Lake State vs Ball State

Lake Superior State University (LSSU) and Ball State University (BSU) stand as distinct institutions of higher learning, each offering unique opportunities and experiences to their students. LSSU, nestled in the picturesque town of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, boasts a close-knit community and a focus on hands-on learning, while BSU, located in the vibrant city of Muncie, Indiana, prides itself on its comprehensive academic programs and diverse student body. With varying acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation outcomes, LSSU and BSU cater to different aspirations and preferences. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover which university aligns best with your academic goals and personal aspirations.

	Ball State University	Lake Superior State University
Overview
Location	Muncie, Indiana	Sault Ste Marie, Michigan
Campus setting	City: Small	Town: Remote
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	73.0%	67.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	68.2%	73.3%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $60
SAT range	1010 - 1210	950 - 1160
ACT range	20 - 27	18 - 27
Students submitting SAT score	42.0%	43.0%
Students submitting ACT score	13.0%	9.0%
Total number of applicants	22,947	2,411
Total number of admissions given out	15,642	1,767
Admitted students who chose to enroll	3,278	373
Yield rate	21.0%	21.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $25,254 Out of state: $42,488	$24,150
Average net price	$12,968	$13,583
Tuition	In state: $9,628 Out of state: $26,862	$12,912
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,862 Meal plan: $6,282	$11,516
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	86.0% Average amount $11,442	97.0% Average amount $10,820
Students receiving federal student loan	88.0% Average amount $5,451	59.0% Average amount $4,800
Students taking out private loans	11.0% Average amount $13,381	10.0% Average amount $14,945

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	14,898 Men 38.7% Women 61.3%	1,812 Men 44.2% Women 55.8%
Graduate students	5,421 Men 23.0% Women 77.0%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	9.4%	13.8%
International students	1.4%	1.2%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	7,531	850
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Indiana Illinois Ohio Michigan Florida	Michigan Indiana Minnesota Illinois Ohio

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Health Professions Business Liberal Arts Psychology	Law Enforcement and Firefighting Business Health Professions Liberal Arts Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
Students to faculty ratio	14:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	68.0%	52.4%
Dropout rate	11.4%	16.6%
Transferred out	20.1%	27.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $95,451 Year 2: $92,124 Year 3: $94,146 Information Science/Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $69,551 Year 2: $75,989 Year 3: $81,236 Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,545 Year 2: $63,997 Year 3: $77,057 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $75,885 Year 2: $65,610 Year 3: $75,003 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $58,368 Year 2: $53,108 Year 3: $65,967 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $55,067 Year 2: $53,775 Year 3: $64,046 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,195 Year 2: $54,296 Year 3: $63,441 Business/Commerce, General (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $57,995 Year 3: $62,410 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,157 Year 2: $56,776 Year 3: $60,714 Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,299 Year 2: $52,357 Year 3: $59,898	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,165 Year 2: $58,601 Year 3: $60,574 Fire Protection (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $54,778 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,343 Year 2: $39,639 Year 3: $48,561 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $36,312 Year 3: $47,637 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,532 Year 2: $35,988 Year 3: $41,129 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,840 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $40,637 Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,289 Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: $34,996 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: N/A Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $68,914 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $21,508 Year 3: N/A

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