodges; NBA star Theron Smith of the Charlotte Bobcats; and Larry Bigbie of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Nat Davis, a former standout quarterback on the Ball State football team, was drafted in 2009 by the San Francisco 49ers.

Highlights (vs. Other Schools)

• Many students concentrating in drama and performing arts, music, media, education and teaching, and architecture and planning.
• Large number of programs of study offered.
• Large number of students.
• Number of dorm rooms for students.

School characteristics:

• The school is public.
• Academic calender: Semester.
• Carnegie classification: Doctoral/Research Universities, Intensive.

Features of note:

• The school offers a faculty tenure system.
• There are one or more libraries on-campus.
• Campus housing is available.
• Students may study abroad.
• Distance learning is available.
• Weekend study is an option.
• Part-time classes are available.
• ROTC.
• Athlete financial aid is awarded.

Similar Schools

Based on proprietary BrainTrack computer comparisons against all other US colleges, these schools appear to be most similar to Ball State:

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Degrees Awarded (in 2009-2010)

Faculty

Tenure (2009-2010):

Students

Student enrollment was 20,243 in 2009-2010 (19,448 full-time equivalent).

About 46% of the freshmen class in 2009-2010 was male and women were 54% of the class.

Undergrads are 78% of enrolled students and graduate students are 22%.

Students under 25 years old represent 79% of the student body. About 5% of the school is at least 40 years of age.

Among freshmen students, 100% are full-time and 0% are part-time.

Admissions Summary (2009-2010)

SAT Test Scores:

Room and Board

Ball State provides on-campus housing for 6,744 of its 19,448 (full-time) students (as of 2009-2010). The school requires freshmen to live on campus.

Athletics

School sports include football, basketball, baseball, and track. The school is in the Mid-American Conference for major sports.

The school offers financial aid for athletes. Of students receiving athletic financial aid, 170 male students received the aid (men were 52% of those receiving aid) and 157 women were awarded financial aid based on athletics (representing 48% of students receiving such aid) .

Graduate School Focus

Ball State offers graduate (post-Bachelor) studies. The highest degree offered is the Doctorate (Research/Scholarship & Professional Practice).

The school's Graduate School Carnegie Classification is Doctorate, Professional Dominant.

Programs of Study

(Number of degrees in 2009-2010 in parentheses)

ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING (173 awarded)

• Architecture (BArch, BA/BS, MArch, MA/MS, PhD)
• Architecture and Related Services
• City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning
• Environmental Design/Architecture
• Landscape Architecture (BS, BSLA, BLA, MSLA, MLA, PhD)

ART STUDIES (16 awarded)

• Art/Art Studies

BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT (571 awarded)

• Accounting
• Actuarial Science
• Business Administration and Management
• Business, Management, Marketing & Related Support Services
• Business/Commerce
• Business/Managerial Economics
• Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies
• Finance
• Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration
• Management Information Systems
• Marketing/Marketing Management
• Operations Management and Supervision

COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING (37 awarded)

• Computer and Information Sciences

CONSERVATION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (16 awarded)

• Natural Resources/Conservation

DRAMA AND PERFORMING ARTS (59 awarded)

• Dance
• Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts

EDUCATION AND TEACHING (837 awarded)

• Adult and Continuing Education Administration
• Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching
• Business Teacher Education
• College Student Counseling and Personnel Services
• Curriculum and Instruction
• Early Childhood Education and Teaching
• Education
• Education/Teaching Individuals - Hearing Impairments
• Education/Teaching of Individuals with Multiple Disabilities
• Educational Leadership and Administration
• Elementary Education and Teaching
• Health Teacher Education
• Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching
• Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching
• Physical Education Teaching and Coaching
• Reading Teacher Education
• Science Teacher Education/General Science Teacher Education
• Secondary Education and Teaching
• Special Education and Teaching
• Teacher Education, Multiple Levels
• Teaching English as Second/Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor
• Technical Teacher Education
• Technology Teacher Education/Industrial Arts Teacher Education

ENGINEERING (2 awarded)

• Archeology
• Engineering

ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN (68 awarded)

• Engineering Technologies/Technicians
• Industrial Technology/Technician
• Robotics Technology/Technician

FAMILY AND SOCIAL WORK (227 awarded)

• Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
• Family/Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences Business Services
• Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services
• Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services
• Public Administration
• Public Administration and Social Service Professions
• Social Work

FINE ARTS (55 awarded)

• Fine Arts and Art Studies

LAW (20 awarded)

• Legal Administrative Assistant/Secretary
• Legal Assistant/Paralegal
• Legal Professions and Studies
• Pre-Law Studies

LIBERAL ARTS (1,080 awarded)

• Anthropology
• Classics/Classical Languages, Lit & Linguistics
• Cultural Resource Management and Policy Analysis
• Economics
• English Language and Literature
• Ethnic, Cultural Minority, and Gender Studies
• French Language and Literature
• Geography
• German Language and Literature
• Historic Preservation and Conservation
• History
• Japanese Language and Literature
• Latin American Studies
• Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
• Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
• Library Science/Librarianship
• Linguistics
• Political Science and Government
• Social Sciences
• Sociology
• Spanish Language and Literature
• Speech and Rhetorical Studies

MATHEMATICS (21 awarded)

• Mathematics
• Statistics

MEDIA (372 awarded)

• Communications Technologies/Technicians & Support Services
• Graphic and Printing Equipment Operator, General Production
• Journalism
• Public Relations/Image Management
• Radio and Television

MEDICAL ADMINISTRATION (7 awarded)

• Health and Medical Administrative Services

MEDICAL SUPPORT AND TECHNOLOGY (148 awarded)

• Allied Health Diagnostic/Intervention/Treatment Professions, Oth
• Audiology/Audiologist and Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist
• Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology/Technologist
• Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation Therapist
• Nuclear Medical Technology/Technologist
• Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist
• Respiratory Therapy Technician/Assistant
• Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist

MEDICINE (34 awarded)

• Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences
• Pre-Dentistry Studies
• Pre-Medicine/Pre-Medical Studies

MUSIC (66 awarded)

• Music

NURSING AND EMERGENCY MEDICINE (184 awarded)

• Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic)
• Family Practice Nurse/Nurse Practitioner
• Nursing/Registered Nurse (RN, ASN, BSN, MSN)

NUTRITION AND EXERCISE THERAPY (16 awarded)

• Dietetics/Dietitian (RD)
• Dietitian Assistant

OFFICE AND ADMINISTRATION (1 awarded)

• Administrative Assistant and Secretarial Science
• Office Management and Supervision

RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY (13 awarded)

• Philosophy
• Religion/Religious Studies

SCIENCE (148 awarded)

• Animal Physiology
• Biological and Physical Sciences
• Biology/Biological Sciences
• Chemistry
• Geology/Earth Science
• Physics
• Physiology

SCIENCE AND LABORATORY TECHNICIAN (4 awarded)

• Biology Technician/Biotechnology Laboratory Technician
• Chemical Technology/Technician

SECURITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT (112 awarded)

• Criminal Justice/Safety Studies

THERAPY AND COUNSELING (213 awarded)

• Clinical Psychology
• Counseling Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Physical Therapy/Therapist
• Psychology
• School Psychology
• Social Psychology